When you port a number between Koodo and Public Mobile, an iMessage activation failure on an iPhone 12 is almost always caused by a temporary number mismatch hidden in your iOS settings.
Behind the scenes, Apple triggers iMessage activation by sending a silent, invisible background SMS shortcode from your phone to their servers. Because Koodo and Public Mobile share the exact same parent network (Telus), your iPhone gets confused by the internal carrier swap. It often continues trying to verify the temporary number Public Mobile assigned you before the port finished, causing it to get stuck on "Waiting for Activation." Let's clear out that ghost configuration and force Apple to register your true number.
Open your iPhone Settings. Scroll down and tap on Phone. Look at My Number. If it shows a temporary number or is formatted incorrectly, tap it and manually type in your actual 10-digit ported phone number. Tap Save.
Now we need to completely pull your Apple ID out of the loop so it stops trying to verify the old network token. Go to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage OFF. Go to Settings > FaceTime and toggle FaceTime OFF. Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive. Tap your Apple ID email at the very bottom and select Sign Out. Restart your iPhone. (Do not skip this—it completely clears the cached network routing table).
Before turning iMessage back on, let's ensure the phone is establishing a perfect data path to the server. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset. Tap Reset Network Settings. (Note: This will reboot your phone and clear your saved Wi-Fi passwords, but it flushes out the residual Koodo network profile baggage). Once the phone turns back on, connect to a strong Wi-Fi network and make sure your cellular data is on. Go back to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage ON. Tap Send & Receive. You should see a spinning wheel next to your actual phone number. Scroll down and tap Use your Apple ID for iMessage, then sign back in with your password.
