Can't Activate Your iPhone? Solve It Easily with These Proven Tips

7 Common Errors of Unable to Activate iPhone

Although Apple has now fixed the large-scale activation failure, some users may still encounter similar messages when setting up or restoring their iPhones. Below are some of the most common “Unable to Activate iPhone” errors you might see and what they typically mean.

• Unable to activate an update is required to activate your iPhone

  

• Your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable.

  

• Activation request could not be completed – contact customer care.

  

• Your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server cannot be reached.

  

• SIM Not Supported. The SIM card that you currently have installed in this iPhone is from a carrier that is not supported under the activation server.

  

• The iPhone could not be activated because the activation information could not be obtained.

  

• We're sorry, we are unable to continue with your activation at this time.

  

Part 2: Why does My iPhone Say Unable to Activate an Update is Required?

Seeing the message “Unable to activate iPhone” usually means that your device cannot complete the activation process because it’s not running the latest version of iOS. Activation requires a compatible iOS version, and if your iPhone is outdated or if there’s a mismatch between the device and Apple’s servers, this error can appear.

• The iPhone activation server is busy. The iPhone activation server cannot be reached due to millions of users activating their iPhone at the same time.
• The carrier you are on don't allowed you to unlock that iPhone.
• Network or Wi-Fi connection doesn't work.
• The iPhone is not recognized and cannot be activated for service.
• iTunes was unable to verify your device.
• The iPhone you are trying to activate is still locked to a previous user.

Part 3: What to Do When Your iPhone Says Unable to Activate? Top 7 Methods

How to fix iphone unable to activate? Below are some efficient ways to fix iOS 26 activation error and get your iPhone activated smoothly.

1. Wait and Retry

If your iPhone won't activate due to activation service unavailable iPhone or cannot be reached, it's better to wait. Chances are that the servers at Apple's end are down or busy and isn't processing the request. You should wait for a few minutes before trying again.

2. Force Restart iPhone

This is the simplest way to solve can not activate iPhone caused by software crashes, software bugs or software conflicts. Just follow steps below to force restart your iPhone to get iphone unable to activate fix.

• On iPhone 8 or later: Press and quickly release the Volume Up and Volume Down button. And then press and hold the Side/Wake button until the Apple logo appears.

• On iPhone 7, iPhone 6s and earlier: Press and hold the Sleep/wake button and the Home button (Volume Down button on iPhone 7/7 Plus) at the same time. Keep holding the buttons at least 10 seconds and release the buttons when the Apple logo appears.

  

3. Check Network Connection

If your network is blocking gs.apple.com on a couple of ports, it will prevent you activating your iPhone successfully. Get connected to a different Wi-Fi source than the one you are using now. Or if you're using a cellular data connection, try connecting to a reliable Wi-Fi network instead to fix unable to activate iPhone 7 as well as for other iPhone models.

4. Unlock/Lock SIM Status

Getting the activation errors that saying SIM card is unsupported? If you are trying to activate a different carrier on a locked iPhone or your iPhone is recently purchased from your carrier, it will not get activated until it is unlocked by the carrier. In this case, contact your carrier and ask them to unlock your iPhone and SIM card if your iPhone not activating.

5. Reactivate iPhone via iTunes

If you still can't activate iPhone after update, try to reactivate through iTunes in following steps.

Reboot your iPhone > Connect your phone with iTunes > Select your device and you can see "Activate your iPhone" on iTunes > Enter your Apple ID and password > Click on Continue to activate your iPhone.

6. Check Apple System Status

Sometimes, the “cannot activate iPhone” issue isn’t caused by your device at all. Apple’s activation servers can occasionally experience temporary outages or maintenance, which can prevent iPhones from activating.

To see if this is the case, visit Apple’s System Status page and check whether the iOS Device Activation service is working properly. If there’s an outage, you’ll need to wait until Apple resolves it before trying to activate your iPhone again.

Tips:

On October 13, 2025, many users reported being unable to activate their new iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max devices. Even after trying Wi-Fi, SIM cards, and hotspots, the issue persisted. Apple later confirmed it was a server malfunction and said engineers were working on a fix.

In similar cases, you can wait for Apple to resolve the issue or connect your iPhone to a Mac or PC to reinstall the system for activation.

7. Fix "Unable to Activate iPhone" with iOS System Repair Tool

If you’ve tried checking your network, SIM card, and Apple’s server status but still see the “Unable to activate iPhone an update is required” message, the issue may be caused by a system glitch. In this case, using a professional iOS repair tool is the fastest and most reliable solution.

We recommend Tenorshare ReiBoot — a trusted iOS system repair tool that can fix activation errors, system crashes, and update failures without data loss. Simply connect your iPhone to a computer, launch ReiBoot, and choose Standard Repair to automatically reinstall iOS and restore your device to normal.

With just a few clicks, you can repair your iPhone’s system and complete activation successfully, saving both time and frustration.

• Download and install Tenorshare ReiBoot on your computer, then open the program. Connect your iPhone using a USB cable. Click "Start Repair" after ReiBoot detects your device.

  

• On the next screen, click the "Standard Repair" option. This will fix iOS issues like unable to activate iPhone.

  

• ReiBoot will now show you the firmware file it needs to download for repairing your specific iPhone model. Choose "Download" to get this firmware file.

  

• Once the firmware download completes, click "Start Standard Repair".

  

• ReiBoot will display a "Done" information when completed. Your iPhone can activate smoothly now.

  

Besides fixing activation issue, Tenorshare ReiBoot can also help you fix iPhone stuck on recovery mode loop, DFU mode, iPhone flashing Apple logo, black screen spinning wheel, white screen, endless reboot, etc. during/after iOS update.

Summary

The “Unable to activate iPhone an update is required” message is usually easy to fix. By checking your iOS version, network, and SIM card, or waiting for server issues to resolve, you can get your iPhone activated quickly and start using it without delays. If you need a reliable tool to simplify the process, Tenorshare ReiBoot can help you fix activation and other iOS system issues in just a few clicks.

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