How to add phone number to imessage on iphone

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I send messages and reply to them not just on my iPhone but on my Macbook as well sometimes because it is far more convenient to reply to messages on my computer instead of picking up my phone to reply to any messages.

When I tried to reply to a friend who had texted me, their name turned red, and when I tried sending a message, it said the phone number wasn’t registered with iMessage.

This didn’t make sense because I was already messaging the person before, and I didn’t see any possible reason why this must have happened.

To find out what had happened, I went online and checked out how you can troubleshoot errors like this with iMessage.

I learned a lot about the possible issues with iMessage and how I could get it fixed both from Apple’s support pages and their own and other third-party user forums.

I created this article with the help of the hours of research I had spent so that you’ll be able to fix the phone number issue with iMessage in seconds once you finish reading this.

To fix the phone number not registered with iMessage error, try disabling and re-enabling iMessage. Alternatively, you can try using your Apple ID instead.

Continue reading to find out what might have caused this error and what you can do if nothing seems to work and you have hit a dead end.

Why Am I Getting This Error?

You’ll get this error because your phone number hasn’t been activated with iMessage on your phone, which needs to be done before you text using iMessage on your computer.

This error can also appear because of issues with your Apple ID or the iMessage app itself, which might need to be fixed separately.

I will be going through all the possible reasons why you may have gotten this error and will be talking about how you can fix them as quickly as possible.

The steps that I will be detailing are intended to be as easy to follow as possible, and anyone would be able to go through them.

Go through each fix in the order I have presented them for the best path to get your iMessage fixed on your Mac computer.

Re-enable iMessage

iMessage is a switchable feature on all iOS devices, and you can turn it off and on from the settings menu in case you ever stop using iMessage.

Disabling and re-enabling it might fix problems with iMessage since it restarts the iMessage service, and it won’t take more than a couple of minutes to do so.

To do this:

1. Open Settings on your iOS device.
2. Scroll down and tap Messages.
3. Turn off iMessage and turn it back on after a few seconds.
4. Go back to iMessage on your Mac and try sending messages again.

If the fix worked, the red-colored name for your contact would no longer appear, and you can resume messaging your contacts on your Macbook.

Use Your Apple ID For iMessage

You can manually add your phone number to the iMessages app on your phone by logging in with your Apple ID and adding the phone number associated with the Apple ID on iMessage.

To set up your Apple ID with iMessage:

1. Go to Settings on your iOS device.
2. Scroll down and select Messages.
3. Check if iMessage is turned on.
4. Select Send & Receive.
5. Tap Use your Apple ID for iMessage and sign in with the Apple ID you use with your Mac.
6. Go to You can receive iMessages to and Reply From and select your phone number and Apple ID.
7. Do the same for FaceTime in the settings under You can be reached by FaceTime at.

Once you enable this on your iPhone, you’ll need to do the same on your Mac device since you’re getting the error there.

To enable iMessage on your Mac:

1. Launch Messages on your Mac and sign in with the Apple ID you used with iMessage on your phone.
2. Go to Messages, then Preferences and select iMessage.
3. Select your phone number and your Apple ID.

Once this is done, you are ready to receive messages on your Mac through your iPhone’s number and Apple ID.

Update iOS

Bugs with the iMessage app can also cause the phone number issue to come up, which can cause the issue if you’ve set up your number and Apple ID with iMessage already.

Updates to iMessage fix bugs like this in most cases, and these updates are usually bundled with iOS updates.

To update your iOS device:

1. Plug your phone into the charger and connect it to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Settings.
3. Go to General > Software Update.
4. Turn on Automatic Updates.
5. Go back and tap Download and Install if there is an update available.

Once the update finishes installing, launch iMessage on your Mac again to see if you fixed the phone number issue.

Restart Device

If the software update doesn’t fix the issue or is already up to date, you can try restarting your Mac and the iOS device you have iMessage on.

Try using the Message app on Mac to see if you get the error again, and if there is no change, you can restart a couple more times.

Restarting your devices will reset most software, so it is worth trying.

Reset Device

If multiple restarts don’t seem to work, then the alternative is to factory reset your phone.

Only do this if there is no alternative, including taking the phone to Apple support.

Factory resetting will delete everything on the phone, so you’ll have to make a backup before doing so.

To factory reset your iOS device:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to General > Transfer or Reset.
3. Tap Erase All Content And Settings.
4. Wait for the phone to complete the erase and restart.

Once the reset is complete, set up the phone again, including iMessage, and sign in with your Apple ID.

Check your Mac to see if the phone number issue comes up again.

Contact Apple

If none of the troubleshooting methods seems to work, you might have to take the phone to your nearest Apple Store.

There they’ll be able to diagnose the issue better and suggest methods to fix the phone.

The repair will usually be free, but if any components need to be replaced, you might be looking at a fee unless you have Apple Care.

Final Thoughts

If you currently don’t have a phone number, remember that you can still use iMessage by logging in with your Apple ID instead, if iMessage isn’t signing you out all the time.

You can do the same on Mac by using the same Apple ID you used with your iPhone to log in to iMessages.

But once you associate a number with iMessage, you’ll have to associate the number with the Messages app on Mac.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register a telephone number with iMessage?

To register your phone number for iMessage, tap the Apple ID card at the top of the settings menu.

Then go to Name, Phone Numbers and Email and press Edit to add the number you want to be contacted at.

Can you iMessage to a phone number?

You can send messages on iMessage to any phone number as long as they are using an iOS device with the number.

You only need an Apple ID to send messages on iMessage, but the destination must be another iOS device.

Do you need a phone number for iMessage?

You don’t need a phone number to use iMessage; you only need your Apple ID or the account you use to log in to your iCloud.

You can associate a phone number with it later, but it is perfectly functional even if you don’t have a number associated.

How do I verify my number on iMessage?

If you’ve changed phone numbers and want to verify the new one on iMessage, go to settings.

Turn off iMessage and turn it back on to reverify your new number.

How can I add a phone number to iMessage?

How do I add phone numbers to my iPhone?