iPhone - cannot send SMS / text messages to one number

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Oct 30th, 2020 6:23 pm

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Sep 29th, 2020 6:22 pm

adaniel [OP]: Sr. Member; Aug 13, 2015; 742 posts; 1326 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Sep 29th, 2020 6:22 pm

iPhone - cannot send SMS / text messages to one number

Hi folks,

I've been trying to solve this issue on our (first gen) iPhone SE for over a year now: I can't send text messages to a specific number.
iPhone SE was purchased from Fido.

Details:
1. This problem is NOT carrier specific since I've used 3 different carriers in the last year: Public Mobile, Lucky Mobile, and Freedom Mobile (currently). I haven't been able to send texts to this number when using these 3 carriers.
And all my plans with those 3 carriers include/d global texting.
2. The error message displayed is "not delivered" (see attached). The same error message when I used PM, LM, or FM.
3. Operating system (iOS) is always up to date (currently running the latest iOS, I think it's 14).
4. The recipient is abroad, in the Philippines - but I've been able to send texts to other Philippine numbers (other recipients confirmed they received my texts).
5. The recipient number is active, since I am able to send texts to this number using my Fido line (recipient confirmed she received my texts from Fido).
6. I've done trouble shooting recommended online incl:

Ensuring recipient is not on the blocked list
Listing area code properly (+63), same area code used for other recipients that received my texts successfully
I've deleted the contact multiple times and tried sending texts using manually input recipient cell number
I've deleted the entire texting thread and restarted new ones, multiple times
I've sent messages as iMessage and also as regular text messages (iMessage turned off)

I'm out of ideas. It's more to satisfy my curiosity as to what else could be preventing me from sending texts rather than life / death!
Thank you in advance.

Images

Last edited by adaniel on Sep 29th, 2020 11:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.

10 replies

Sep 29th, 2020 11:20 pm

MikeNet: Deal Addict; May 8, 2001; 1103 posts; 1624 upvotes

Sep 29th, 2020 11:20 pm

#5 you say you used Fido SIM. Was that Fido SIM on this particular phone or from another phone? If not same phone, try taking Fido SIM and putting in this phone and try number. If it does go through then you may be able to remove the phone as the fault and maybe then it's all these carrier's routing or settings somewhere may be a problem. Have you reset you network settings?

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Sep 29th, 2020 11:57 pm

adaniel [OP]: Sr. Member; Aug 13, 2015; 742 posts; 1326 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Sep 29th, 2020 11:57 pm

MikeNet wrote: ↑ #5 you say you used Fido SIM. Was that Fido SIM on this particular phone or from another phone? If not same phone, try taking Fido SIM and putting in this phone and try number. If it does go through then you may be able to remove the phone as the fault and maybe then it's all these carrier's routing or settings somewhere may be a problem. Have you reset you network settings?

Thanks, I'll try this.
The Fido that I used to successfully send texts to this particular number is not from this phone. It is used with a Samsung S9. So when I send texts successfully to the number, it is from S9, Fido network.
The SE was purchased from Fido originally.

Network settings, I think I've done that, but I'll also reset it again.
I'll try to insert the Fido Sim to the SE. Thanks for the suggestion.

Sep 30th, 2020 8:23 pm

adaniel [OP]: Sr. Member; Aug 13, 2015; 742 posts; 1326 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Sep 30th, 2020 8:23 pm

MikeNet wrote: ↑ #5 you say you used Fido SIM. Was that Fido SIM on this particular phone or from another phone? If not same phone, try taking Fido SIM and putting in this phone and try number. If it does go through then you may be able to remove the phone as the fault and maybe then it's all these carrier's routing or settings somewhere may be a problem. Have you reset you network settings?

With regards to resetting network settings, from my research, once I've done this all that I'll lose is saved wifi passwords.
Anything else? (Esp on the cellular side) The phone was purchased from Fido, and it is being used on Freedom with no major issue (other than this texting issue) - will I expect an issue?
I will try to swap the SIM first. Thank you.

Sep 30th, 2020 10:05 pm

MikeNet: Deal Addict; May 8, 2001; 1103 posts; 1624 upvotes

Sep 30th, 2020 10:05 pm

adaniel wrote: ↑ With regards to resetting network settings, from my research, once I've done this all that I'll lose is saved wifi passwords.
Anything else? (Esp on the cellular side) The phone was purchased from Fido, and it is being used on Freedom with no major issue (other than this texting issue) - will I expect an issue?
I will try to swap the SIM first. Thank you.

Resetting network settings should also reset carrier settings and update if you don't have the latest, but since you are on the latest iOS it will already be.

Worst case is you can backup your phone (I would suggest both to iCloud and locally via iTunes on computer). Do a total factory restore and then insert the SIM and try texting the number without restoring anything. Basically reset, insert SIM, get past setup without entering anything (skip everything), and text the number. Of course, only if you really need to find out.

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Oct 1st, 2020 2:28 pm

gameon12: Deal Addict; May 7, 2012; 1096 posts; 514 upvotes

Oct 1st, 2020 2:28 pm

To be clear have you received an SMS, on your iP SE with FM, from the intended recipient (in Philipines)? Your pic only shows your attempts to send.

Oct 1st, 2020 4:13 pm

adaniel [OP]: Sr. Member; Aug 13, 2015; 742 posts; 1326 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Oct 1st, 2020 4:13 pm

gameon12 wrote: ↑ To be clear have you received an SMS, on your iP SE with FM, from the intended recipient (in Philipines)? Your pic only shows your attempts to send.

No, simply because the recipient never attempted to send one to me. My wife and I use our phones to send outgoing texts to the Philippines, since it's quite cost prohibitive for most in the Philippines to send a text abroad.
Thanks for chiming in.

Oct 1st, 2020 8:26 pm

gameon12: Deal Addict; May 7, 2012; 1096 posts; 514 upvotes

Oct 1st, 2020 8:26 pm

adaniel wrote: ↑ No, simply because the recipient never attempted to send one to me. My wife and I use our phones to send outgoing texts to the Philippines, since it's quite cost prohibitive for most in the Philippines to send a text abroad.
Thanks for chiming in.

I don't know anything about Philipine communications but it might be worthwhile trying this. Have your recipient send you an SMS to that device/plan/number. If you receive it try sending a reply SMS.
I recall something like this happened a couple years ago on my iP8 and that (maybe coincidentally) is how it resolved.

+1

Oct 4th, 2020 11:26 am

JAC: Deal Expert; Apr 16, 2001; 16414 posts; 3237 upvotes

Oct 4th, 2020 11:26 am

Is the Philippines recipient a former iPhone user? Did they unregister from iMessage?

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Oct 8th, 2020 2:31 pm

adaniel [OP]: Sr. Member; Aug 13, 2015; 742 posts; 1326 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Oct 8th, 2020 2:31 pm

JAC wrote: ↑ Is the Philippines recipient a former iPhone user? Did they unregister from iMessage?

As far as I know, the Philippine recipient is not a former iPhone user. If anything, the user hasn't even used a "smart" phone (the phone being used is a very old b&w Nokia phone).

As a whole, thank you guys for the responses, I haven't had the chance to do a network rest and/or use my Fido Sim on the iPhone SE to test if it would work as suggested (a bit concerned since the SE is getting old and screen is coming off, we're just hoping it will last till BF so we can get a newer phone to replace the SE).

Oct 30th, 2020 6:23 pm

adaniel [OP]: Sr. Member; Aug 13, 2015; 742 posts; 1326 upvotes; Vancouver, BC

Oct 30th, 2020 6:23 pm

gameon12 wrote: ↑ I don't know anything about Philipine communications but it might be worthwhile trying this. Have your recipient send you an SMS to that device/plan/number. If you receive it try sending a reply SMS.
I recall something like this happened a couple years ago on my iP8 and that (maybe coincidentally) is how it resolved.

Thank you all for the comments here. Because the iPhone was getting old and we had a good deal for an upgrade, we got a new phone (Samsung) for the line.
We have no issue now sending texts to the previously problematic Philippine number using the new Samsung.
So it got resolved, but I still don't know why it didn't work with the iPhone SE.

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