Apple has always been supporting text messaging and IMs with its iMessage app: it's just like sending a text message without any carrier charges, and using either a data connection or Wi-Fi -hint: whatsapp.This is actually a favorite way of communicatingfor many people owning iPhone. It keeps the message count low for those on limited text messaging plans, or the ones who don't text often enough. Setting up iMessage is pretty straightforward, however, there have been a lot of complaints about receiving aWaiting for Activationerror from the iMessage.

In this tutorial, we will try to give you a few solutions which might help you getting rid of this pesky problem.

Disable and re-enable the iMessage:

Open theSettingsapp on your iOS device and selectMessages.Once in, toggle the switch next to iMessage to theOFFposition - now wait for at least 24 hours.Follow these same steps to turn the iMessage back on.

The method above dint help you out? Try next:

Restore iPhone from iTunes & the computer:

Plug in your iPhone to the computer; it should automatically launch iTunes.If not, make sure that iTunes are running in your computer.From the menu on the left, select iPhone and choose Summary tab>Restore iPhone.iTunes will then prompt you to make sure that restore is okay to perform.It will also warn you about data loss. ClickRestoreto continue.When done, repeat the initial step again to restore your iPhone. As long as your data was backed up on iCloud of the computer, restoring would be pretty straightforward with no loss of data. Restore will download the latest firmware and would resolve the problem of "waiting for activation".

This solution has worked for many. In case it did not, let's try a variation of restore.

iPhone restore - take 2:

This is only a variation of above restore method. When you restore your iPhone, phone will ask you to log into iTunes. Instead of logging in, select the skipbutton.It will then ask you to log into iCloud: click onskipbutton again.Verify that iMessage works: send an iMessage to someone owning an iPhone. If the message is successfully sent and you don't receive activation error, then:Connect your phone to an iTunes account bychoosing iTunes & App Storesfrom theSettingsapp.Sign Inand follow the instructions.Now if you want to go ahead with setting iCloud too, perform the same procedure tosign in.

If none of these solution could fix iMessage waiting for activation error for you, check Apple's community discussionherefor more details and solutions of this error.