With everyone else being busy, it’s actually sensible to text rather than calling clients, spouses, or your friends from time to time. Text messages have actually become very popular over time because someone doesn’t have to get out of a meeting or a class to answer. However, in the recent times i have come across a couple of people claiming that they have lately been getting an error ‘’You have been blocked from Originating messages to….’’ Many of these people don’t know what’s going on and what to do about it.

This type of inconvenience will indeed affect us, especially if we need to communicate some time-sensitive messages or have a smooth conversation with someone important. Besides the fact that text messages are fast and usually experience fewer errors, you are likely to come across this once or twice during your communication. Today, I have specific information to help you solve this message error with finality.

Why do I get the blocked from Originating Messages error?

”You have been Blocked from Originating messages to a number” is one of the most common error messages you can get while sending messages to certain numbers. This can leave you stuck in a fix because of delayed communication with the other person. The reasons for this type of error are not well known, but solutions vary from one device and provider to the other. To deal with this situation, we definitely have to diagnose the error and determine possible reasons why it happens and what might be the best solution for this error.

Are you getting this error when sending messages to one number or all the numbers?

After getting this error, the first thing to do is to determine whether it happens with all the numbers or just a specific one. If this occurs when sending messages to a specific number, there are a couple of reasons and solutions. We will discuss this later in this brief. But if this problem is common with all the numbers, there are possible issues with the phone or the provider. Here are some of the potential solutions you can initiate.

What’s your plan?

Different carriers and Internet Service providers have a number of plans and packages. Some of these packages will include high download and upload speeds and limit the number of text messages. Others will increase the call time and limit text messages. So, what is your plan? Does your plan contain text messages? If the plan doesn’t include text messages, it might be why you are getting this error message. Whenever you can, adjust the plan before the end of the payment cycle.

How To Troubleshoot the Problem

1. Text using a different Phone

There are instances when your specific number is flagged or blocked on the recipient’s side. To rule out whether this issue is happening to you only or whether your phone or the recipient’s phone has issues, you can text the same number using a different phone. If the other phone is compatible with the carrier, you can insert the simcard to see if the problem will repeat itself. This will automatically help you rule out whether your phone is the source of this issue. If you don’t experience the same error with the other phone, it’s necessary to head to the second step.

2. Have you reached the maximum capacity?

Most phones have a maximum capacity of messages it can send or receive with the internal storage. In most instances, the phone will tell you that there’s not enough capacity to send the messages. It’s also essential to be sure that your phone and that of the recipient has not reached maximum capacity. This is not common, but some of the phones already have a pre-set text message limit. To rule the issue out, delete some unnecessary conversations and several other files from the list to free up some storage. The process of deleting some messages will vary with the OS.

3. Which application are you using?

Playstore and App store is flocking with different applications, and most of them claim to help you improve your texting experience. Although this is a prudent idea, it can also make it hard for you to send text messages. If you have been using any other third-party applications such as Truecaller to send messages, delete it or switch to the phone’s native messaging application. There are chances that this error has originated from this app. Most non-native messaging applications have their own servers and message centers that can experience issues from time to time.

4. Enter the recipient’s number manually

Now, if you are sure your phone is the source of this issue. Instead of using the contact list, try to enter the number manually and send the text message. You can as well write the number down and delete it from the contact list. System updates or software bugs can modify or corrupt the numbers in your contact list. Consequently, it might help to enter the number manually and try to see whether the error will be solved automatically. Delete the contact from the contact list and key it back manually.

5. Check Message settings

When we experience this issue, the first thing that most people do is to restart the phone. However, it’s important to start by checking whether there are some problems with the settings. In many instances, the text message settings are automatically set according to your specific service provider. Try to figure out whether any changes would affect the way you send and receive text messages. It might be easy to check and correct this if you are familiar with all the settings.

6. Restart messaging application

We are currently encountering a couple of issues with specific in-built applications. Although this is not common, some problems with the application can automatically affect how you send and receive your messages. Consequently, it’s important to check and restart the application.

7. Reset the messaging application

If these two solutions don’t bring positive results, it’s essential to reset the messaging settings to factory settings. This will probably solve the problem with sending messages. It will equally solve any other problem that you may be encountering with the messaging.

8. Restart the phone

Restarting the phone will actually reset some significant issues with the applications. It’s also important to reset the phone after resetting the messaging application. This will automatically refresh the app and solve most of the issues.

9. Check the network settings

Network settings can as well have some negative impacts on the way you send and receive text messages. Check the network settings and turn the auto network selection feature on. Most users ignore this feature, but it’s imperative. It automatically connects you to the right tower around you and gives you better and stable connections to send the messages. If the network is not stable, you will likely experience the same issue.

10. Check the device/firmware

Developers usually release firmware updates now and then trying to fix some of the bugs with the previous versions. The features are also automatically upgraded to bring you a better functionality. Consequently, check the firmware to be sure it’s up to date, and it’s working optimally. It’s important to set the firmware updates ‘’auto-update’’. This will bring the right updates when they are out and reduce the chances of experiencing some common inconveniences in the future.

11. Check your account

You might already be past the messaging limit. So, before calling the customer service, start by ensuring you have enough text messages, and your account is not limited in any way. If you cannot access this from your end, the customer service can help to rule out the problem.

12. Call the carrier

Sometimes issues with the carrier can also cause this issue. This should obviously be the absolute last resort after you have tried all the above methods in vain. The texting limits might be exceeded, or your service is suspended. The carrier customer service will be in a better position to answer some questions on the same. The carrier might also be running system maintenances resulting in the errors.

13. Is the Phone Blocking text messages?

Most phones have settings that can block text messages for specific reasons. Depending on the phone type and OS, check to be sure no text messages are blocked. If they have been blocked, it’s always advisable to enable the function back. The process of deactivating blocked text messages varies greatly depending on whether you have an android or iOS phone.

14. The number to the SMSC is configured ok?

The phone should also be automatically and correctly configured to the Short Message Service Center. In many cases, we forget that some functionalities behind the scene need to be addressed before it’s late. The number configured in the phone must be 1-438-520-0092 unless otherwise specified by the carrier. The process of checking this also varies greatly depending on the OS being used.

15. What if you are getting the error on a specific number?

There are chances that this issue is only happening with a specific number. If you have tried to text other people smoothly, the other person might have blocked you from texting and calling. If you have all the right reasons to believe this is the cause of the underlying issue, you can have it fixed in no time. Here are some viable steps to take in this case.

16. Use another phone to call the recipient

Let’s all agree that we have been victims of blocking another person without them being aware. What this means is that the recipient might be unaware of the situation at hand. It’s now the time to use another phone number call and ask them to fix the issue. This is definitely the easiest and the most viable way of solving this issue. You can as well call them using the same phone and if the call connects, ask them to check the blocked settings in their phones.

17. Check your Phone settings

You might also have blocked or changed the settings or even restricted the call and Text message settings without knowledge. Always take time to check the underlying text and call settings on your phone.

18. Ask the recipient to call the carrier

If all the solutions are not working, the next thing to do is ask the recipient to call the carrier and see whether there are issues with the account. The carrier might as well propose better solutions to this issue. If this doesn’t work, move on to the final solution.

19. Resetting the Phone

Resetting someone’s phone is not the best idea in this situation because there are chances that some crucial settings and data will be lost. However, if this stands as the only way to solve this issue, especially if you take texting very important, you might have to. But before resetting the phone, save all the important data on iCloud or an external source. After that, head to the settings and check for options to reset the phone to factory settings.

FAQS

What does it mean when it says you have been blocked from originating messages?

There are chances that you are blocked, or your number has been added to the spam databases. The recipient could also have blocked you. If you continue getting this message when sending messages to a specific individual, ask them to unlock or remove you from the spam databases.

What messages do you get when you are blocked?

When blocked, you may receive a couple of different responses. If you get messages such as the message not delivered or blocked from Originating messages, you are probably blocked by the recipient.

How do you know if someone has blocked your number?

If you have been blocked, you would automatically get notifications like the ‘’text messages cannot be delivered’’ or ‘’you have been blocked from Originating messages to number’’. Though, there are several other cases for this issue.

Final words

You have been blocked from originating messages to a number” probably because there are issues with your text messages app, you are blocked, or your information has been added to spam databases. The solution depends on the primary cause.