FaceTime iMessage Error

[Anonymous]

So I've recently got the iPhone 7 and I'm unable to activate my FaceTime and iMessage.

I've been in contact with O2 and Apple and gone through many different troubleshooting steps (turning iMessage on and off, trying the airplane mode technique, complete restore of handset etc..) in order to resolve the issue - with no joy. I've even had a replacement sim. I can send and receive normal texts fine and the internet works no problem. The date and region settings are all set correctly.

O2 state I need to follow this up with Apple and Apple say the opposite. I'm unable to try a sim from another network in my iPhone as it's locked to O2. However, when I have tried my O2 sim in my old iPhone 6 the services don't activate. Yet when I insert my old Virgin Mobile sim in it and an EE sim it activates no problem.

This leads me to believe the issue is NOT with Apple or my handset but the actual network.

Getting really frustrated now as I'm unable to use my phone as I should be able to and just keep getting passed from one company to another as nobody knows what the issue is. One gentleman from Apple did say he believed it to be something to do with the SMS relaying.

Please help!!

[adamtemp64]

As @MI5 says this sounds like an account issue 

[Anonymous]

I agree with both of you - my problem is convincing O2 that's the case!

[adamtemp64]

As you say vvm works that is strange not the usual issues with wrong apn issues .

If your apn is idata you could try the change of apn to non iphone apn listed here http://www.geeksquad.co.uk/articles/o2-apn-settings then a change back to idata etc

[MI5]

It's easy for CS to check what data bolt on you have, just call until you get someone willing.
90% of network type issues we see on here are due to the wrong bolt on.

[adamtemp64]

Is visual voice mail working ?

[Anonymous]

Is there a particular bolt on name I need to check with them?

Visual voice mail is working fine 👍🏻

[adamtemp64]

In settings > mobile data>  mobile data network> if all says idata and vvm etc work not an incorrect apn issue at o2 

[Anonymous]

Hmm, I'm really stuck now then as everything appears to be correct on that screen

[MI5]

Nothing else we can suggest that we haven't already I don't think.
You'll have to get back into CS in the morning.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all your input guys.

After an experiment this morning I am now 100% convinced the issue is with my account in some way.

My friend at work is on O2 and I took his sim, put it in my iphone 7 and within 10 seconds his sim activated for iMessage.

This shows it's definitely not my phone. Looks like a call back to O2 is in order.