Sometimes when restoring or updating the firmware, or resetting iPad to factory settings, device activation fails. On the screen you see something like the following message:
Your iPad could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPad to iTunes to activate, or try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, contact Apple Support at apple.com/en/support.
In English, this inscription might look like this:
Your iPad could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPad to iTunes to activate it, or try again in a couple of minutes.
Naturally, the type of device changes in the messages: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch. What to do in this case? Here are some tips to help you avoid this error.
Use a different Wi-Fi network or…
If possible, switch to another network. Perhaps the error was in your Wi-Fi connection. If not, then try restarting your router. As a rule, this changes your IP address on the network.
Plus, you can always try to activate again under the same conditions, for example, after 15 minutes. After all, problems may not always be on the user's side. Perhaps this is indeed (judging by the message) some kind of temporary failure in the operation of Apple's servers.
Sometimes a simple reboot of the device and reconfiguration helps. Reboot can be done by simultaneously holding the Home and Power keys. The device will turn off, then you need to turn it on and try to activate it again.
Try activating your iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch via iTunes
If you have a computer with iTunes installed (and 5 years ago it was even a mandatory requirement), then the device can be activated through this program. Connect your iDevice to your computer via a cable and wait for iTunes to detect it. Then follow the instructions on the screen.
A special kind of error when installing a beta version
Theoretically, this error could also come up:
activation error. This device is not registered as part of the iPhone Developer Program…
In this case, you need to either add the UDID to the database of some familiar developers, or make the firmware via iTunes the latest official iOS for your device (not a beta version)!
Re-flashing
Try flashing again in DFU mode. .
There is a small chance that the firmware is crooked. If after flashing the tablet continues not to be activated, the reasons must be sought either in the hardware or in deeper activation problems, for example, blocking by the previous owner. The latter problem is unlikely, but has previously occurred when the recovery procedure was not completely completed. However, this only applies to tablets in the "Refurbished" category.
If you have tried all the tips and nothing helps, then write a comment with an exact description of your specific trouble (device, iOS version, where the firmware was downloaded from, what exactly is written on the screen) - I will try to help everyone.
Perhaps with this you will supplement this article with your own advice and this will help someone. Sometimes a well-written comment brings more value to a particular person than the article itself. :)
If nothing helps at all and the iPhone / iPad activation fails again and you are already desperate, then it is better to take the device to the service. I hope it doesn't come to this point.
If you've ever factory reset your iPhone and then tried again, you may well have encountered an activation error. It is difficult to understand the causes of this problem, since in this case it does not give any useful information on the iPhone screen, but only advises contacting Apple technical support. But since this process is quite long, you can try to fix it yourself.
Try again
While an error occurs, hold down the Home button until the bottom menu appears, and then click "Try Again". You will be taken to the initial settings page and you can try activating your iPhone again. Often, to obtain the desired result, it is necessary to do this procedure 5-7 times.
If it doesn't help, go to the next step.
Use a working SIM card
Usually, activation problems occur when they try to activate the phone without a SIM card. Insert a working SIM card into your iPhone and try to activate your smartphone again. In case this does not help, start the activation using the cellular network, turning off Wi-Fi. Most users are helped by this solution.
Sometimes an activation error occurs due to the fault of the telecom operator, which, for unknown reasons, rejects it. I think many people remember what problems Beeline subscribers had to face, although in this case we are talking about something else. Try inserting a SIM card from another carrier and activate your iPhone. After that, you will be able to use your old number again.
Four tips on what to do if you can't activate your iPhone and see an activation error
iPhone and iPad tricks and secrets
If you find yourself in a situation where you decided to reset your iPhone to factory settings, tried to set it up as a new device and saw the error "activation failed", you try again, but it does not help, you again see a sign with the text below, what to do in such a situation ?
“Your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPhone to iTunes to activate, or try again in a few minutes.
If the problem persists, contact Apple Support at apple.com/en/support."
Tip 1: Try a different Wi-Fi network
First of all, make sure you are connected to a working Wi-Fi, some, very few routers can be the culprit for this problem, as they block the iPhone from accessing Apple's servers. Therefore, in some cases, connecting to a normally functioning router solves this problem.
Tip 2: try again
At first glance, the activation failure message appears to be completely inactive, you don't see any control or retry buttons. However, if you press the physical round iPhone button, a menu will appear from which you can: call emergency services, start over, or change Wi-Fi connection settings. Click "start over" to try activation again, if the second time it failed, it's worth trying a few more times. Some users note that on the 5th attempt, activation proceeds normally. Perhaps the reason for this is busy servers or other reasons and a little patience will help solve the problem.
Tip 3: Use a working SIM card
If you have another SIM card and you are sure it works, try using that one. When you change your SIM card, you don't need to turn off your iPhone, just replace it, press the Home button, and try activation again.
Another important note: the balance of your SIM card must be positive, and the amount on the account is sufficient for one SMS abroad.
This is not advertised anywhere, but this is how the problem with iMessage and Facetime activation is solved. We found that in order to confirm the activation of these services, the iPhone apparently tries to send a technical hidden SMS to the Apple server. A technical SMS is sent from your phone to a special number, so the balance on your SIM card must be positive and sufficient for such an operation.
Confirmed! Activation does send an SMS, which is billed as "SMS to other countries".
Tip 4Restore iPhone
If none of the above worked, try turning off your iPhone, plug one end of the USB cable into your Mac and leave the other end out of your iPhone just yet, hold down the Home button, and at that very moment plug the USB cable into your iPhone. If everything went well, iTunes will display the message “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You need to restore your iPhone before using it with iTunes." Then click the Restore iPhone button and follow the instructions.
Not so long ago, the iPad 2 was updated to iOS 9.3, after which there were problems with activating the tablet, and users began to complain: “I can’t turn on the iPad when I activate it after the update.” At the same time, at the start of the device, a record appears stating that the iPad could not be activated due to the fact that activation is temporarily not available. Why does the system message appear: "your iPad could not be activated" and what to do in this case?
This problem has given rise to solutions. In particular, when there is a problem with activation, you can try using iTunes to repeat the update of the operating system to the same version of iOS 9.3.
To do this, reconnect the two devices, the tablet and the computer, via the USB cable, and launch the latest version of iTunes on the PC. If you do not have the latest version installed, then update the program. After all the devices are connected and the programs are activated, force restart the iPad by pressing the "Power" button and the "Home" button at the same time so that the device restarts. At the same time, hold down the buttons until the screen starts in recovery mode. After that, a menu will appear on the display with the actions to restore or update the iPad. You select the Update command using iTunes.
In this case, iOS will be reinstalled via iTunes, and the data on the iPad will remain. If the reinstallation process is delayed, then the recovery mode on the iPad may stop, and then the procedure must be repeated again. After the iPad is restored, do not turn off the iPad, but use iTunes to complete the activation process.
It happens that after installing an update on the iPad, iTunes does not see the iPad and cannot connect, so just disconnect the iPad from the computer and turn it on again. If the problem persists again, then try to finish activating the iPad on another computer.
Another fairly common software error that occurs after the process of updating or restoring the iPad is the appearance of a crash and an activation message that the iPad does not turn on and does not activate due to the fact that the server cannot be accessed. In this case, you can duplicate the activation attempt after a while. Otherwise, you can contact Apple.com for help.
How to fix activation error
If a connection error occurs after updating the iPad firmware and you don't know what to do, check your Internet network. Perhaps the failure occurred due to a poor-quality WI-FI connection. Try rebooting the router, as the subnet address may change during the reboot process. Try also to connect through another network and do the activation procedure again.
Often, a failure to activate the iPad can occur due to the poor performance of Apple servers, so it will be reasonable after a while to repeat the activation attempt in an already proven way. If the error repeats again, try restarting the iPad and starting the activation again. Alternatively, launch the iPad through iTunes on your PC.
If all of the above methods did not work and you still have a system message: “Activation Error”, try flashing again using DFU mode. This is because the firmware is uneven and therefore causing the software to crash. Otherwise, the cause of iOS not starting may be in the inside of the iPad, or perhaps the iPad was simply blocked, since the previous owner did not remove the "Find iPad" option when selling, and now you need to enter the password and device ID.
How to start DFU mode on iPad
This iPad launch mode is significantly different from the usual reboot of the tablet in Recovery mode. It flashes the operating system directly, bypassing iOS. Using the DFU mode, you can reset the system crash that occurred during the jailbreak.
To start this mode, open your computer and deactivate iTunes on it. Connect your iPad and computer with a USB cable. Then turn off the iPad completely by holding down the Power button for a long time. Next, press the Home button and the Power button together for about 10 seconds, and then release the Power button and continue holding the Home button for 10-15 seconds until the USB cable is displayed. If the icon does not appear, then hold the button longer.
Some iPhones running iOS 11 and later may be affected by error 0xE8000013 (or 4016) when activated in iTunes or by the message "iPhone activation failed. Your iPhone could not be activated…., due to which the smartphone is completely blocked and turns into a "brick".
In contact with
Why does error 0xE8000013 or 4016 appear?
First, let's explain what is error 0xE8000013 or 4016.
Most often, it occurs on unofficially restored (ref) iPhones. Typically, such devices are sold in online stores under the guise of new (!!!) gadgets. Not to be confused with from Apple (CPO, of ref, etc.). The reason for the error is that the serial number of this device is already contained in the database of replaced iPhones (for example, the phone had a factory defect and was returned by the buyer under warranty). In other words, this IMEI or serial number is no longer valid. Thus, an iPhone with a serial number that does not belong to it simply cannot be activated on Apple servers. After resetting the settings or switching to a backup copy, such a device turns into a useless "brick". This is evidenced by the message:
"iPhone activation failed. Your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server could not be contacted. Try connecting your iPhone to iTunes to activate, or try again in a few minutes. If the problem persists, please contact support."
Can an iPhone with error 0xE8000013 be fixed?
Unfortunately, today there is no solution that allows you to activate an iPhone with error 0xE8000013. However, there is a possibility to prevent such a situation. How to check the gadget and not become a victim of error 0xE8000013 will be discussed in the instructions below.
How to check iPhone for error 0xE8000013?
In some cases, due to fraud or simple human error, such smartphones may end up in stores that officially sell the iPhone. Therefore, it will not be out of place for users to always check their iPhones before buying.
You can check the phone's susceptibility to an error during activation on the Apple website at this linkby entering the serial number or IMEI of the device in the field "Enter the serial number".
How to find out the IMEI or serial number if the iPhone is activated and in working condition
You can find out the serial number or IMEI of the gadget by opening "Settings" -> "Basic" -> "About device".
How to find out the IMEI or serial number if the iPhone is packaged (sold as new)
The serial number and IMEI are located on the label at the bottom of the box, however, in the case of the iPhones described above, the data on the box and on the device itself may differ. Therefore, for a guaranteed correct check, you should:
1. Unpack the device.
2. Turn on iPhone.
3. On the welcome screen, press the i button in the lower right corner.
4. Compare the IMEI or serial number shown on the screen with the one on the box.
5. Enter the IMEI or serial number on the Apple website (link above) to check if you are really buying a new phone ()
If the page displays information about the device, then there is no need to worry.
New iPhone to be activated:
Activated iPhone (used no more than 3 months), under warranty:
Activated iPhone (used for over 1 year):
If a notification appears that the serial number belongs to the replaced gadget, there is a danger of error 0xE8000013:
“Unfortunately, this serial number matches the product that was replaced. Check the available data and re-enter the serial number. If the information is correct, please try contacting us."
