How To Get Messages App Back On Iphone

You opened the Messages app on your iPhone, but all you see is an empty white screen. You even received a notification about a new iMessage, but it's not showing up. I'll show you what to do when the iPhone Messages app is blank so you can fix the problem for good!

Close And Reopen The Messages App

The first thing to do when the iPhone Messages app is blank is close and reopen the Messages app. It's possible the app is blank because of a minor software glitch, which can usually be fixed by closing the app.

First, open up the app switcher. On an iPhone 8 or earlier, double-click the Home button to activate the app switcher. On an iPhone X or newer, drag a finger up from the bottom of the screen to the center of the screen and pause there until the app switcher opens.

Swipe Messages up and off the top of the screen to close it on your iPhone.

Restart Your iPhone

If closing the Messages app doesn't fix the problem, try restarting your iPhone. Another app or program may have crashed the software of your iPhone, causing the Messages app to be blank.

First, turn off your iPhone by pressing and holding the power button (iPhone 8 or earlier) or either volume button and the side button (iPhone X or newer) until the power slider appears on the screen. Swipe the red power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone.

turn off your iphone

Wait around 15 seconds, then press and hold the either power button (iPhone 8 or earlier) or the side button (iPhone X or newer) until the Apple logo appears on the center of the screen.

Now, open up the Messages app and see if it's still blank. If it is, move onto the next step!

Turn iMessage Off And Back On

Your iPhone's Messages app may be blank because of an error with iMessage, the special messaging system that can be used between Apple devices. We can try to fix a minor glitch with iMessage by turning it off and back on, like we did when we restarted your iPhone.

To turn iMessage off and back on, open the Settings app and tapMessages. Tap the switch to the right of iMessage to turn it off. You'll know iMessage is off when the switch is white and positioned to the left. Tap the switch again to turn iMessage back on.

Turn Messages Off and Back On

Update Your iPhone

The iPhone Messages app could be blank because of a software glitch that's patched up by a new software update. You may be able to fix the problem by updating to the latest version of iOS.

Open the Settings app and tapGeneral -> Software Update. If an iOS update is available, tapDownload and Install. After the new iOS update has downloaded, your iPhone will install the update and restart.

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If something goes wrong along the way, check out our article to learn what to do when your iPhone isn't updating.

Reset All Settings

Resetting all settings is a reliable way to eliminate and fix deep software problems that are difficult to track down. Rather than attempting to identify the root source of your software problem, we're going to resetall of your iPhone's settings to factory defaults.

Make sure you write down your Wi-Fi passwords before resetting all settings because you'll have to reenter them afterwards!

To reset all settings, open the Settings app and tap General -> Transfer Or Reset iPhone -> Reset -> Reset All Settings. Then, enter your passcode, your Restrictions passcode (if it's set up), and tapReset All Settings when the confirmation alert appears on the display.

reset all settings ios 15

After you tap Reset All Settings, your iPhone will perform the reset and restart itself.

DFU Restore Your iPhone

The DFU restore is a last-ditch effort to try and fix troublesome software problems. A DFU restore erases and reloads all the code on your iPhone, giving it a completely fresh start. Check out our article to learn how to put your iPhone into DFU mode!

No Longer Drawing A Blank

You've fixed the problem with the Messages app and you can begin to text your friends and family again. I hope you'll share this article with on social media so they can learn what to do when the iPhone Messages app is blank! If you have any other questions about your iPhone or iMessage, leave a comment down below.