Hey, what a shock! The weak link in Apple’s iPhone 4S launch, for the fifth year running? AT&T? Reports abound on Twitter and in the blogosphere that AT&T’s servers are being hammered, preventing users from activating their devices. During this time, the iPhone 4S will return a message saying that “It may take up to 3 minutes to activate your iPhone”… a message which displays for over half an hour in some cases, then falls over.
We’re not seeing similar reports about Verizon or Sprint. Anyone having problems with those two carriers in activating their iPhone 4S? Let us know.
[image via iDownloadBlog]
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
224 responses to “iPhone 4S Users Around The Country Having Problems Activating With AT&T”
Hmm I wonder if they would have a problem if when they went to collect their bill the bank said we’re sorry there was a problem connecting to the server. Please try again later.
The only reason I stayed with AT&T is my (grandfathered) unlimited data plan. Not a happy camper here in Central MAssachusetts.
Sprint activated mine flawlessly. It took a minute or two, but everything works flawlessly.
I’m having that problem with AT&T. On the second attempt I got a message: “Your activation is still pending. You will receive an email notification once your activation is complete.”.
im in utah, having this same problem. they are really testing my patience now
No problems on my end (AT&T – received phone at 9:35am CST in mail)
That is the same reason I’m still with AT&T.. Grandfathered data plan.. I’m on the gulf coast of Mississippi sitting here watching the rotating loading wheel spin and spin endlessly..
Had this problem repeatedly when trying to activate without connecting to a laptop. Then I tethered the new phone and ran the set-up through iTunes and it worked the first time… Coulda been a coincidence, I s’pose.
Yea I’m in Boston, same message. Tried to activate both on iPhone and via iTunes about 10 times now. :\
here in philadelphia having the same problem … att will email me when their ready!! huh??? i have places to be thanks. -_-
I have also been unsuccessfully trying to activate my iphone4S with AT&T, (upgrading from iphone3GS); activation times out repeatedly. I’ve tried activation on the iphone4S itself and via itunes, it times out via either method.
Same problem here in VA with ATT
Keep trying. Took me about 90 minutes to finally get it to “take”. Syncing now and updating the phone, but no email confirmation from AT&T
Keep trying. Took me about 90 minutes to finally get it to “take”. Syncing now and updating the phone, but no email confirmation from AT&T
Same here north of Atlanta….
I don’t know if this has anything to do with location, but I am in Boston as well and having the same problems.
I guess 10 minutes made all the difference lol.. Recieved mine at 9:45am CST.. tried to activate as soon as I got it but it was to late
I guess this is the only reason I’m glad my ‘pre-order’ from AT&T didn’t arrive yet. No status for me except that the order is in the system.
In Colo. Springs and having the same failure to connect to activation servers everyone else is reporting. I’ve been trying to connect for an hour now….
I love the tech behind AT&T, I really love simultaneous voice and data, and the super fast network is great. BUT, I’ve been waiting for thirty freakin minutes on activation. It’s 2011 and we’re STILL having these problems. As Steve Jobs used to say, the only thing bad about iPhone was that Apple couldn’t control the entire experience. What a disappointment.
I’m with Sprint and i’ve been trying to activate my phone for over and hour now with no luck.
now itunes is not able to “complete your request”… been trying for 3+ hours now… thanks at&t
In Austin. Been trying to activate since around 10 a.m. Almost noon now and still can’t get through (getting a message on the iPhone that the activiation servers are down). This is like trying to pre-order last week….
Been waiting one hour. Can’t activate phone. AT&T is the worst
Miami
whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?
In Virginia Beach, going on 3hrs now… this is crap.
Same here regarding why I stuck with AT&T. Unable to activate. Tried four times already.
Activated fine with Sprint at 8:00am, but while in roaming, I can’t receive any calls. When people try to call me, it won’t even go to voicemail or ring for them…it’s just a blank line…come on!! I guess it doesn’t matter which carrier you are on…they all suck!
Yep, having the same issues with AT&T in Chicago. Both wi-fi and itunes will not activate my new phone. “Siri, can you please activate my damn phone!”.
In Boston, have been trying for 3 hours — no dice….just got a message to connect to computer and open itunes…but itunes server is down too…thanks a lot AT&T….
Verizon doing the same thing been a couple hours
In ATL… Received my iPhone 3 hours ago. Still won’t activate! AT&T is killing me!!!
same issue in New Mexico.
Sprint.com supossably is not having any problems activating. You might want to try it out.
Has anybody activated a 4s on AT&T
From what sprint costumer in the sprint comunity there are having NO problem activating theri phone at http://www.sprint.com
Been waiting for an 2 hours in Nashville.
Just seemed to get an activation through AT&T. In the process of restoring from backup but the new unit is showing connection to AT&T network
F**K AT&T
Having the same problem in SEA. Spent 30 minutes on the phone with AT&T rep because I was concerned about losing my $5/200 text messaging and he was really patient as we waited and waited for activation. We finally gave up but he said that the phone will continue to try activating on its own so to hold tight. He is supposed to call me in an hour to check in. I’ve been an AT&T customer for 10 years and have never received this level of customer service before. I am really impressed. BTW, he said that I shouldn’t lose any of my current plan features with the new activation but if I do, they can revert back to the old with no problem as long as it is within 30 days.
I just don’t understand why the carriers don’t clue into this every single time there’s a major phone release.
Just north of Boston.
Try a reboot. Turn off your old ATT phone.
Mine activated after about 45 minutes.
Had NO phone until then, though.
The phones when activated through an att store work fine. the issue seems to be with apple itself. apparently alot of ppl preordered the phone and it’s hosing up the apple servers.
No dice in Southern California, either. Good grief…
Three hours in Philadelphia.
Same issues in Miami with At&T. After multiple tries on Wi-Fi with the same result, I got a slightly different message to try connecting with iTunes on my computer. Got the same result though: all the way through to service agreements but then could not activate in the final step. I have somewhere I have to be now, so I’m taking a break trying to activate my 4S and will try again in a few hours. I did send an angry e-mail to AT&T first though. Thing that bothers me most is they had plenty of time to prepare and more experience with launches than other two carriers and they STILL can’t get it right!
Sprint and Verizon are having similar problems and it’s in the press now. AT&T sucks to be sure, but don’t let the others off the hook by bashing just one.
My guess is they don’t care. They got their money and the plan is locked in. I can’t access mine either right now but I’m sure they don’t give a damn and figure it will work when they are ready and not a second sooner.
You’re impressed? With what? A failed situation met with a smiling face saying “hold tight, we’ll get back to you?” There’s nothing impressive here. This is a 100% FAIL.
Sprint and Verizon are having the same issues. They all blew it.
it’s every carrier if you ordered the phone from apple.com
I’ve been trying for hours and still unable to activate on AT&T. So frustrating.
“It may take up to 3 Millinnia to activate your iPhone”
“It may take up to 3 Millinnia to activate your iPhone”
In Nashville as well and have been waiting for an hour.
been trying for 2 hours in miami. no dice….
upgrading from 3GS on ATT and preordered
In Seattle trying to activate on Verizon, no luck here.
On Cape Cod and having issues activating. Got the pending email message too. ATT.
Have you tried activating thru iTunes (i.e., with it tethered by USB)? I had the same problem (also on the Cod!) & that fixed it. :D
DRW. AT&T. 2 hours. Ditto.
Sorry, DFW area… no joy.
Still not activating.
Has anyone received this “YETI” email notification?
According to AT&T and everything else I have been reading its not the carriers but apple itself. Makes sense I’ve never been through a launch day but this does make sense to me
Nope. My first activation attempt was around 11:30 am eastern. Been trying repeatedly to activate via itunes/usb after each failed attempt. No email. No activation success.
I do not live near a major nor a minor metropolitan area and have been unable to activate for over three hours. For every 20 attempts I make via itunes with the usb cable, I’ve tried once on the iphone itself. Neither way is working.
I’ve been trying since 11:30. At 3:00, it finally activated. Hopefully they’re getting it together. Good Luck all!
Mine just activated!!! It only took 3 hrs and 45 min.
its apple itunes i switched sims n the sims ok its itunes thats having the traffic problems.. it’ll be updated by 12am est here n the east coast their saying.
ATT Maryland, no luck, been trying for 4 hours
Same issue in Atlanta… I have been trying for 3 hours
att in new york not working
….. just activated i think … restoring from backup now …. fingers crossed
Still waiting to activate…. 3.5 hours
Same issue in CT
Hmmm, you’d think they would have anticipated this problem after selling over 4 million phones! I’ve been at it for almost 5 hours and still no luck. I live in the midwest. AT&T said the process has to clear Apple servers before going to AT&T. Really took a lot of excitement out of the launch!
2 hrs and still trying here in MA w AT&T
3.5 hours and still trying in PA with.. you guessed it.. AT&T
same issue i wonder for how much longer
It’s only happening on AT&T iPhone 4S’s. Sure looks like it’s a carrier problem to me. In fact, it seems glaringly obvious that AT&T has always been the weak link.
It’s been 2 hours for me already. :\
That’s so fast! Lol.
Where do they even send the email to? It’s not like we’ve signed up with an apple id email, etc. by that point…
Thanks, AT&T, for making me spend my afternoon in iTunes entering my billing zip code, last 4 of my SSN, accepting your TOS, and repeating over and over. Perhaps it’s time to cut my losses and head over to Verizon.
Yeah, it’s the servers being overloaded. Normally not everyone is trying to activate an iPhone at one time, so it will likely be fine for people who get their phones after the initial activation wave is done.
I tried activating through iTunes and got the same exact message.
new jersey. got phone at 11.30 est. been trying for 4.5 hrs with a lunch break in between. no dice. called att they transfered to apple and they said its att server issue. Just crazy. After waiting and tracking all these days this is just a serious bummer. Worst part is not knowing if server is down or just overloaded. Is it worth keeping on trying and it will work sometime?
its funny how the reports say “some” customers having issues with activation. Barely anyone is getting thru!
Same issue in Studio City, CA
Still cannot activate here on Cape Cod. Have been trying for 3 hours. Tried wifi and USB to iTunes. Same message indicating the server is unavailable. I hate AT&T. Even went to their e-mail Contact Us web site and that is not available. Are these guys complete idiots or what? How many times will it take them to get activation day right? And don’t get me started on the fact that I cannot use my iPhone as a phone on their network. They are useless.
Same in Colorado a dozen tries later
Plenty of reports that sprint and Verizon having the same problems. As well on twitter. Nstop hating. You should have picked the other carriers if you couldn’t stand AT&T. It’s your own fault….
Worked perfectly here in El Segundo, CA. I called the activation line and I was in :)
Looks like the Northeast is being hammered!
Just got mine and having same problem here in LA
Just got mine and having same problem here in LA
activated. austin, texas.
I’m impressed at the fact that the rep keeps calling me every hour to check in to let me know that they are working on trying to fix the issue. He doesn’t have to do that. If there are a million people trying to activate their phone at roughly the same time, there are bound to be issues.
just activated… 3.5 hrs later
No luck since 830 am here in Phoenix.
BTW..I was at a ATT corporate store and they were activating phones on the spot, no delays.
What the hell didya all expect? NO company is gonna invest in server capacity that’s needed *at most* once per year. You waited 16 months + 1 week for the phone already. Is waiting ’til tonight–or tomorrow–to activate gonna kill ya?
Just got my 4S in NYC- no luck with activation. Got message, “Your activation is still pending. You will receive an email notification once your activation is complete. . . We’re sorry. There was a problem connecting to the server. Please try again later.” I wonder if they are having problems activating the phones that were purchased in the stores today.
congrats! did it go through via itunes, wifi or ATT network?
Orange County, CA. Ordered straight from the Apple site. It was waiting for me when I got back home this morning. Been trying to activate it since 11:00am.
lol, nope.
GQ shares: Bell Gardens, CA. here and received iPhone from Apple (UPS) and been waiting for more than 2 hours. On phone with Apple now. Keep you guys updated
I’ve been trying for 6 hours now through both iTunes and cellular network many, many, many times. I’m in Dallas. I called the AT&T activation phone line and they said the problem was with Apple and to try during dinner time because they thought less people would be trying to activate their phones… really? That’s the best technical advice they could give me??
Lol. Then why did you re-up? Hahahaha…blame yourself, oh had a choice and you FAILED.
No f**king way! I called Apple and they contacted AT&T and I am just holding to hear a response from both
To keep us on our toes, they have changed the activation error screen to now read:
“You can restart the activation process by turning your iPhone off and on. If activating via iTunes, please disconnect and reconnect your iPhone”
No more mention of an email… I give up!
UPDATE! After calling Apple I was transferred to AT&T and was asked to provide the SIM # which I had trouble removing slot. You can also find the SIM # on the home screen (as soon as you wake up iphone) by tapping on i logo. The AT&T employee also shared there was a delay and we have to wait a bit. I was advised the activation can take anywhere from 1 min to 12 hours because of all the customers activating their iPhones. iPhones will be activated in order. :( AT&T employee said iPhones are being activated slowly and if I had an previous iPhone to turn it off because it can delay the activation process.
I have been trying for almost 6 hours in Austin, TX and still no luck…damn, you AT&T.
North central Ohio, 8 hrs and 3 calls to customer support(Verizon) finally getting ahold of an apple rep who states ” you just have to keep plugging and unplugging it from the computer and wait”. R u frigging kidding me. Its no wonder why I buy pc’s instead of mac’s. You maybe should have not released soo many phones!
ATT – activated SF area……when setting up there was no option to restore from icloud – only “set up as new phone” or restore from itunes. So I setup as new – now I want to restore from the icloud and can’t find an option to do so? I backed up my 4 last night to the icloud so there is a back up there. Anyone know how to restore from the cloud? Thx y’all
What is the # to the activation line? Never got that in my documentation!
I have an old iPhone 4. Suddenly it said it was restored and needs to be activated. Does not work.