iMessage Doesn't Say Delivered? Fixed!

Mighty iOS repair tool to fix any iOS/iPadOS system issue.

Sometimes, after sending an iMessage, you may notice that the "Delivered" status doesn't appear beneath the message. This can leave you wondering whether the message was successfully sent, blocked, or affected by a network issue.

In this guide, we'll explain why iMessage doesn't say delivered and show you several proven ways to fix the problem on your iPhone or iPad.

imessage does not say delivered

FAQs: iMessage Not Delivering Messages
How to Fix iMessage Doesn't Say Delivered
Summary

FAQs: iMessage Not Delivering Messages

What does it mean when iMessage doesn't say delivered?
The "Delivered" status means your message has successfully reached the recipient's device. If iMessage doesn’t say delivered, the message may not have been received yet due to connection issues, device settings, or other temporary problems.
Why doesn't iMessage say delivered?
There are several possible reasons why iMessage is not showing "Delivered," including:
Poor internet connection
The recipient's iPhone is turned off
iMessage is disabled on either device
The recipient blocked your number
Temporary iOS or iMessage glitches
Sometimes the issue is on the recipient's side rather than your own device.
What should I do when iMessage doesn't say delivered?
First, try sending iMessages to other contacts. If the problem only happens with one person, the issue is likely related to their device or settings. If none of your iMessages say delivered, you can troubleshoot your iPhone by checking your network, iMessage settings, and iOS system status using the methods below.

How to Fix iMessage Doesn't Say Delivered

If iMessage doesn't say "Delivered," don't worry, there are several effective ways to troubleshoot and fix the problem. Below, we'll walk you through the most practical solutions step by step.

2.1 Check Your Cellular and Wi-Fi Network Connection

iMessage relies heavily on a stable internet connection to send and receive texts. If your device handles standard SMS but your iMessage won't say delivered, a faulty network connection is often the prime suspect.

To check your Wi-Fi connection: Go to Settings > WLAN. Ensure it is switched on and connected to a reliable network. If you notice a "No Internet Connection" alert under the network name, try toggling WLAN off and on, or connect to a different network.

check iphone wlan

To check your cellular data: Navigate to Settings > Cellular. Make sure the Cellular Data switch is turned green. If you suspect you've run out of data, you can check your current data consumption by scrolling down to the Cellular Data Usage section or checking your carrier's official app.

turn on cellular

2.2 Enable "Send as SMS" for Non-Apple Recipients

Keep in mind that iMessage only works between Apple devices. If you are texting an Android user or someone without an active internet connection, you will likely find that your iMessage text doesn't say delivered. Enabling SMS fallback is the quickest fix.

Step 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Step 2. Scroll down and tap Apps > Messages.
Step 3. Find the Send as SMS toggle and switch it on.

Pro Tip:

In newer iOS versions, make sure to also enable RCS Messaging (if supported by your carrier) right below this menu to improve texting with Android users and prevent delivery issues.

2.3 Restart and Reactivate iMessage

Many people might not know that the iMessage can be turned off and on. It will re-activate your iMessage and might just fix some temporary glitches. If you have tried the solutions provided above and the messages still cannot be sent successfully, this method might help.

Step 1. Go to Settings > Apps and select Messages.
Step 2. Toggle the iMessage switch to Off.
Step 3. Restart your iPhone to clear out temporary cache.
Step 4. Go back to Settings > Apps > Messages and turn iMessage back on. Wait a few moments for it to re-activate before sending another text.

2.4 Sign Out and Sign Back into iMessage

Authentication errors between your device and Apple servers can sometimes cause delivery failure. If your iMessage status is not showing delivered, re-signing into your account usually forces a clean reconnection.

Step 1. Navigate to Settings > Apps > Messages.
Step 2. Tap on Send & Receive.
Step 3. Tap your Apple Account (formerly Apple ID) email at the bottom of the screen.
Step 4. Select Sign Out from the pop-up menu.
Step 5. After a few seconds, tap Use your Apple Account for iMessage to sign back in with your credentials.

2.5 Force Restart Your iPhone

A standard restart clears out operational data, but a force restart completely cuts power to the logical processes and restarts the iPhone's network interface hardware. This clears deeper system stalls that cause the iMessage text to not say delivered.

Step 1. Press and quickly release the Volume Up button.
Step 2. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button.
Step 3. Press and hold the Side button (Power button) until the Apple logo appears on screen, then let go.

2.6 Reset Network Settings

Corrupted Wi-Fi caches, conflicting VPN configurations, or faulty cellular handoff data can silently stall iMessage background traffic. Resetting your network restores all cellular, Wi-Fi, and network protocols back to their factory default states.

Step 1. Open Settings and tap General.
Step 2. Scroll to the absolute bottom and select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Step 3. Tap Reset at the bottom of the screen.
Step 4. Choose Reset Network Settings from the pop-up menu and enter your passcode to confirm.

Note

Doing this will erase your saved Wi-Fi passwords, so you will need to re-enter them afterward.

2.7 Free Up iPhone Internal Storage

When an iPhone is dangerously low on local storage capacity, iOS begins disabling background processes to prevent a total system crash. iMessage caching is often one of the first background services to pause, meaning your iMessage won't show the delivered status because the app lacks the disk space to update database files.

Step 1. Go to Settings > General.
Step 2. Tap on iPhone Storage.
Step 3. Review the breakdown chart at the top. If you have less than 2-3 GB of free space, use Apple's optimization recommendations or manually delete large videos, unused apps, or attachments to clear up space.

2.8 Use iOS System Recovery Software

If you are sure that the iMessage problem has something to do with your iPhone or iPad malfunctions, then you might want to try this solution. TunesKit iOS System Recovery is probably the easiest way to fix the iMessage doesn't say delivered issue. This program is a powerful iOS repair tool that can help fix your Apple devices quickly right at your home.

What's more, it can get rid of almost all iOS related problems such as iPhone suddenly died with no data loss at all. Its excellent user-friendliness enables new users to get used it in minutes.

Fix iMessage Not Saying Delivered

Resolve iMessage delivery issues, iOS glitches, and messaging errors on iPhone without losing your data.

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Here's how to fix iMessage not saying delivered with TunesKit iOS System Recovery.

Step 1: Download TunesKit iOS System Recovery from the links above and install it. Use an Apple USB to connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer, and it should be recognized by the program. Press the "iOS System Repair" button, and click the "Start" button to proceed.

connect iphone

Step 2: You can see two repairing modes on the screen – Standard Repair and Deep Repair. Select the Standard Repair to repair your iPhone without data loss. If you run into very serious problems next time, you can try using the Deep Repair (Be careful that you need to backup your data before using the mode).

select mode

Step 3: The program will identify some basic info of your device and show it on the screen so that it can download the correct matching firmware for your device recovery later. Therefore, please ensure that the info is all correct. After that, press the "Download" button to download the firmware.

download firmware

Step 4: Finally, push the "Start Standard Repair" button to start the repairing process, which will take only a few minutes. By the time it ends, the phone will automatically reboot. Unplug the iDevice from the computer and check if the iMessage texts can be delivered properly.

start standard repair

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2.9 Contact Apple Support or Your Carrier

When all else fails and your iMessage doesn't show the delivered status after attempting the steps above, the issue might be rooted in a server outage, carrier-side provisioning error, or hardware malfunction.

Step 1. Check the Apple System Status page online to see if iMessage servers are temporarily down.
Step 2. If servers are up, reach out to your cellular carrier to ensure your texting plan is active and there are no network outages in your area.
Step 3. Contact Apple Support via the official support app or website for advanced fix and hardware diagnostics.

Summary

If iMessage doesn't say "Delivered," the issue may be related to network errors, incorrect settings, or iOS system glitches. This guide explains the common reasons behind the problem and provides several effective ways to fix it. If basic troubleshooting doesn't work, TunesKit iOS System Recovery can help repair iPhone system issues causing iMessage delivery problems without data loss.