[2024] Fix Unable To Activate iPhone 15/14 in 6 Ways

Part 1: 7 Common Errors of Unable to Activate iPhone 15/14

Here are some common iPhone activation errors that you may encounter when iPhone/iPad is not activated after software update/reset.

• 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: 6 Reasons Causing Unable to Activate iPhone 15/14

Before moving onto the solutions to iphone unable to activate, you need to figure out why you get the “iPhone unaboe to activate” error after updating to iOS 17/16.

• 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: Unable To Activate iPhone 15/14? 6 Methods to Fix It

How to fix iphone unable to activate? Below are some efficient ways to fix iOS 17/16 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 iPhone 15/14 unable to activate 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. Use Recovery Mode to Fix Unable To Activate iPhone [100%]

Unable to activate iphone update required? Or Could not activate iPhone/iPad? You need to install an update package which is different from iOS update package and you can’t download and update in iPhone Settings. An easy way to force iPhone to install the update package is to put iPhone in recovery mode and update or restore with iTunes.

• Firstly, put your iPhone into recovery mode. Here we recommend a free program Tenorshare ReiBoot to help you enter recovery mode with only 1 click.

  
  
  

• After entering recovery mode, run iTunes and iTunes will detect your device in recovery mode and require it to be updated or restored. Now, restore and update your iPhone with iTunes.

  

Besides entering recovery mode, 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.

Part 4: How to Bypass Unable to Activate iPhone (Means iCloud Activation)

In some cases, you may unable to activate iPhone if the iPhone you are using is still tied to someone else iCloud account, with an Activation Lock in place. To bypass Activation Lock you will need to enter the previous user’s Apple ID and password, or use a professional iPhone activation lock bypass tool - Tenorshare 4MeKey to bypass iPhone activation lock screen from without SIM card, Apple ID or passwords.

Check the Video Guide below on How to Remove iCloud Activation Lock

Summary

That's all for fixing unable to activate iPhone. Find the reasons and try the methods above to get rid of this error. And if you want to bypass Activation Lok when iPhone won't activate, Tenorshare 4MeKey is highly recommended.