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Anyone know what setting would block verification codes?

ssledoux

ssledoux

macrumors 601
Original poster
Sep 16, 2006
4,416
4,245
Down south
I’m wondering if I’m missing a setting somewhere that’s blocking SMS messages trying to send me verification codes from businesses like AT&T, and my mortgage company. They want to send them every time I log in from a different device (either my phone or iPad), and they will not come through on my phone. I can send to my grandson’s, or daughter‘s numbers, and they come through just fine, but not on mine. This is making me think it’s a setting on my phone and not an issue with either of the businesses.

I’ve looked at my messages settings, and don’t see anything obvious.

Ideas?
 
I'm not sure if this is the case for you but have you recently switched to a new carrier, specifically an MVNO? I had the same problem when I moved to a startup MVNO and the problem disappeared immediately when I switched the SIM card back to my primary carrier.
 
What carrier are you on? If AT&T, go to settings/cellular/carrier services and select view my data and MSG. This should cause an SMS text message to be sent to your phone with your data and message usage for the month.

If you do not get that message, then the issue is either with your phone or AT&T. If you are getting iMessage messages, then go into settings/messages/send and receive and make sure your phone number is selected for receiving messages and starting messages.

If you are on another carrier, maybe in the cellular settings you have an option similar so you can send yourself an SMS message (not iMessage as that is different). Verification codes are SMS codes and do not use iMessage
 
What has been said is good info but as for settings I suppose you should check to see if in Settings>Messages>Blocked Contacts there are any numbers that could be affected.

Another setting that might be relevant would be Settings>Focus (or Do Not Disturb prior to iOS 15).
 
VineRider said:
What carrier are you on? If AT&T, go to settings/cellular/carrier services and select view my data and MSG. This should cause an SMS text message to be sent to your phone with your data and message usage for the month.

If you do not get that message, then the issue is either with your phone or AT&T. If you are getting iMessage messages, then go into settings/messages/send and receive and make sure your phone number is selected for receiving messages and starting messages.

If you are on another carrier, maybe in the cellular settings you have an option similar so you can send yourself an SMS message (not iMessage as that is different). Verification codes are SMS codes and do not use iMessage
Click to expand...

Thanks. I got that message. Not sure if that’s gonna help with the verification codes, since there are several places I’m not receiving them from. It HAS to be a setting somewhere. I used to get them all just fine. I just cannot figure it out.
 
BrianBaughn said:
What has been said is good info but as for settings I suppose you should check to see if in Settings>Messages>Blocked Contacts there are any numbers that could be affected.

Another setting that might be relevant would be Settings>Focus (or Do Not Disturb prior to iOS 15).
Click to expand...

I checked blocked numbers - don’t have any. And my DND is turned off completely.
 
ShrimpScampi said:
I'm not sure if this is the case for you but have you recently switched to a new carrier, specifically an MVNO? I had the same problem when I moved to a startup MVNO and the problem disappeared immediately when I switched the SIM card back to my primary carrier.
Click to expand...

Nope. ATT forever, unfortunately.
 
BrianBaughn said:
So you're on ATT and ATT verification codes aren't coming through? What does ATT say about that?
Click to expand...

Yes, and neither will ones from a few other places. I haven’t managed to make myself get on the phone with ATT about it yet. I was able to get the codes on different numbers from my account (my daughter’s, my grandson’s), just not my actual number. So far it hasn’t been inconvenient enough to make me want to talk to them.
 
Call blocker app installed and running text message spam checks?
 
ssledoux said:
Thanks. I got that message. Not sure if that’s gonna help with the verification codes, since there are several places I’m not receiving them from. It HAS to be a setting somewhere. I used to get them all just fine. I just cannot figure it out.
Click to expand...
Very strange issue. So we know that you are getting regular SMS messages, but for some reason only verification codes are not coming in.

Interesting thread that may be of some help (cannot verify if this information is accurate or not, but may be of some help in any event)

AT&T Digital Resources & Answers - Community Forums has Sunset

The AT&T community forum has been sunset, we have compiled the list of new resources that you can use to find answers to any AT&T related question.
forums.att.com


TLDR from the thread:
And the solution is as follows:
1. For Android phones, the problem does get resolved at times by ‘reset network settings’. This however doesn’t happen on an iPhone.
2. For iPhones - & if android doesn’t respond to the above reset - you need to call AT&T LEVEL 2 Customer Service & ask the technician to UNCHECK the setting ‘Send emails as text messages’. “SEND EMAILS AS TEXT MESSAGES”

Sounds absurd right? Because technically this should be a setting called ALLOW EMAILS TO BE SENT AS TEXT MESSAGES. Anyways…

Supposedly, the text messages for verification codes emanate from most sources in an email format (as we received emails from Ring or from the bank for 2 step verification). This email now simultaneously gets sent to yr phone no as a text message. If ur a/c settings in core AT&T system is set to block this, you won’t receive a verification code. The setting is NOT AVAILABLE on local phone settings, only on the main servers/ configuration.
 
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Thanks for the info. It sure seems odd that I’d have issues with this out of the blue, and that other phones on my account aren’t having the same issue.

That being said, today I tried to get a Turbo Tax code so I could log in, and I didn’t get that either, so I guess I’m gonna have to make that call.
 
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ssledoux said:
Thanks for the info. It sure seems odd that I’d have issues with this out of the blue, and that other phones on my account aren’t having the same issue.

That being said, today I tried to get a Turbo Tax code so I could log in, and I didn’t get that either, so I guess I’m gonna have to make that call.
Click to expand...
Just curious if you ever got this resolved?
 
VineRider said:
Just curious if you ever got this resolved?
Click to expand...

No I haven’t. Was on the phone with ATT to do it, but by the time I took care of the other issue I called about, I had to hang up. I just can’t take that much ATT customer service at once. Been using my email for codes in the meantime, which is a pain.
 
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I am having the same problem with my husbands phone, which started when we upgraded to 13’s. No problem with mine, but his doesn’t work. I did call ATT and they were absolutely no help. I mentioned about turning on the short messages, they had no clue to what that was. Unfortunately the phone is past warranty, I think it’s a defective phone.
 
Yes, I have looked at every setting I could possibly think of. I even removed the ATT Call Protect app. I compared every setting with my phone, which I have no problem with. We bought our phones together.
 
I ran across this thread as this happened to me after my iphone 14 upgrade. That didn't go smoothly and I suspect because of an ATT server configuration error that they had to bandaid.

For anyone else that may find this thread, the first level support propably won't have a clue, you have to get by them to a tech or engineering team. They may spend an hour verifying configuration and tell you nothings wrong, but have them transfer you to the tech team because its not working and xxx says it should. The tech team should understand whats happening when you tell them something like "we are not getting verification codes from (xxxx). The ATT help forum says to have the ATT tech team check that the restriction on short SMS and Third Party messages are removed and then reprovision the line. Also verify port configuration."
 
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