Apple has officially published a fix for a confusing iOS 26 bug that has prevented some users from activating their phone number with iMessage. The core issue is a conflict caused by leftover inactive SIM cards or eSIM profiles that share the same phone number as the active SIM.
This bug forces messages to default to SMS/RCS green bubbles and often results in “Not Delivered” errors, confusing the device’s messaging activation.
The Problem in Brief
The issue occurs when upgrading to iOS 26 if the device retains an old SIM configuration with the active number. Symptoms include messages being sent via an email address and the phone number appearing twice in the Send & Receive settings.
Apple’s Direct Fix
The solution requires manually removing the dormant SIM configuration:
- Go to Settings > Cellular.
- Find the SIM profile that is inactive but shows your number.
- Remove the physical SIM or tap Delete eSIM for the inactive entry.
- Return to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive.
- Tap the displayed phone number to successfully re-activate iMessage.
This manual intervention provides a direct route out of the “green bubble glitch” for affected iOS 26 users.
Were you affected by the iOS 26 “green bubble” iMessage activation bug?
Let us know!
If you liked this article, check out our other articles on Apple.