When your Sony Xperia 1 VI won't send texts, it's incredibly frustrating. You might see a message stuck on "Sending," get a "Not sent" error, or just watch it fail silently. Let's get this fixed.
Check Your Signal and Toggle Airplane Mode
Text messages need a cellular signal to send. Look at the signal indicator in your status bar. If it's low or missing, try moving to a different location. A quick refresh often works: pull down the notification shade and tap the Airplane Mode icon to turn it on, wait 10 seconds, then tap it again to turn it off.
Force Restart Your Xperia
This is the go-to fix for most temporary glitches. Press and hold the Power button and the Volume Up button together for about 10 seconds. Keep holding until you feel the phone vibrate and the Sony logo appears on the screen. This reboots the system and can clear up the messaging service.
Check Your Default Messaging App
If you've installed other messaging apps, your default might have gotten switched. Go to Settings > Apps > Default apps. Tap on "SMS app" and make sure your preferred app, like Google Messages, is selected. I've seen this cause sending failures after app updates.
Clear the Cache for Your Messaging App
Corrupted temporary data can stop messages from sending. Go to Settings > Apps. Find and tap on your messaging app (e.g., Google Messages). Select Storage & cache and then tap Clear cache. This won't delete your messages, just the temporary files.
Verify Your APN Settings
Incorrect Access Point Name (APN) settings can break MMS (picture messages). You'll need to get these directly from your carrier, usually from their support website. To check, go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network > Access Point Names. Compare the settings here with your carrier's official APN details and edit them if anything is wrong.
Check for Blocked Numbers
If texts are failing to send to one specific contact, you might have blocked them by accident. Open your Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, and go to Settings > Blocked numbers. See if the number is listed there and unblock it if necessary.
Reset Your Network Settings
This clears all Wi-Fi, mobile data, and Bluetooth connections and is a strong fix for persistent issues. Go to Settings > System > Reset options. Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth and confirm. You'll need to reconnect to Wi-Fi networks afterward, but it often resolves deep-seated network problems affecting SMS.
Reinsert Your SIM Card
Power your Xperia 1 VI off completely. Locate the SIM tray on the side of the phone and use the eject tool to remove it. Take out the SIM card, wait 30 seconds, then carefully reinsert it and power the phone back on. This re-establishes the connection to your carrier's network.
Update Your Software
Outdated software can have bugs that affect messaging. Go to Settings > System > System update and tap "Check for update." If an update is available, install it. Keeping the phone updated is important, as Sony's software updates can include fixes for connectivity issues.
Contact Your Mobile Carrier
If you've tried everything, the problem could be on your carrier's end. There might be an outage in your area, a problem with your account, or SMS/MMS might not be properly provisioned on your plan. Give them a call; they can run diagnostics on their side and tell you if the issue is with your phone or their network.
