How to Troubleshoot Not Receiving Verification Code Texts on iPhone?

Are you not receiving verification code texts on your iPhone? If your iPhone verification codes are not being received, this guide is for you. In this article, I will help you troubleshoot any iPhone SMS verification problems you may be having and solve them.

Why Verification Code Texts May Not Arrive on Your iPhone

There are a few reasons for verification code texts not arriving on your iPhone. This can occur due to accidentally marking the number as spam (or it being marked as spam by your carrier), blocking the number accidentally, network and reception issues, and iOS spam filtering settings.

In this guide, I will help you troubleshoot the reason for the missing verification SMS and how to fix it.

Check Your Phone Number and Account Information

First, make sure that you have entered the correct phone number for verification. This is actually a common phone number verification issue and is often overlooked. If you enter even one digit wrong, you won’t receive the code.

Another common issue is entering the wrong country code. If you entered the wrong country code, your SMS won’t arrive.

Restart Your iPhone to Fix Temporary Network Issues

Try restarting your iPhone, or at least turning Airplane Mode on and then off again. This often fixes temporary network connection issues, such as not connecting to the mobile network when switching towers.

If you are in an area with poor cellular reception, you may have to move to an area with better reception. This is common in rural areas and inside buildings with thick walls, depending on your provider’s network coverage. Consider moving closer to a window or going outside. You can usually see the strength of your cellular network connection by checking the bars at the top of your screen.

There should be four bars showing if you have a strong connection, but if you only see one or two bars, it means your cellular reception is weak. If you see No Service, it means you do not have cellular reception at all.

If you traveled abroad, you may need to activate roaming, if your mobile carrier supports it. Contact your carrier for assistance. Also, make sure that roaming is enabled on your device by going to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Service) > Cellular Data Options and turning roaming on.

Check Blocked Numbers and Message Settings

You may have accidentally blocked the number from which the verification code is coming. Go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts to check your blocked numbers and unblock numbers.

You may also have set up message filtering, which may be affecting some SMS messages you are receiving. Open the Messages app and click the three lines at the top of the list, which looks like this:

Next, tap on Manage Filtering and check if Screen Unknown Senders is toggled on. If it is, click on Allow Notifications, where you can make exclusions for messages from certain unknown senders, such as those sending one-time verification codes.

You can also check your Spam and Unknown Senders folders. Open the Messages app and click on Filters in the top left corner. Then, select Spam or Unknown Senders to view messages in those folders.

Check Carrier Settings and Contact Your Service Provider

Your carrier may also have blocked certain SMS verification numbers. Contact your mobile carrier and tell them about the SMS issue, including which service is trying to send you a verification code. Sometimes, they will be able to fix the issue if it is caused on their end.

Troubleshoot Verification Codes with TextNow or Similar Apps

It’s worth noting that some VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) text providers, including TextNow, restrict verification codes to premium users. TextNow doesn’t allow free users to receive one-time verification codes. I use TextNow personally, and in my experience, one-time verification codes from some senders do come through. However, many are blocked and require an upgrade.

If you are using a virtual number from a solution such as TextNow, consider switching to a regular number or switching VoIP providers. Or, see if the platform you are trying to log in can call you with the verification code (many support automated calls for verification) or send it via email.

Besides, many services, such as PayPal, no longer support VoIP numbers from providers like Google Voice. Not all VoIP numbers will be flagged as VoIP numbers, but financial platforms and other services are getting better at detecting which numbers are VoIP numbers.

Wait and Request a New Verification Code

Sometimes, network congestion, intermittent cellular access, network disruption, or other issues could cause an SMS delivery to fail. Wait a few minutes and request a new verification code if you didn’t get the first one. Sometimes, the second one will come through, solving your issue.

Conclusion

I hope this guide helped you fix your SMS verification code problem and you can now receive SMS verification texts on your iPhone. Usually, it’s due to poor cellular access, accidental filtering, or using a VoIP number. You can always contact your carrier for help as well or see if you can get the verification code via email instead.