Solved: O2 Not Sending (Delivering) Or Receiving Texts

Wondering why O2 is not sending, delivering, or receiving texts on your Android phone or iPhone?

In this read, you’ll understand the reasons for this failure. You’ll also explore what steps you can take to quickly troubleshoot this issue and communicate effectively again.

Contents In This Article

Why am I unable to send or receive text messages with o2?

There is an issue with the O2 SIM card.
O2 service is down.
There’s a bar on your O2 account for sending premium messages.
APN settings or the message center number is incorrectly configured on your phone.
The message center number is incorrect.
Device or messaging app temporarily glitching.
Misconfigured device network settings.

How do I fix o2 SMS sending or receiving problems?

1. Force Stop the Messages App

The easiest solution to fix the O2 text messages sending or receiving problem is to force restart the Messages app on your phone. This will clear out any bugs causing the temporary glitches preventing you from communicating. For this:

Swipe up on your device’s home screen and stop in the middle to access the most recent apps.
Find the “Messages” app.
Swipe up on the app’s card/preview to close it.

If force-stopping the app doesn’t help, restart your device with these steps:

iPhone:

Press the “Power” and “Volume” buttons, and a slider will appear on your iPhone device screen.
Drag the “power off slider” to the right until the screen turns black.
Wait 10-15 seconds and press the “Power” button to turn on your device and see if the issue persists.

Android:

Android users should press & hold “Power” and tap “Restart” to reboot their device.
Open the “Messages” app, send a text, or ask someone to SMS you and verify the fix.

2. Remove Premium Text Restriction

O2 offers a Premium rate text service that lets you enter into competitions, donate for charity purposes, and vote on talent shows streaming on TV through reverse charge messaging.

However, if your O2 account has a bar or restriction for these premium-rate text messages, you may face difficulties participating in these activities.

To remove this bar or restriction, access your account through the O2 app and unblock sending or receiving text messages to or from premium rate numbers. In case you don’t find an option on the app, call the O2 helpline and ask them to allow these messages.

3. Reseat the SIM

Dust build-up or incorrectly seated SIM might cause network issues, leading to O2 text messages not delivered error. To counteract this, reseat the SIM card with these steps:

Use a SIM card ejector tool to remove the tray.
Inspect the O2 SIM card for dust and scratches.
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the O2 SIM card and put it in the tray.
Insert the tray back into the SIM slot in your phone.
Restart your phone to reconnect to the network and see if the issue is fixed.

4. Change the Messaging Center Number

The O2 messaging center number routes the texts to/from the intended recipients and senders. However, if this number is incorrect on your Android phone or iPhone, O2 won’t let you send or receive text messages.

So, type in the correct SMS center number on your phone with the steps given below:

Android:

Open the “Messages” app.
Tap “Settings.”
Select “More Settings.”
Tap “Text Messages.”
Tap “Message Center.”
Replace the number with the O2 SMS center, which is “+447802000332” for Pay Monthly customers and “+447802092035” for Pay & Go subscribers.

iPhone:

Open the “Phone” app.
Dial **5005*7672*SMSNUMBER#
This will add/save the O2 SMS service center number, and your problem will be solved.

5. Reset the APN Settings

The APN settings establish a data connection between your phone and the O2 network, allowing you to access the internet and communicate through messages.

But if these settings are misconfigured, you may lose the ability to send to receive text messages and face other connectivity errors as well.

To resolve this, reset the APN settings on your iPhone or Android phone in the following way:

iPhone:

Open “Settings.”
Tap “Cellular Data.”
Tap “Cellular Data Network.”
Select “Reset Settings” to revert your APN settings to your network provider’s default values.

Android:

Open “Settings.”
Tap “Connections.”
Tap “Mobile Networks.”
Select “Access Point Names.”
Tap the three dots.
Tap “Reset to Default.”
Select “Reset” to confirm.

6. Reset the Device Network Settings

Resetting your Android phone or iPhone network settings can help you remove any misconfigurations causing the O2 text issues and establish a stable connection to the network.

Here’s how:

Android:

Navigate to “Settings.”
Tap “General Management.”
Tap “Reset” > “Reset Network Settings.”
Select “Reset Settings.”
Enter PIN or password.
Tap “Reset.”

iPhone:

Open “Settings.”
Tap “General.”
Tap “Transfer or Reset iPhone.”
Select “Reset.”
Tap “Reset Network Settings.”
Choose “Reset.”

7. Check O2 Server Outages

If nothing works and you still can’t send or receive text messages, O2 service might be down due to scheduled network maintenance or technical issues.

To check for server outages, visit the O2 Network Status page for the latest updates or announcements about the issue.

If the service is down, the best thing is to have patience and wait for the O2 technicians to fix the problem.

Summary

In this article, we’ve explored why O2 is not sending or receiving texts on your Android phone or iPhone. We’ve also discussed 7 easy and quick solutions to resolve the issues without hassle.

With the above solutions, we hope you have now fixed the problem with the O2 texting service. However, if the issue persists, contact their support team to get a definitive solution.