Apple releases a tool to deregister iMessage

[TheGuyNL]

Hey there!

 

So Apple finally managed to release a tool which can be used to deregister your phone number from iMessage. This tool had a long wait for it and was really needed.

The case was that users switching from iPhone to another phone, which kept their phone number, would not receive text messages from people which they used iMessage with. This was caused by Apple whom didn't send out the text, but just send them to their non-existent iPhones. 

 

Alot of people experienced this issue when switching phones and some even went back to iPhone because of this, but finally Apple released a tool to deregister phone numbers from iMessage. This is a step in the right direction.

 

Link to the tool: https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage

[StingBull]

I've never understood the point of iMessage. So it is a messaging service that doesn't work for all the phones in the world competing with other apps that do work for all the phones in the world. Why use iMessage at all?

[Geekazoid]

Already read this here —> http://www.macrumors.com/ <—.

[ShadowCaptain]

I've never understood the point of iMessage. So it is a messaging service that doesn't work for all the phones in the world competing with other apps that do work for all the phones in the world. Why use iMessage at all?

 

iMessage is part of the native texting program not a separate application, so if I text somebody. but they own an iPhone it well send an iMessage instead whereas whatsapp, bbm etc etc are separate applications that I have to make sure the other person has or I have to consciously close the messaging app open whatsapp and communicate there, iMessages are mixed in with your texts completely seamlessly 

 

EDIT: as @LAwLz says underneath, if the recipient is not using iMessage or is not an Apple user, then it just sends a text, also if you drop 3g/wifi etc then it just sends a text 

[LAwLz]

I've never understood the point of iMessage. So it is a messaging service that doesn't work for all the phones in the world competing with other apps that do work for all the phones in the world. Why use iMessage at all?

I *think* the app defaults back to SMS and MMS if the person you're sending the message to doesn't have iMessage. So there is not really any reason to not use iMessage if you use regular SMS anyway.

[Dredgy]

I've never understood the point of iMessage. So it is a messaging service that doesn't work for all the phones in the world competing with other apps that do work for all the phones in the world. Why use iMessage at all?

 

Various reasons. It's seamless with SMS, so you can't tell which is which, except by the background colour. It uses data, so if you're at home and on WiFi it won't count towards your SMS usage. It also allows you delivery confirmation and to see if someone is replying.

 

Main reason I like it though is that it pushes everything straight to my iPad (though as of the latest iOS update, all SMS's and even telephone calls are pushed to the iPad).

[TheGuyNL]

Already read this here —> http://www.macrumors.com/ <—.

 

Yeah, I just want to spread the word a bit. If someone happens to have a family member who switches from iPhone to something else, they'll know about this

[Godlygamer23]

I've never understood the point of iMessage. So it is a messaging service that doesn't work for all the phones in the world competing with other apps that do work for all the phones in the world. Why use iMessage at all?

It uses your explicit Internet connection for texting, rather than SMS. This enables people to send photos/videos to their friends who don't have MMS. In addition, it doesn't count towards your messaging limit(if you have one).

[Geekazoid]

iMessage is part of the native texting program not a separate application, so if I text somebody. but they own an iPhone it well send an iMessage instead whereas whatsapp, bbm etc etc are separate applications that I have to make sure the other person has or I have to consciously close the messaging app open whatsapp and communicate there, iMessages are mixed in with your texts completely seamlessly 

 

EDIT: as @LAwLz says underneath, if the recipient is not using iMessage or is not an Apple user, then it just sends a text, also if you drop 3g/wifi etc then it just sends a text

Well said mate!

[JAKEBAB]

Do people not know u can just turn imessage off? I had this problem a month ago when i swotched to android then remembered i still had it on just used my old 5 and turned off imessage now am recieving all texts afaik.

[TheGuyNL]

Do people not know u can just turn imessage off? I had this problem a month ago when i swotched to android then remembered i still had it on just used my old 5 and turned off imessage now am recieving all texts afaik.

 

Most people don't know they have to do this. Image this: iPhone use thinks, hey let's buy an android phone! This person then buys a Galaxy or something, but doesn't get any texts on the phone. This person doesn't relate that to apple, but to the new android phone, because: "Texts worked just fine on my iPhone, and this stupid thing doesn't even receive them".

 

This is actually a big problem as users will think Android causes this whilst it's Apple's fault.

[Octagoncow]

Awesome. I'm glad that Apple made this a fairly painless process. Now I've just gotta think of anyone I know who might want this information.

[algoat]

It's a long time coming, but it still doesn't help most people who travel outside their country who still own an iphone.  The data roaming is off by default, or the person would turn it off to avoid high roaming charges, justifiably.  So people will still miss a lot of messages until they enter a wifi area or turn the roaming data on.  The more technically inclined, like the ones in this forum, can easily turn off the imessage before they leave but we make an incredibly small percentage of actual users.

[coder-guy22296]

I've never understood the point of iMessage. So it is a messaging service that doesn't work for all the phones in the world competing with other apps that do work for all the phones in the world. Why use iMessage at all?

because if say your family/friends have an iphone as well, then its just easier.  in the event that you are unaware, imessage is attached to the iphone texting app, so if you text someone and you do not have cell signal, but you have wifi then it will send over imessage instead.

[coder-guy22296]

just curious why you have to disable imessage on an iPhone before you move to an android phone, could someone explain this to me?

[TheGuyNL]

just curious why you have to disable imessage on an iPhone before you move to an android phone, could someone explain this to me?

 

The thing apple's iMessage does is register your phone number as an iMessage number. So when you had and iPhone and where chatting with certain people who also have iPhones, you would use iMessage. When you switch then, the other user still sees you as a 'iMessage user' because of the way the service works. So when this user with the iPhone tries to message you, it will send an iMessage instead of a text, causing you not to receive those texts or with a big delay. 

[ematan]

I am really happy that Apple FINALLY did something about this issue. 

I switched phones last winter and it was a nightmare trying to disassociate the iMessage from my phone number. (Just turning iMessages off in my old phone did not work). Calling Apple's support did not help at all. The response from them was on the lines of "Oh! I have heard of that happening! No idea to fix that and I cannot find any solutions either". Really frustrating.

I think I was able to unregister my phone number by logging into my apple ID and deleting my phone number from my apple ID as well. Even then it took almost a week that I started to receive messages from my mother...

[MBisFrenchy]

Know a friend this happened to, it was a utter mess. 

[TKFT]

For 2 months I had people complaining I never responded to their texts. I finally realized it was iMessage derping because it was only iPhone users that had a problem texting me. Then i had to track down a iPhone to use and turn off iMessage. This tool would have been so nice.