iPhone Activation Problems Plaguing Countless New iPhone Owners

Submitted by Chad Shmukler on

UPDATE - July 11th, 2008: If you're looking for information on activation issues plaguing iPhone 3G owners, visit the following link: Not Again: iPhone 3G Release Plagued by Activation Problems.

Does the following sound familiar: you rushed home with your new iPhone, plugged it into your computer, loaded up iTunes, and started zipping through the activation process. After selecting a plan, perhaps setting up an iTunes account, and agreeing to a few sets of terms - you were just about ready to use your iPhone. Then, it happened. "It", in this case, refers to the "your iPhone activation requires additional time to complete" message that seemingly countless iPhone customers have received.

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Subsequently, users who receive the wait message receive an email from Apple's iTunes store which states the following: "AT&T is now processing your activation. You will receive an email confirmation once your activation is complete."

There are mixed indications from AT&T about what is causing the delays. AT&T representatives have suggested individual account issues, overwhelming activation volumes, and delays related to porting numbers from other networks. Though most customers who have actually gotten to speak with AT&T customer service (hold times are over an hour in most cases) report being told they can expect a 2-6 hour wait, some have reported being told they may not have their iPhones activated for 24-72 hours.

Most customers who are in the activation waiting period have also already had their existing phone's service disabled by AT&T, further increasing the frustration involved in waiting.

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It's worth mentioning that the iPhone is, in a sense, useless without activating it. Short of being able to make emergency calls, there's little one can do with their new iPhone except play with the unlock slider on the "Activate iPhone" screen. And folks, despite those who might feel like it is, your iPhone not being activated is NOT an emergency - so please resist the urge to call 9-1-1 and complain to them. Besides, they can't help.

For those of you that have contacted iPhoneFAQ looking for answers to these activation issues, check back to this post, we'll update information here as it becomes available.

(Updated - June 30th, 11:20am EDT) AT&T customer service has indicated that pre-existing AT&T customers waiting for activation with their previous phone already disconnected can remove the SIM card from the iPhone, place it in their other phone, and use that for calls while waiting for thieir iPhone activation email. According to AT&T, doing such will not interrupt or affect the waiting activation.

Disclaimer: we're not supporting this information from AT&T or suggesting you do anything but wait. However, for those of you who may need to place urgent calls, this may be an option to exercise.

(Updated - June 30th, 11:08pm EDT) At this point we've been lucky enough to get the two iPhones we've been struggling with getting activated actually up and running. Unfortunately, there isn't one particular solution we can suggest to any of you. Both are live now as a result of one thing and one thing only:Â persistence.

Each phone took over 24 hours and 10 calls to AT&T to get activated. On almost every call, the AT&T representative on the other end identified some culprit or another holding up the process. We're confident, at least with these two particular phones, that without interaction with the AT&T staff, activation would not have completed.

Be sure to do the following:Â get your order number (even if you didn't get this in email, a rep should be able to give it to you), ask about "holds" on your account, verify IMEI and SIM card numbers, make sure nothing on the account is "awaiting verification". Keep checking your activation status and speaking directly with iPhone activation support.

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Comments

Lane replied on

Called 3701 #, was in line for 45 min. The young lady told me there were two SIM #'s on the account and confirmed the one I was using. I think this may be because I tried to activate my iPhone with the sim card that came with it on Friday. After that didn't work, I took the sim card out of my old phone and tried to activate it.

After she cleaned up the account we powered off the iPhone, wait a few min, power on and connect to computer. I DID receive the activation e-mail but I still get the "Your phone needs additional time to activate" message on iTunes.

After powering off and on a few times she spoke to a "supervisor" who said everything was in order, the activation system was just overloaded. She instructed me to power off, then on, then connect to my computer every few minutes until the phone was up and running. If I had no success after one hour, call back.

15 min later, still powering on and off...

KingKuei replied on

3701# just goes straight to voicemail now... ludicrous. 36 hours and counting

MHaynes772 replied on

I'm going to cry...for some reason when they try and change my rate plan to the correct one it brings up an error message and wont' let them. DO YOU KNOW WHAT SHE FUKCING TOLD ME!!! PLEASE READ THIS...

I WILL HAVE TO FILE A REPORT FOR THIS TO BE LOOKED INTO AND THEY SHOULD HAVE IT RESOLVED BY FRIDAY...FUCKING FRIDAY...iPhone goes back in the morning...

apple stock holder? replied on

o.k, now I AM PISSED. i am working with two managers and a rep and i AM NOT GETTING OFF THIS PHONE

UNTIL IT'S WORKING. I HAVE THEM LOOKING AT THIS BLOG SPACE AS WELL. THEY WANT TO KNOW IF ANY ONE

KNOWS WHAT WAS ACTUALLY DONE ON THE 1-877-800-3701 THAT MADE THE PHONE WORK?

Aaron replied on

apple stock holder, there was something wrong with my service plan that 5 other AT&T reps didn't notice until Brandon at the magical 3701# finally noticed something weird about my plans. He didn't explain exactly what it was, but he talked to his superviser and they did something to fix the problem with my account, and like magic my phone suddenly is now working! Even got the activation e-mail after aprox 40 hours of nothing.

MHaynes772 replied on

I wish so bad I could sit down in person with these people...I honestly believe some of these people don't give two shits whether or not our phones get up and running...they just wanna get us off the phone of momentarily satisfied for us to just call back and blow up on someone else...

apple stock holder? replied on

They are saying that the port was tried the first time that the IMEI and SIM are "hung up" between
my old number and my new number, they are calling over to the "PAC" (THE DEPATMENT THAT HANDLES PORTING) to cancel the port order to release the number and will just use a new number, once they get the phone working, then they will put the PORT ORDER through again.

IN ESSENCE, IF THIS WORKS, IT'S PROBABLY THE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF ALL OF US, ARE WE ALL PORTING NUMBERS?

WILL KEEP YOU POSTED, WAITING FOR THEM TO CALL ME BACK.

apple stock holder? replied on

THANKS BRANDON, I AM HAVING THEM LOOK INTO THE PLANS AS WELL

apple stock holder? replied on

TEST

iFreak replied on

still waiting for 3701 to pick up the phone... 76 mins :'(

KingKuei replied on

So this is interesting. I called in to the 4500# and the rep told me that I had elected Roadside Assistance with my rate plan. Told her that I never elected that option because it never showed in iTunes. Free for the first month and then $2.99 thereafter.

????

Had that removed right away.

MHaynes772 replied on

You will not believe this...I just called the 877-419-4500 number and the guy YELLED at me!!! He frigging YELLED at me and hung up! Also, when I went to Cingular yesterday, they told me that in order to get activation I cannot be the primary number, I have to be secondary. Well I just called that 4500 number back and they said they just received an email saying I have to be primary...I sure as hell hope that someone did not just screw my activation stuff up again!!!! Anyway, I am now at minute 4 waiting for #3701...God help us all.

MHaynes772 replied on

Well while we are all waiting...let's get to know each other...

Im Matt, live in Madison, MS...hate the iPhone so far. Only waited 30 minutes to get it, got the last one (4GB). Today, I have cooked lunch with a phone to my ear, like I did dinner last night and probably will do again tonight. So what are yall planning on doing today with a phone to your ear?

smartblond replied on

Mhayes

yes I was a cingular customer for 8 years.. no no addition just moving my old number to the new phone.. I tried to activate ot 7 pm on friday.. I am now up and running at 9:30 on sunday morning

iFreak replied on

I am Chris and live in Oxford, MS. I waited 8 hrs in line to get it and am regretting my decision. This phone sucks. Have been waiting for more than 36 hrs to get this phone to be activated. It sucks.

MHaynes772 replied on

Hey iFreak...u don't happen to go to Ole Miss do you?

iFreak replied on

yeah I go to Ole Miss, n u?

iFrustrated replied on

36 hours and counting. I can't believe that I am part of this BS. I have been with this provider since 1987, Bell South Mobility, then Cingular, now AT&frigginT. I don't think it matters if you are a new customer, loyal customer or porting; their is no rhyme or reason to this madness. I have tried everything! Congrats to those who are finally up and running, I hope I will be in your league soon, one question - is it really worth the wait?

iFreak replied on

HOTTY TODDY APPLE POTTY

Mark replied on

5 full hours on the landline phone with them today. Started at 8:30am, just finished at 1:30pm. I was forwarded to 13 different departments (maybe more). Finally the last person has filled out an escalation request. They have an escalation team at Activation Support that is handling special cases like mine. Everything looks right, the port says it's completed but the port is not completed, and so my phone service is still not activated.
She said it will be about an hour and they'll call me back.

MHaynes772 replied on

Haha, what year are you? My brother goes there, Ben Haynes...I know its a big school, but man, sure is a small world.

jedblack replied on

well..got through on the 3701# and she said it looks like there is a "duplicate offering on the account" ???? WTF does that mean???

I asked what does that mean, she was very nice --and just to be honest sir i'm not sure. She said she is sending an email to another support team that will look into this and if I dont hear anything by the next 24hours to call back.

I think I might know what the duplicate offering is... the FUCKING data plan with my blackberry

think about it, what other duplicate offering can they be talking about ....

I will put money on that is the data plan that are fucking alot things up for people

this is the number she told me to call...

18002752273

Chad Shmukler replied on

My god this discussion would have been so much better in the forums.

Go join, people! :)

700+ comments on a news post? Sheesh. :)

KingKuei replied on

at least it makes for interesting reading while we all wait for activation

Adrian replied on

Ok. I am not sure if this will help everyone but after finally getting through the 3701 number, the lady told me to plug it in on the computer (which it already was) Then turn it off (really off, by holding the power button for a few seconds and then using the red slider). Then I left it on the cradle and after one min I turned it back on. After a few seconds of waiting for the phone to boot, the phone got activated.

I confirmed with the lady and she said she didn't do anything on her end other than giving me the instructions to turn it off.

I realize that other people may have had other account related problems that have nothing to do with this, but at least for me, this worked. So if you haven't tried it, please do so.

Thanks to all the people who have been posting here for the last 30 hrs or so. It's been a frustrating 30 hrs but I am glad I finally go through it.

Good luck to everyone else

MHaynes772 replied on

HAHAHAHA ACTIVATED BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!

G*willy replied on

I was on hold with activation center when I lost my signal (this happens all the time when I'm at home on Verizon). When I tried to call back and get back in the queue, I can no longer call out on my Verizon phone YEAH!! my number finally ported. I still don't have the magic email nor can I sync my iPhone. I've tried to power it down and disconnect it and stand it on it's head and balance it on the tip of my nose. But still not syncing. My activation requires additional time to complete, so says the almighty iTunes.

Once more PATIENTLY WAITING!!!

Hey, It's only been 42 hours since I walked out of the ATT store and sat on the curb with my laptop and started this process.

First in line, Last to activate. Just ATT's way of keeping all things equal I guess.

ccdot replied on

41 1/2 hrs...Eureka!!!!!! Long winded story about government employee discount coming over from VZW that had to be taken off, data features had to be added, etc. Anyway seems ppl at 3701 are now new to the problem...4500 ppl seem to be able to pinpoint and fix problems. But you have to keep being the squeaky wheel till you find the person that can help.

fedUP replied on

Hey did anyone from the NYC area get their iPhone activated? It has been 30 hours for me and calling that 3701 # does nothing for me

G*willy replied on

Went to verizonwireless.com and confirmed my old number is no longer active. I must be getting close now, Right?
I hope, because I can no longer call anyone to find out where my activation went.

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