The ports that need to be forwarded for iMessage are listed here:
iMessage - PC
- TCP: 80, 443, 5223
- UDP:
Forwarding Ports for iMessage
When you use iMessage you may need to forward ports in your router. By forwarding ports you allow connection requests coming from the internet to be directed to iMessage.
Routers are not designed to allow incoming network requests. By forwarding a port you can overcome this limitation.
Before Forwarding a Port Checkoff This To Do List
Before you can forward a port you need to know the following things:
- Your router's internal IP address.
- Your computer's IP address.
- The list of the TCP and UDP ports that you need to forward.
How to Locate Your Router's IP Address
The easiest way to locate your router's IP address is to run our free Router Detector utility. It is part of our Network Utilities suite of tools and is free for you to use it.
Otherwise, you can follow our guide Find Your Router IP Address.
How To Set Up Port Forwarding for iMessage
We have Network Utilities software that can forward ports for you. Our Network Utilities software allows you to add port forwards and also remove them when you no longer need them to maximize your network security.
Alternatively you can do it by hand. The normal process for forwarding a port is:
- Log in to your router.
- Locate the section in your router that deals with port forwarding.
- Type the IP address of your computer into the correct box in your router.
- It is now time to type the TCP and UDP ports that you are forwarding for iMessage in the correct boxes in your router.
Some routers need to be rebooted in order for the changes to be saved.
You can choose your router from our list to see exactly how to forward ports for iMessage:
List of Routers - Customized for iMessage
That's all it takes to forward your ports for iMessage.