Fix iPhone 16 Unable to Activate with 100% Working Guide

Part 1. Why is My New iPhone Saying Unable to Activate?

You might be unable to activate iPhone 16 due to following reasons:

• SIM is not inserted correctly into slot.
• Your WiFi connection is poor or unstable.
• Your SIM carrier has a network outage.
• Apple’s iPhone Activation server is busy.
• Your iPhone 16 has an Activation Lock enabled.
• Your iPhone 16’s iOS has a glitch or it’s corrupted.

Part 2. Troubleshoots for Unable to Activate iPhone 16

Now, that you know why you could not activate iPhone 16, let’s focus on fixing this activation issue based on different situations:

2.1 Force Restart Your iPhone 16

The most basic step that often fixes “Activation error on iPhone 16” is force restarting your iDevice. This is because an activation issue usually crops up due to a network problem or a software glitch or bug in iOS. Thus, force restarting your iPhone will clear cached data, refresh system processes, fix network issues and software glitches, removing the Activation error. Here’s how to force restart your iPhone 16:

• Press and release first, “Volume Up,” then “Volume Down” button.
• Next, press and hold “Side” button and keep holding it until Apple logo shows.

2.2 Reinsert SIM Card to Activate iPhone 16

Your iPhone 16 won’t activate if a loose SIM card is preventing it from connecting to network. Therefore, reinsert it into slot to secure connection and trigger a new network registration, which might fix issue. Removing and reinserting SIM can also clear any temporary data causing activation problems.

2.3 Check Apple System Status

Sometimes, you might be unable to activate iPhone 16 Pro Max due to a system outage. To check whether Apple’s server is workin, visit it’s Status page, and look for “iOS Device Activation.” If there’s a yellow dot, it means Apple is working on the problem, so just wait for a while and then check back. However, if the dot is green, there’s no system error and there might be another underlying issue behind activation error.

2.4 Check Network Connection

Is your iPhone 16 stuck on activating? It might be because of a network connection problem. If you’re using cellular data we recommend switching to a WiFi network. But if you’re using WiFi, make certain it is stable and has a strong signal. If that doesn’t resolve the activation error, force reboot your iPhone 16 and continue setup. Then, choose a different WiFi network.

2.5 Activate iPhone 16 Using iTunes

If still your iPhone 16 is unable to activate and none of earlier mentioned solutions are able to fix it, try activating it through iTunes. But you must have a computer at hand to use this method. Here’s how to fix “iPhone 16 not activating” error with iTunes:

• Install latest iTunes/Finder on your PC, then from setup screen on your iPhone 16, select “Connect to Mac or PC” and connect your iDevice to same computer.
• Run iTunes/Finder, which will automatically activate your iPhone 16. Then, either pick “Restore from backup” or “Set as New.”

Part 3. Fastest Way to Fix iPhone 16 Unable to Activate

Was it a network or SIM insertion problem that was causing “iPhone 16 Pro unable to activate” error? Were you able to troubleshoot it with above mentioned methods? If yes, that’s well and good. However, severe software issues leading to activation error might be not be easily fixed.

There could be anything related to a software glitch that’s beyond your comprehension and is causing the issue. Thus, you’ll need a specialized tool that can target all iOS issues and that’s where Tenorshare ReiBoot comes in, with being able to repair 150+ iOS issues. It’s a comprehensive toolkit for managing and repairing iDevices. But that’s not all about this tool. Have a look at its major functions:

• Can repair numerous iOS issues like activation error, stuck on Apple logo, boot loop, white or black screen of death and much more.
• Fix common iTunes errors.
• Can upgrade/downgrade iOS including Betas.
• Can erase data permanently without leaving a mark.
• Can factory reset iOS devices before selling or gifting them without iTunes, Apple ID or passcode.
• Support latest i iPhone 16 and iOS 18 Beta.

Here’s how to fix activation error by repairing your iPhone 16 with Tenorshare ReiBoot:

• Download, install and then execute ReiBoot on your Mac/Windows computer.



• Then, connect your iPhone 16 to same computer. Hit “Start Repair” once its recognized by ReiBoot.



• Pick “Initiating Upgrade” to get latest firmware to fix activation error on your iPhone 16.



• Once firmware is downloaded, hit “Done” again. After, ReiBoot finishes repairing your iPhone 16 and activation error is gone your iDevice will reboot normally. You can then finish activating it.

Part 4. People Also Ask about iPhone 16 Unable to Activate

Q1. How long does it take for the iPhone 16 to activate?

iPhone 16 activation time can vary due to factors like network strength, server traffic, and SIM card issues. However, on average it takes just a few minutes to activate.

Q2. Is iPhone 16 single or Dual SIM?

The iPhone 16 supports Dual SIM, letting you use both a physical nano-SIM and a digital eSIM at the same time. This is great for managing personal and business lines or getting data plans while traveling.