While it’s true that most of us will have held on to our mobile phone numbers for many years, there can be some occasions when you need a fresh start. Maybe you have someone annoying you with prank calls, want to leave behind an old relationship or have just decided that a new number would be a good thing.

How do you do this? In this article we explain the easiest ways to change the phone number on your iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Is my phone number connected to my iPhone?

No. Your iPhone has a serial number (or IMEI) which identifies that particular device, but the phone number comes from the SIM card you use. This is why you can take the SIM card out of your iPhone, pop it into another one or an Android phone, and take your number with you.

Note: iPhone 18 Pro Max models purchased in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM.

How can I get a new phone number for my iPhone?

To do this, you’ll need to either contact your existing SIM card provider and request a number change, or switch to another network provider which will send you a new SIM card with a replacement number.

Contacting your existing network provider

Try contacting the provider’s customer service helpdesk and asking about the number change to see if there are any additional steps or costs.

Changing to a new network provider

If you want to move to a new network provider, you’ll need to ensure that your contract allows you to do so.

Usually when you sign up to a network contract, you’ll agree to a term of 12 or 24 months. So long as you’re not still within those time frames you can move to a new network provider in a matter of days. Basically, if you’re getting messages saying it’s time to upgrade then you’re probably free to move.

Just to make sure, contact your existing provider’s helpdesk before you begin, as trying to leave a contract before you’ve finished the agreed number of months will often come with a penalty fee.

In the US and other territories, it’s usually a case of contacting your new supplier and telling them you want to switch. You may need your account number and PIN number for your old supplier’s account as part of the process, so it’s a good idea to have them on hand.

Alternatively, you can go into one of the new provider’s stores (bringing the relevant info with you) and they should take care of everything. Just remember to state that you don’t want to keep your old number.

In some cases, you may find that your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max is locked to the old network, which can be a bit of a pain.

If you have received a FaceTime call from strangers you are far from alone in the problem.

Some FaceTime users – including myself – have been receiving group FaceTime calls from unknown numbers.

I received a group FaceTime call. There were seventeen other participants. I obviously didn’t answer because I was immediately suspicious, so I don’t know what the nature of the call was. But I knew it was suspicious.

It appears I am not alone, but I was lucky that the call came during the day. Apparently some users have received about twenty calls in the middle of the night.

We addressed the problem by blocking every contact included in the group call (we’ll explain how to do that below). This did stop the problem for us, but there have been reports that the callers then switch to another number and redial.

Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Apps, then tap FaceTime. Turn on Silence Unknown Callers. Calls from unknown numbers are silenced, sent to voicemail, and displayed on the Recents list. Incoming calls will continue to ring from people in your contacts, recent outgoing calls, and Siri Suggestions.

It is possible to block a caller on FaceTime.

How to block someone on FaceTime

Follow these steps to block someone on FaceTime:

1. Open the FaceTime app on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max.

   

2. After a Group FaceTime call has ended: Tap the call in the call history, then tap Block All Participants.

Frustratingly it isn’t possible to see which of your aliases the person is using to contact you. But, if you were aware that the nuisance caller was using one of the email addresses you have associated with FaceTime to contact you, you could just remove that from the ‘You can be reached by FaceTime at’ section.

In our case we assume that they were using our iCloud address because the long list of participants were all iCloud addresses. (They were also all called Karen, which might suggest that a data leak has taken place). There were also a number of UK phone numbers included too. In total there were 17 participants.

How to remove FaceTime contact details

Here’s how to remove one of your FaceTime addresses:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > FaceTime.
2. Tap on any of the contact addresses or numbers you don’t wish to be contacted on. The tick/check will be removed from that address to indicate it will not be included.

   

Just be aware that if someone you know tries to contact you via the address you remove from your FaceTime settings they won’t be able to reach you.

If you do not like FaceTime, you can of course turn off the service completely.

Is your iPhone’s Messages app not loading up images you received over iMessage or MMS? This is a fairly common problem, but it’s pretty easy to resolve. Follow these troubleshooting steps to get the Messages app on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to show photos again.

1. Enable MMS Messaging on Your iPhone

Since photos are a form of media, the Messages app sends them as an MMS message instead of an SMS message when iMessage is unavailable.

So, if you haven’t, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and toggle on MMS Messaging to ensure that your iPhone is able to send and receive MMS messages.

If you don’t see this option, it’s possible that your carrier doesn’t support MMS messages.

2. Turn On Cellular Data

To send a message as iMessage, RCS, or MMS, you need a cellular data or Wi-Fi connection.

To enable cellular data, go to Settings > Cellular and toggle on Cellular Data. If you encounter problems turning on cellular data, try these solutions when cellular data isn’t working on your iPhone.

3. Check Your Phone Signal

If you’re in an area with a poor cell signal, your iPhone 18 Pro Max will likely be unable to send and receive photos and texts. You may also face similar issues, such as being unable to make calls on your iPhone.

You can check your phone signal by looking at the bars displayed in your iPhone’s status bar at the top of your screen. The more bars are filled in, the stronger the signal, and vice versa.

Moving to a different room and removing your iPhone case are a few methods you can try to boost your cell signal.

4. Review Content Restrictions in Settings

The above solutions generally cover situations where you can’t even receive photos, and the pictures are not showing up in Messages completely.

Now, if you can receive pictures, but the issue is that they’re not loading in Messages and are instead blurred, it might be because of a content restriction setting.

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Sensitive Content Warning and see if it’s enabled. If it is, you can either disable it just for Messages or turn it off altogether.

5. Reset iMessage

If the photos you received in your iMessage conversations before are suddenly not loading properly, and elements like a white box and a question mark are displayed instead, try resetting iMessage on your iPhone.

Go to Settings > Apps > Messages and toggle off iMessage. Afterward, restart your iPhone, then head to Settings > Apps > Messages again and toggle on iMessage.

If you’re an iPhone user who’s facing issues messaging your Android contacts, try other fixes when your iPhone can’t send pictures to Android in the Messages app.

6. Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max and Reset Network Settings

If you don’t want to reset iMessage, we still recommend restarting your iPhone. Although it’s a generic fix, there are reasons why restarting your smartphone helps to fix most problems.

Besides restarting your iPhone, you can also try resetting the network settings on your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

In the end, if you still find that your photos are not loading in Messages on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, it’s best to reach out to your carrier, Apple Support, or an Apple Authorized Service Provider for further assistance.

If your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max isn’t receiving text messages, it can feel like a big problem. After all, you could be missing out on something important. With most people communicating by text nowadays, not getting a text can be a big deal. If you’ve missed out on a text before, you know exactly what this feels like.

There are many reasons why your iPhone might not be receiving text messages—from incorrect settings to poor internet connection. So, try the troubleshooting steps below, and you’ll receive texts again in no time!

1. Make Sure Messaging Is Enabled

If you’ve just set up your iPhone or completed an iOS update, there is a chance iMessage isn’t enabled. If not enabled, you won’t receive texts from other iPhones. To turn this on, head to Settings > Apps > Messages > iMessage.

Below iMessage, you will also see a setting for Send & Receive. Make sure you have an address enabled to receive iMessages. While you’re here, be sure to also enable MMS Messaging and Group Messaging. If you scroll down, you will see the options for these.

Sometimes, certain emojis will be sent as an MMS message. If you have this off, you won’t receive the text. There are also cases where someone might tag another person in the text and make it a group text. If this option was off, you wouldn’t have received that text either.

If you’re receiving messages from other iPhones but not Android phones, this could be the reason. If that still doesn’t help, but you are receiving iMessage texts, you can learn more about what to do if you’re not receiving texts from Android.

2. Edit Send & Receive Settings

If your iPhone isn’t receiving picture messages from other iPhone, or if you’re having an issue with iMessage, there is a simple solution. The solution is to edit your Send & Receive settings to include your email.

To do this, open Settings, head to Apps > Messages > Send & Receive, and select your Apple Account email address. This will allow you to send or receive messages over the internet using this email address.

Some people might be sending you messages to your email address unknowingly, so changing this particular setting will make it possible to receive these messages.

3. Make Sure You Have Cellular or Wi-Fi for iMessage

If you are waiting for an iMessage from another iPhone user and aren’t getting it, you could have a bad connection. iMessage requires Wi-Fi or cellular data to work.

If you have cellular data turned off or aren’t connected to Wi-Fi, you won’t receive iMessage texts until you reconnect. Also, if you are getting texts from some people and not others, you might be having issues with iMessage in general.

To solve this issue, reconnect to Wi-Fi or cellular data. And if you don’t have a good connection, you can try the next step.

4. Bad Connection? Turn on Retry as Text Message

If you don’t have access to a stable internet connection, consider turning on the Retry as Text Message feature. You can set up Messages so that it automatically tries to send messages as an SMS when iMessage isn’t available.

If you have this off, your iPhone will wait until you have a stable connection before it sends a message. That means your recipient won’t receive the messages immediately and might not text back because they didn’t get your message yet. This might lead you to believe you aren’t getting texts when, in reality, they didn’t get your initial message.

To turn this on, head to Settings > Apps > Messages and tap Retry as Text Message. This will enable SMS messaging in the future.

5. Turn Off Message Filtering

iPhones allow you to filter text messages from unknown senders. While this is off by default, you may have accidentally turned it on. If that’s the case, you could be missing text messages from numbers you don’t have saved on your phone.

To resolve this, turn off message filtering on your device. You can do this by heading to Messages > Filter > Manage Filtering and disabling Screen Unknown Senders. You should start receiving text messages again if it was enabled all this time.

Once you turn it off, head to the Messages app to find any unread messages that the filter hid. Filtered messages don’t get deleted. Instead, they get stored in another folder. Once you turn off Message Filtering, you’ll see them in the Messages app.

If you’re not getting someone’s messages, you can check if they’re in your Blocked Contacts.

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Privacy & Security, then tap Blocked Contacts.
3. Select a Blocked Contact, scroll down, then tap Unblock Contact.

6. Reset Your Network Settings

Sometimes, third-party apps, updates, and bugs can cause your network settings to malfunction. If this happens, you might not receive iMessages or even text messages in general.

Before proceeding to more time-consuming fixes, you should try resetting your network settings. Some users reported that this does fix many issues related to your iPhone 18 Pro Max not receiving texts.

To do this, head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

After resetting your network settings, get someone to send you another text message. If you still can’t receive it, you can always try resetting your iPhone entirely. However, that is time-consuming and might not work.

7. Contact Your Carrier

If you tried the above fixes and still aren’t receiving text messages on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, it’s time to call your carrier. After all, there are many other ways your carrier can help you. For example, there could be a cell tower outage near you that they can inform you of, or you could have an issue with your account.

If you pay your carrier for service and aren’t receiving text messages, the carrier is responsible for restoring your text messaging. The carrier can verify your plan, check for outages, and try resetting your account if necessary. You may also want to consider trying a new SIM card and see if that helps.

Note: iPhone 18 Pro Max models purchased in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM.

When calling your carrier, just let them know you aren’t receiving text messages. If the carrier can’t help you, consider switching to a different network provider unless you have a carrier-locked phone.

iPhone 18 Pro Max Not Receiving Texts? There Are Things You Can Do

You could miss important events or updates if you’re not receiving text messages on your iPhone. This can be difficult for anybody. Because of this, you’ll want to get this fixed as soon as possible. After all, you might have already missed some important messages and don’t want to miss them anymore.

Luckily, there are several things you can try before contacting your carrier. Sometimes, a simple setting can change whether you receive messages. There are also cases when resetting your network settings fixes your carrier issues, so you don’t need to call and wait.

No matter what the issue with your iPhone is, you have several steps to try, and hopefully, you can get it fixed and start receiving messages again.

Have you ever wondered why your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max is not notifying you of texts? You might not get new text notifications due to misconfigured settings or software bugs. Usually, the issue is temporary, and you can solve it with some quick, straightforward fixes.

If text messages are not showing up on your iPhone, your device isn’t displaying notifications for an incoming SMS or iMessage, or your locked iPhone doesn’t make a sound when you get a text, look at these handy solutions to fix such issues.

1. Check Notification Settings for Messages

When text messages are not showing up on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max as notifications, make sure the Messages app is permitted to show them on the Lock Screen, Notification Center, and elsewhere.

To do this, follow these simple instructions:

1. Open Settings and tap Notifications > Messages.

   

2. Ensure Allow Notifications is green.
3. Next, check the boxes for Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners.
4. Tap Sounds and choose a loud message tone.
5. If you don’t see the actual message content on your iPhone’s Lock Screen, tap Show Previews and choose Always.

After following the above steps, new text messages via SMS and iMessage should show up on your iPhone and make a sound when the device is locked.

2. Ensure the Person Isn’t Muted

If you’re wondering why your iPhone 18 Pro Max is not notifying you when you receive a text from one person, you might have muted that person. Once you mute a person or group, your iPhone won’t alert you when they send you a new text or iMessage. Below, you’ll find out how to fix this:

1. Open the Messages app and go through your conversations.

   

2. Swipe left on the conversation that has a gray slashed bell icon.
3. Now, tap the bell icon to unmute this message thread and get alerts.

3. Turn Off Silent Mode and Focus

After you put your iPhone in silent mode, new texts won’t have a notification tone. Press and hold the Action button to turn Silent mode on. Press and hold the Action button again to turn Silent mode off. If your Action button isn’t set to Silent mode, go to the Settings app on your iPhone, tap Sounds & Haptics, then turn Silent mode on or off.

Secondly, when your iPhone is in Focus (or Do Not Disturb) mode, it does not vibrate or play a sound for new texts. You can fix this by opening the iOS Control Center and ensuring the Focus toggle (crescent moon icon) isn’t purple. If it is, tap on it to toggle the feature off.

That said, you can set up Focus modes that let you configure which apps and people you want to allow notifications from.

4. Force Quit the Messages App

Slowly swipe up from the bottom to the middle of the screen while you’re in the Messages app and hold until you see the App Switcher. Now, swipe up on the Messages app card to force quit.

After a few seconds, open this app again, and hopefully, this should smoothen the notification issues.

5. Ensure iMessage Is Enabled

Before you move ahead, it’s essential to check if iMessage is activated and switched on or not. To do that, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and make sure iMessage is enabled.

Next, tap Send & Receive and check you have the correct phone number and email here. You should start receiving notifications again after doing this.

6. Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

Often, things might not work correctly on your iPhone due to temporary glitches. Usually, a quick restart fixes these issues.

To turn off your iPhone, use the physical buttons or go to Settings > General and tap Shut Down. Drag the slider to turn off iPhone. After a minute, turn on your iPhone either by using the side button or plugging in your charger.

7. Turn Off Screen Unknown Senders

iPhone lets you automatically filter spam and texts from unknown people. When you enable this, you might miss a few meaningful text notifications in rare cases. Plus, if someone who isn’t in your contact list messages you, the Messages app will sort their text into a separate list and not notify you of it.

To fix this, go to the Messages app, tap the Filter button, then tap Manage Filtering and turn off Screen Unknown Senders.

8. Disconnect Bluetooth Devices

If you forget and leave Bluetooth buds or devices connected to your iPhone, the new text message sound may output via that instead of the on-device speaker. To fix this, open the Settings app, tap Bluetooth, then turn off Bluetooth. Alternatively, you can disconnect these devices from the iOS Control Center by tapping the Bluetooth icon.

9. Make Sure the Person Isn’t Blocked

It’s unlikely that you’ll think someone’s not messaging you because you’ve accidentally or intentionally blocked them. Nonetheless, knowing how to fix this problem is smart if you suspect this is the case.

After you block a person, they can’t call or text you. If you aren’t getting texts from a specific person, make sure they aren’t added (accidentally or on purpose) to the block list.

1. Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
2. Tap on Blocked Contacts.
3. If the person is listed here, swipe left on their name or number and tap Unblock.

10. Ensure Custom Text Tone Isn’t Set to “None”

Did you ever set “None” as the alert tone for a particular contact and forget about it? If yes, here is how to revert that and have a proper tone for new texts from that person:

1. Tap the person’s name in the Contacts app, then tap Edit.
2. Tap Text Tone and choose a different alert tone instead of “None.” Tap on Done to save this change.

Summary

• Ensure you’ve configured your iPhone’s settings correctly to avoid issues with sending images to Android devices.
• Double-check the recipient’s number for typos.
• Enable MMS Messaging in your iPhone’s settings to send messages over your carrier. Note that some carriers may not support MMS.

Having trouble sending a picture to an Android device from your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max? A simple typo in the recipient’s number or a disabled setting might be the culprit. We’ll explore all the major solutions to get your images delivered in the Messages app.

1. Check the Number You’re Texting

If you’re trying to send a picture using your iPhone to an Android user, but they aren’t receiving it, the first thing you should do is make sure you’re sending the message to the correct number.

Often, many people tend to ignore small mistakes like this, and mistyping a digit or two of a phone number could be the reason your message isn’t getting delivered.

Confirm the recipient’s phone number to ensure you have the correct contact details. If the contact number is correct, the recipient might have blocked your phone number.

2. Make Sure Cellular Data Is Enabled

Another basic solution would be checking whether Wi-Fi or cellular data is enabled. For those unaware, sending an MMS message requires an internet connection. So, you need to have Wi-Fi or cellular data active.

Check your internet connectivity by running a speed test on a web browser.

You can enable both Wi-Fi and cellular data from the Control Center, which you can access by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen.

3. Relaunch the Messages App

A simpler solution would be to force quit and restart the Messages app if it has been operating in the background.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Swipe up and hold to reveal the background app on your iPhone’s Home Screen.

   

2. Look for the Messages app and swipe up to force close the app.

This solution will refresh the app and relaunch it.

4. Update Carrier Settings

In case you didn’t know, your carrier service also releases updates to improve the connectivity on your iPhone. You might be facing this issue because you haven’t updated to the latest carrier settings.

Updating your carrier settings is also one of the best fixes when you can’t receive texts from Android users. Follow these steps to do it:

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and go to General.
2. Tap About and wait for a few seconds.
3. If an update pop-up appears, tap the Update button.

After this, go back to the Messages app and check if you can send the message. If you don’t get an update pop-up, that means you’re using the latest carrier settings.

5. Update Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

Software updates are essential for your iPhone, as it brings new features and bug fixes to enhance your experience. Apple regularly rolls out software updates for iPhones to introduce new features, improve performance, and keep things in check.

If you haven’t updated your iPhone’s software in a while, you might be unable to send a picture message. You can easily fix this by updating to the latest iOS version. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap General, then tap Software Update.

6. Enable Retry as Text Message

Using the Messages app, you can send a text, photo, or video to another iPhone user via iMessage. You can set up Messages so that it automatically tries to send messages as an SMS when iMessage isn’t available.

1. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Apps, then tap Messages.
2. Scroll down and find the Retry as Text Message option and toggle it.

After this, return to the conversation and try sending the image again.

7. Enable MMS Messaging

You also can get this error if you haven’t enabled the MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) option for the Messages app on your iPhone. So, turn it on to share images through your carrier on your iPhone by following these steps:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps, then tap Messages.
3. Scroll down and enable the toggle next to MMS Messaging.

If you don’t see the MMS Messaging option in the Settings menu, it might be because your carrier doesn’t support it. However, if you’ve enabled the option, return to the Messages app and try resending the image. Next, ask the recipient to check if their carrier supports MMS messaging on their Android device.

8. Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

Restarting your iPhone is the most effective and quickest way to fix most software issues you might be facing on your iPhone. Therefore, a simple reboot could solve this problem as well. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears. After turning your iPhone back on, check if you can send the image in Messages. This is also one of the best fixes for when iMessage doesn’t deliver your texts.

All the potential solutions discussed here should help you send images from your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max to an Android user using the Messages app. If you still cannot send it for some reason, contact Apple Support for further help. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to your carrier and check if you’re on a plan that supports MMS.

Most iPhone users communicate with iMessage, which works with cellular data or Wi-Fi. Apple’s iMessage service allows fast communication with other Apple users while offering features like Memoji stickers and read receipts.

But what if you have an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max that does not receive texts from Android? If this is happening to you, you’re not alone. Many people report having issues with this as well.

Luckily, there are a few fixes to try that will get you receiving messages from Android phones again in no time.

1. Make Sure MMS and Group Messaging Are Enabled

While all iPhones can receive text messages by default, some might have MMS and Group Messaging disabled. If an Android user sends a picture, emoji, sticker, or group message, you won’t receive it on your iPhone 18 Pro Max until the MMS and Group Messaging options are enabled.

You may not realize that you have these off if you receive pictures or emojis over iMessage from other iPhone users. That’s because iMessage doesn’t need MMS enabled to receive pictures.

To enable MMS Messaging and Group Messaging, head to Settings > Apps > Messages > MMS Messaging and turn this on. Then, turn on Group Messaging, which is right below.

This is the most common fix for this issue, but if this doesn’t work, there are still several more fixes you can try.

2. Make Sure the Number Isn’t Blocked

If you accidentally or intentionally block a number, you won’t receive texts from that person at all—no matter what type of phone they have. If you aren’t receiving messages from somebody, it’s quick and easy to check if you blocked them.

To check your blocked numbers, head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Blocked Contacts and remove anyone you don’t want to block from the list. You can do this by swiping left and tapping Unblock.

If you don’t have the number in question blocked, try moving on to the next step. Speaking of blocking, is there someone you want to mute notifications from and not block? If so, you can mute text message notifications from someone on your iPhone.

3. Delete All Your Old Text Messages

If you have too many text messages on your iPhone 18 Pro Max, you might miss additional messages due to inadequate storage. If you haven’t deleted text messages in a while or get low-storage notifications on your iPhone, deleting old messages can help.

To delete messages, head to the Messages app and tap Edit > Select Messages and delete any messages you don’t need.

Once you delete these messages, try to get someone with an Android phone to send you another text message. If you receive it, then this was the issue, and you’re good to go. If not, try the next fix.

4. Update Your Carrier Settings

Sometimes, our phone carriers send network updates to our iPhones. Most of the time, these update automatically. However, some instances, like a bad connection, can delay the update process. The irony here is that we need the update to have a better connection.

To update your carrier settings on your iPhone, head to Settings > General > About and wait for a few seconds to see if you get an update pop-up. And if you do, you can simply tap the Update button to install it.

5. Reset Your iPhone’s Network Settings

Sometimes, issues beyond our control corrupt the settings on our iPhone. When this happens, you can perform a reset to restore your settings to factory default values and resolve various issues.

If your iPhone 18 Pro Max still isn’t receiving texts from Android, reset the Network Settings by heading to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

You can also reset your iPhone to factory settings, but remember that it erases all the data on your device.

6. Contact Your Carrier

If the above fixes weren’t helpful in your case, you should contact your carrier to see if there’s an issue with your cellular service. After all, your mobile network provider might have some information about why your iPhone isn’t receiving text messages.

Some iPhone users have talked about trying to reset their network settings or restoring their iPhones, but this doesn’t seem to work reliably. You can try these before contacting your carrier, but you’ll still want to do this as soon as possible.

If you’re having carrier problems, you can always use Wi-Fi as your priority network on iPhone to continue using iMessage. Alternatively, you can post in the Apple Support Community to see if another user has found a potential fix.

iPhone Not Getting Android Texts? Fix It as Soon as Possible

Not getting text messages means missing out on social events, important work information, and messages from loved ones. Texting is a critical means of communication these days, so not receiving texts means being out of the loop.

The most common solutions to not receiving text messages are easy, but if these simple solutions don’t work, you should contact your carrier. After all, you pay a monthly phone bill and expect to receive messages.

Hopefully, your network provider can fix the issue for you, and your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max can start receiving texts from Android users again.

Email remains a great way to keep in touch with people and exchange information that feels too long for a text or WhatsApp post. Sadly, many companies and colleagues also want to share their latest news with you, which might not always be so welcomed in your inbox.

Here’s how to unsubscribe from circulars, newsletters, and other junk mail.

Use the in-app ‘unsubscribe’ option

Apple Mail does a decent job of trying to decipher whether the messages you receive are from individuals or companies, especially if the latter appears to be part of a general mail-out rather than a response to something you’ve asked.

It’s a distressing truth that we can inadvertently sign up to mailing lists without meaning to, when joining new online services or retail outlets. Should you forget to click the box forbidding partners of the site to send updates and news, then you’ll start receiving a barrage of emails from outlets you may have no interest in at all.

To stop the daily tips from Peat-Bog Experts or Dog Walkers of Albania, simply open the latest email from them and you should see a message at the top of the page saying ‘This message is from a mailing list’. Underneath is the option to Unsubscribe.

Tap this and you’ll see a dialog box appear, notifying that Mail will send a message from your email account to unsubscribe from the list. To agree with this, tap the Unsubscribe option.

Blocking senders

A feature in iOS is being able to block individual users from sending you emails. This is handy if you find that the unsubscribe option is being ignored, which can often be the case.

To block someone sending you email, open the Mail app and find one of the messages from the person in question. Tap their email address, tap View Contact Card, then tap Block this Contact.

Changing the Blocked Sender settings

There are a few different ways that you can tell the Mail app to treat messages from blocked contacts. To find them, open the Settings app, tap Apps, then tap Mail and scroll down to Blocked Sender Options.

In here are the Mark Blocked Sender switch and two options: Leave in Inbox and Move to Trash. Tap the one that meets your preference and Mail will now automatically deal with any messages you receive from someone on your Blocked list.

If you accidentally block someone, then you can restore them. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Privacy & Security, then tap Blocked Contacts. Select a Blocked Contact, scroll down, then tap Unblock Contact.

If you receive unwanted calls to your phone number on an iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, texts or iMessages in the Messages app, or unwanted incoming calls in FaceTime, you can block them by phone number or email address. Any number or address you add to a block list via FaceTime, Messages, or Phone serves as a block across all three apps and associated services.

How to block a person on the iPhone

A phone number is blocked for incoming phone calls and incoming text messages. If the phone number is also associated with an iCloud account, that person can’t send you an iMessage or initiate a FaceTime call, either. An email address must be associated with an iCloud account to block that person—they won’t be able to send an iMessage or start a FaceTime call.

In Messages, block a number or email address like this:

• Go to the conversation with the person you want to block, then tap the person’s icon at the top. Tap Info, scroll down, then tap Block Contact.

  

In FaceTime, you can block numbers or addresses using existing calls: In your FaceTime call history, tap the call, tap Block Contact, then tap Block.

From the Phone app, tap Recents, then tap the phone number or contact that you want to block or the Info button in Classic view. Scroll down, then tap Block Caller.

You can remove or add phone numbers and email addresses manually:

• Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap Privacy & Security, then tap Blocked Contacts. Tap Add Blocked Contact, then select a contact to block. Swipe left on an entry and tap Unblock to remove it, or tap Edit in the upper-left corner for bulk editing.

Did you try to make a call from your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it’s not going through? You probably find that you can’t hear the outgoing dial tone or the call attempt ends abruptly. Your screen may also show an error message, saying Call Failed.

Whatever the cause, here are all the different ways to fix your iPhone when it’s not allowing you to make phone calls.

1. Toggle Off Airplane Mode

When Airplane Mode is enabled on your iPhone, the feature disables both incoming and outgoing texts and calls. This is important to prevent interference if you’re on a plane. But if you don’t need to use Airplane Mode right now, make sure it is turned off by accessing your iPhone’s Control Center and tapping the Airplane Mode icon.

Toggling Airplane Mode on and off can also fix seemingly unrelated calling issues.

2. Check Your Mobile Plan

If your iPhone 18 Pro Max won’t make calls but will text, you might need to check your mobile plan. To make a call using your iPhone’s Phone app, you need an active mobile plan with sufficient call credit or minutes.

Some plans may state they include unlimited calls, but the catch is that this feature may not apply to all types of phone numbers, or you can only use it during certain times of the day.

Therefore, check with your network to see if your mobile plan has expired or has insufficient credit. If this is the case, simply reload your account, switch to a more suitable plan if needed, and you should be able to start making calls again.

3. Check Your Phone Signal

If you’re at a remote outdoor location, or if it’s raining or snowing in your area, you may experience poor cell reception. Check the cell signal icon in your iPhone’s status bar to find out if this is why your phone doesn’t allow you to make calls.

If there’s only one vertical bar filled in, you can try moving to another location to get a stronger signal in order to make a call. For example, if you’re in your bedroom, simply going to other areas in your house, such as the kitchen or garden, may get you the signal you need.

If there are no bars at all, or if you see No Service in the status bar, visit your network provider’s website and look for a coverage map to find out if you’re supposed to get any signal in your current location.

4. Turn On Wi-Fi Calling

Wi-Fi calling helps you to make (and receive) calls when you have poor cellular reception but can connect to a Wi-Fi network.

So, if you can’t make calls on your iPhone 18 Pro Max or find that your calls are frequently cut off, you can try enabling the feature to solve the problem. Just go to Settings > Cellular > Wi-Fi Calling. Toggle on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone.

5. Check for a Carrier Settings Update

Another solution is to check if your carrier provider has network-related updates. First, connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi or enable cellular data. Then, go to the Settings app. Select General and tap About.

If an update is available, you’ll see a Carrier Settings Update prompt. Tap Update to begin the installation.

6. Restart Your iPhone 18 Pro Max

A common but effective fix for most tech issues is to simply reboot your device. Simultaneously press and hold the side button and either volume button until the sliders appear, then drag the Power Off slider. Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.

7. Remove and Reinsert Your iPhone’s SIM Card

A working SIM card is essential to text and make calls from your iPhone. If your device can’t detect your SIM card properly, this might be why your iPhone can’t make calls.

The easy fix is to safely remove the SIM card from your iPhone and put it back. The SIM card tray is located on the side of your iPhone. To eject the tray, you can use the SIM-eject tool that is included in your iPhone box (or a straightened paper clip).

After removing the SIM card, gently wipe it with a soft, lint-free cloth. Then, place the SIM card back into the tray and slide it into your iPhone. It’s important to handle these components carefully to avoid causing damage to your device in the process.

Note: iPhone 18 Pro Max models sold in the United States use advanced eSIM technology and are not compatible with physical SIM cards.

8. Update Your iPhone

Apple’s iOS software updates often come with bug fixes that fix minor software bugs. Sometimes, you can resolve your iPhone’s call issues by simply keeping your iPhone up to date.

So, go to Settings > General > Software Update to see if an update is available for your device.

9. Reset Network Settings

You might not be able to make calls from your iPhone if there are network-related problems. So, the next solution is to reset network settings on your iPhone.

Rest assured that this is not a factory reset. It simply deletes network data, such as Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth device connections—all of which can be easily set up again later on. All the content stored on your iPhone should be totally fine—like your apps, photos, and music.

Go to the Settings app on your iPhone. Tap General, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Reset. Tap Reset Network Settings.

10. Reset All Settings

If your iPhone 18 Pro Max still can’t make calls, the last solution you can attempt is to reset all the settings on your iPhone. To do this, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. Tap Reset and select Reset All Settings. You’ll be prompted to enter your device passcode to proceed.

Make sure you don’t choose the Erase All Content and Settings option, as that will erase all data on your iPhone.

However, this process can take a long time if you have a lot of data on your device. Before trying this solution, please consider whether the problem could actually be with the person you’re trying to call. You may want to find another way to reach out to them to ensure their phone is working before spending more time resetting settings on your own device.

Your iPhone May Not Be the Problem

There are a few reasons why your target recipient’s device may not receive your call. For example, they may have a poor signal even if you don’t. Or perhaps they put their phone into Do Not Disturb mode to block all calls.

There’s a quick way to confirm whether the problem lies with your iPhone’s functionality. You can try calling someone in the same room as you or someone you know who is available to pick up your test call.

If the call goes through successfully, it means your iPhone can make an outgoing call without issues, so the problem must be with the other person you’re trying to call.

Alternative Ways to Call Someone

If you suspect the problem is with your device, the Phone app isn’t your only option when you need to call someone. Here are some alternative methods to make a call from your iPhone.

Use FaceTime

Try using the FaceTime app to call your contact instead of the Phone app. Whether you enable video or not, this will force your iPhone to make a call over your internet connection—instead of your cell network—which may allow it to go through.

Use Third-Party Apps

If you can connect to a Wi-Fi network, you can make a call using third-party apps, such as WhatsApp and Messenger, instead. These apps enable you to make free calls over an internet connection.

However, the limitation is that your contact must also be a user of that app. Also, they need to have Wi-Fi or cellular data enabled on their device to receive the incoming call notification.

Use Another Phone

Another option is to simply borrow another person’s phone to make a call. If they’re using a different carrier, they may have a stronger cell signal than you do.

Be mindful of your call length and the potential cost of the call, though. You don’t want to end up with your friend receiving high call charges after they let you use their phone!

Use Your iPhone to Make Calls Again

If you’ve been stuck wondering why you can’t make calls on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, we hope this list of fixes and suggestions has helped you to fix the phone call problems you were experiencing. If the issue persists, it’s better to contact your mobile carrier or Apple Support for further assistance.