How to Resend an iMessage on iPhone to Fix a “Not Delivered” Error

May 21, 2017 - 12 Comments

How to resend a Message and fix Not Delivered error on iPhone

Messages sent from an iPhone or iPad may occasionally fail to send, instead displaying a “Not Delivered” error message along with a little red ! exclamation point next to the failed message. While this may be annoying, you can easily resend a message from iOS Messages app with minimal effort.

You can resend an iMessage or a text message that has the “Not Delivered” error message easily.

Before you attempt to resend the message be sure you have a cellular connection, as without a cell connection or data service the message will not be able to send. We’re demonstrating resending a message on an iPhone but this applies the same to iPad and iOS in general.

How to Resend a Message from iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the Message app and go to the message thread that failed to send if you have not done so already
  2. When you see the red “Not Delivered” statement under a failed message, tap the on the red (!) button next to the message
  3. Resend the Not Delivered message on iPhone

  4. Choose “Try Again” to resend the message
  5. Resending a Not Delivered message on iPhone

  6. Give the message a moment to resend, if successful you will no longer see the “Not Delivered” red error
  7. Successfully resending a message on iPhone

If the iMessage has been successfully re-sent you will see the typical blue bubble and a “Delivered” message, indicating that iMessage was able to resend the message.

Keep in mind that iMessages can fail to send for multiple reasons, and you may see the “Not Delivered” message due to an interruption in your internet service, and interruption in the recipients internet service, or even if iCloud and related Apple online services are down. Additionally, if you lost cell service, or switched on AirPlane mode immediately after sending a message it may also show the Not Delivered error, which is actually an intentional trick to cancel sending a message from the iPhone that works quite well.

Another option is to send again as a text message instead via SMS protocol, which can be helpful if the recipient is out of data range and therefore iMessage functionality but could otherwise receive a text message. If resending via iCloud fails and the traditional SMS also fails, you’ll likely want to troubleshoot why an iPhone is not sending text messages.

The “Not Delivered” error can appear on an iPhone, iPad, an iPod touch, and even Mac OS as well, which is also able to resend a message from the Mac too if need be.

Have any other tricks for resending messages from iOS? Let us know in the comments.

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Posted by: Paul Horowitz in iPad, iPhone, Tips & Tricks, Troubleshooting

12 Comments

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  1. Bethany manza says:

    How do I resend a text from IPhone 11 that went to disconnected phone. Error message separate without resend option.

  2. Aracelis Gonzalez says:

    My messages won’t send to apple!! My issue is that I’m trying to put money in my Apple account, and change my country regions, but I can’t come in without my money being gone in that country, and I’m trying to get rid of it, contacting Apple, for them to send me a message or start a conversation, but it won’t work. Because it says “ not delivered “ in red! And I’ve been trying, but it won’t work. So please help.

  3. Rufar Rejoice Mushunje says:

    If i had a tablet and i needed to text someone but you can’t add things like messages app but i can only add games.

  4. Maria Hazlett says:

    How can I resend message that was delivered? Using this I-phone.can you help me? Thank you, maria

  5. Buzzy Linhart says:

    I heard there’s an app to help me re-send messages, we are writing a book, and some important conversations need to be saved on another device. How May Accomplish this please?

  6. Marsha says:

    I can’t send iMessage from iPhone X to Samsung phone. It only works from my iPhone to another iPhone. The same with my iPad. Help

  7. Susan says:

    I sent a iMessage to the wrong person lucky I got the not delivered message with the red exclamation.
    So can I be safe to assume that if I don’t touch the red exclamation to open it won’t ever send? Is there a way to delete it safely on mackbook or should I just leave it alone. This person can’t see this message? 🙏

  8. Old Coot says:

    Just found out that if you have a iPad that has both WiFi and Celluar on it you can send messages through SMS to other Apple gear but you can not send messages from iMessage to Android gear. The messages that leave the iPad use the voice network where as messages that are destined for Androids use the regular internet so messages sent on iMessage don’t work

  9. Chiz University says:

    Wowie

  10. Luis says:

    The “not delivered” error can also appear on apple watch in addition to the other devices listed above, but unfortunately there is no resend functionality on the watch. It won’t do anything when the exclamation point is tapped on.

  11. Sally says:

    AND, I have already been charged and have paid for it. Not confidence inspiring.

  12. Sally says:

    I should have said I have added virtually nothing in those two weeks.

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