Try sending each other a text to remind the phones about this; be sure the email (Apple ID) and/or phone in your contacts matches what you’ve enabled for iMessage. Curious if it fixes for you so please reply back Answer from SomegalInCa on reddit.com
Reddit
reddit.com › r/ios › add a recovery contact imessage error fix? we both have iphone 12 pro max and latest ios 16. we also have imessage enabled in settings. what might be the issue?
r/ios on Reddit: Add a recovery contact iMessage error fix? We both have iPhone 12 Pro Max and latest iOS 16. We also have iMessage enabled in settings. What might be the issue?
September 15, 2022 - However now it still says "request sent" in recovery contacts section stating user has not accepted even though they have. Maybe some sort of waiting period? ... Interesting. We didn’t have that problem. It was instantaneous for us. My wife had to click the link that was sent to her by iMessage and click accept. One thing we did before this that probably has nothing to do with it is we made sure we had removed all of our old Apple ...
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 254744412
Account recovery contacts- “iMessage erro… - Apple Community
I also have a friend that’s a recovery contact but only his name is on the recovery contacts list, not the family member. When I tap on the family member to add to recovery contacts list a message pops up saying “you can only use contacts that use iMessage”. The message settings on family contact iPhone has iMessages toggled on.
Videos
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How to Recover Deleted Messages on iPhone - YouTube
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 254589387
Recovery contact "not using iMessage" - Apple Community
When I tap on the family member to add to recovery contacts list a message pops up saying “you can only use contacts that use iMessage”. The message settings on family contact iPhone has iMessages toggled on. I added the the family contact months ago to recovery contacts but after adding to family contacts, it is no longer on the official recovery contacts list.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 254604688
Error message when adding a recovery cont… - Apple Community
I believe all family contacts are ... = Recovery contact and family member that I want to add.) 6582 2 · Cannot add (name). You can only add contacts who are using iMessage....
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255014621
Adding user to account recovery says they… - Apple Community
When I add this contact, the iPhone says the user is not using iMessage. What can I do to get my iPhone to recognize that this contact is also using iMessage? ... For the benefit of others, I figured out the solution. And yes all of the iPhones involved satisfy the requirements to be a recovery contact.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 253202938
Error adding another iPhone user as accou… - Apple Community
Trying to add my husband as account recovery contact. Getting error message that says, "You can only add people who are using an Apple device." He's on iPhone 13 and so am I. What is the fix for this? We've walked through the article on setting up account recovery and verified that he meets all of the criteria (Apple ID, 2FA, etc.) ... It got fixed for me by enabling iMessage in Settings.
Intego
intego.com › home › how to add icloud account recovery contacts, legacy contacts
How to add iCloud Account Recovery Contacts, Legacy Contacts - The Mac Security Blog
March 22, 2024 - Tap Add Recovery Contact at the bottom of the screen to continue, then type the name of your Recovery Contact; they must be in your contacts, and they must have an Apple device and use iMessage.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 254810484
Problem adding recovery contact - Apple Community
I also have a friend that’s a recovery contact but only his name is on the recovery contacts list, not the family member. When I tap on the family member to add to recovery contacts list a message pops up saying “you can only use contacts that use iMessage”. The message settings on family contact iPhone has iMessages toggled on.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 254554393
Recovery Contact - Apple Community
I figured it out - the icloud that you are trying to set up the recovery for is the one you need to sign into imessage with (it’s not referring to the person who will become the recovery contact unless this person has never signed into imessage).
iGeeksBlog
igeeksblog.com › home › how-to › how to set a recovery contact for apple id on iphone and mac
How to set a recovery contact for Apple ID on iPhone and Mac – iGeeksBlog
July 28, 2025 - iOS 26 macOS Tahoe 26 watchOS 26 ... Mac Apps iMessage Safari Snapchat WhatsApp Instagram > ... Whether you forgot your Apple ID password or the device passcode, recovering your Apple ID has always been a tad bit difficult. However, thanks to a new feature, the unlock key is now just a call away. All you have to do is set a recovery contact for your Apple ...
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 254616808
Problem with adding recovery contact. - Apple Community
They'll either see an option to sign into their Apple ID, or if already signed in they'll see Send & Receive with the email and phone number in use for iMessage. If they are signed in already, have them toggle iMessage off and then back on then try adding them as a recovery contact at that point.
iToolab
itoolab.com › unlock › cannot-add-recovery-contact-after-update-ios
How to Fix Unable to Add Recovery Contact on iOS 16
Did you meet an issue that you cannot add recovery contact after update to iOS 16 or iPadOS 16? Here's how you can do it!
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 102608
Help a friend or family member as their account recovery contact - Apple Support
To become an account recovery contact, a friend or family member first has to invite you. When they send the invitation, you see a notification in the Messages app on your device. If you’re part of their Family Sharing group, you’re added as their recovery contact automatically.
Apple Support
support.apple.com › en-us › 102641
Set up an account recovery contact - Apple Support
Click Recovery Contacts. Click Add Recovery Contact, then follow the onscreen steps to authenticate.
MacRumors
forums.macrumors.com › apple services › apple music, apple pay/card, icloud, fitness+
Unable to Add My Wife as a Recovery Contact | MacRumors Forums
December 16, 2022 - I’ve been trying to set up Advanced Data Protection, but when I attempt to add my wife as a recovery contact, I get the error, “Cannot Add [name], You can only add contacts who are using iMessage.” She does use iMessage and it is enabled and working fine.
Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255623431
Can't add "account recovery contact" for … - Apple Community
However, my wife has an iPhone and is on iMessage. ... Adding someone to Account Recovery Contact I'm trying to set up my Account Recovery Contact. I want to add my wife, but I get the message: you can only add contacts who are using iMessage. Of course she is using it, we text all the time using iMessage and she's in our Contacts.
iMore
imore.com › apple
Apple ID Recovery Contacts: Everything you need to know! | iMore
August 18, 2021 - Apple Id Recovery Contacts Setup Screen Ipados (Image credit: Adam Oram / iMore) Your Apple ID is super important. It is the account you use to access all kinds of Apple services, from iCloud and the App Store, to Apple Music, FaceTime, iMessage and much more.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › ios 15: how to set a recovery contact for your apple id account
r/apple on Reddit: iOS 15: How to Set a Recovery Contact for Your Apple ID Account
August 29, 2021 - You can only add people who are using an apple device.” - mmm… my wife is parent/guardian using the same phone on the same iOS as I am. Any suggestions? ... Make sure all of the devices belonging to both of you are fully up to date. ... I tried this workaround as well and it works, kinda lol. After we both confirmed via text to be each other’s recovery contact, we were looking things over, and on my wife’s phone in the ‘account recovery’ section at the very bottom, my ‘contact card’ is different.
iPhone Life
iphonelife.com › how-to › privacy & security
Easily Recover Your Apple Account
May 14, 2025 - You will have to choose a Recovery Contact who is also an Apple user who can use iMessage.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/applehelp › a recovery contact has been added to your account.
r/applehelp on Reddit: A recovery contact has been added to your account.
October 4, 2022 -
I just received this email 2x but when I checked, the only contacts there were my husband’s email and phone number- which were already there. Why would I have received this? Should I be concerned?
A recovery contact was added to your account on November 19, 2022 at 8:37:45 PM EST. Recovery contacts can help you regain access to your account when you forget your password or device passcode. If you didn’t add anyone, review and remove any unauthorized recovery contacts from your account as soon as you can. To manage your recovery contacts, go to Password & Security > Account Recovery on your iOS or macOS device.
Apple Support