Some Huawei P20 Pro users ask us to provide a comprehensive guide on how to deal with texting problems. Today’s troubleshooting article will give you the steps to take when your Huawei P20 Pro is unable to send texts or SMS.
How to troubleshoot a Huawei P20 Pro that won’t send texts
There are many reasons why your device may not send text messages or SMS. Let’s discuss each of the factors below and how to deal with them.
Check for errors
When faced with any problem, the first troubleshooting step that you want to do is to be aware of any error, prompts, or messages that may appear. When it comes to texting problems, some messaging apps may display an error that can help a user identify the cause. This can also be helpful later if you want to escalate the issue to your network operator.
Forced restart
Some text messaging issues can be fixed by refreshing the system with a restart. In older devices with removable batteries, this is easily done by disconnecting the battery for a few moments. Since your Huawei P20 Pro does not have a removable battery pack, all you can do is to simulate the effects. To do this, hold down the power button until the screen goes black.
Restart messaging app
Another good troubleshooting step in this case is to force quit the app in question. It’s possible that there’s an app bug that prevents it from sending out texts. To close an app:
- Tap the Recent Apps Key
- Swipe up and down to view all recently opened apps
- To close an app, tap the X in the app’s window
- To close all apps, tap the trash can icon
Alternatively, if you need to stop an app from running:
- Open Settings app.
- Tap Apps & Notifications.
- Tap Apps.
- A list of apps installed on the phone will be displayed.
- If you need to stop an app from running, tap the app.
- Tap Force Stop.
- Tap OK
Reseat the SIM
One of the basic things to check for this problem is the Message Center Number. If information about this number is incorrect, your device may still be able to receive texts but unable to send one. Re-inserting the SIM card on your Huawei P20 Pro should ensure that the MCN is correct. Before you take out and insert the SIM, be sure that it is OFF.
Clear messaging app cache on your Huawei P20 Pro
In some cases, force stopping a messaging app may not work. If that’s the case here, the next troubleshooting step for you is to see whether or not you have a cache problem. Try clearing the messaging app’s cache. Here’s how:
- From the home screen, tap the All Apps icon.
- Scroll to and tap Settings.
- Scroll to and tap Manage apps.
- Tap the All tab.
- Scroll to and tap the preferred application.
- Tap Clear cache.
Return messaging app to defaults
Should deleting an app’s cache won’t fix the problem at all, the next good thing to do is to try and return the app to its defaults. This is done by deleting the app’s data. This step will erase your text messages so be sure to back them up ahead of time.
- From the home screen, tap the All Apps icon.
- Scroll to and tap Settings.
- Scroll to and tap Manage apps.
- Tap the All tab.
- Scroll to and tap the preferred application.
- Tap Clear data.
Clear cache partition
Sometimes, text messaging problems may be a result of a bad system cache. To ensure that this type of cache is in top shape, you can clear the cache partition.
- Turn off the phone.
- Then turn the phone while holding down the following key combination: Power Button Volume Up Button
- Hold down the buttons until the Huawei logo disappears from the display and the screen turns black.
- You can now release the buttons.
- This will now display the boot menu after a moment.
- Go to the entry “Wipe Cache Partition” with the volume keys then select it using the power key
- Reboot the phone once the process has completed
Delete old conversation
Old conversation threads may sometimes become buggy or cause performance issues for the app. This is true for old or long conversations that contain media. If you’re having trouble sending a message to one contact only, deleting the thread and starting a new one may help.
Getting rid of old threads also clears up space and makes room for new incoming messages.
Add Contacts again
Another troubleshooting step that you can do is to re-add all or select problem contacts. This is usually effective if a messaging app is unable to recognize numbers you’re trying to send a message to, or if you’re having trouble sending messages. Contacts app and messaging app work together when sending and receiving messages and if one is buggy, it can affect the other end.
If you’re having trouble with one number only, try to delete that contact from your Contacts app and add it again.
Reset network settings
Returning network settings of your Huawei P20 Pro is another necessary troubleshooting step in this situation. This is usually effective in dealing with bugs that’s caused by incorrect network configuration in a device. Here’s how it’s done:
- Turn on the phone.
- Open Settings app.
- Tap Advanced settings.
- Tap Backup & reset.
- Tap Network Settings Reset.
- Tap Network Settings Reset, and confirm the whole operation by tapping Network Settings Reset one more time.
Check SIM on another phone
If you are on GSM network, you can also check if the cause of the problem is account- or SIM-related. You can do that by inserting your SIM card to a compatible phone. If sending and receiving of texts work fine on the second device, that means there’s a problem with the phone.
Factory reset your your Huawei P20 Pro
To resolve any unknown phone bug that prevents sending of texts, you want to factory reset your device. Be sure to back all personal data ahead of time.
- Turn off the phone.
- Then turn the phone while holding down the following key combination: Power Button Volume Up Button
- Hold down the buttons until the Huawei logo disappears from the display and the screen turns black.
- You can now release the buttons.
- This will now display the boot menu after a moment.
- Go to the entry “Wipe Cache Factory Reset ” with the volume keys then select it using the power key
- Reboot the phone once the process has completed
Get your carrier involved
Should the issue remain after doing all the suggestions above, the problem must be account-related. Be sure to contact your network operator so they can help you with the problem.