If youve been having problems receiving SMS from iPhone users, iMessage is most likely the culprit. This dilemma usually happens when you swap your iPhone with another type of smartphone. And even if you’re not an iPhone user, if you got yourself a new mobile number, the digits may have been listed by someone else on Apples iMessage.
iMessage Overview
If you launch the Messages app and attempt to send an SMS to a mobile number, you may think your Apple smartphone would just deliver it as a text message. However, it won’t. The Messages app will automatically verify if the mobile number is listed with Apples iMessage service. If so, the Messages app will not send a regular SMS. Instead, the smartphone will deliver an iMessage, regardless of whether that listed number is currently attached to an iPhone or not.
iPhone users don’t necessarily decide which type of message to send. The delivery is automatic. The only indicator the user gets is the color of the message: blue for iMessage and green for regular SMS. Vendors who sell iPhones explain this as a design created by Apple for a smoother flow of messages between iPhone users.
iPhone to Android Users
It’s very likely for this messaging system to bring about complications, especially if you’ve traded your iPhone to an Android unit. Even after the switch, your mobile number is still part of the company’s system and listed with iMessage. So, when someone using an iPhone tries to send you a message, the person’s Messages app will deliver an iMessage. This message will just stay on Apples server and never reach you since you no longer have access to your previous Messages app that comes equipped with iMessage. The message itself will just seem to vanish into the void.
Deregister and Disable
To fix this issue, all you need to do is deregister your mobile number from the iMessage service. Apple provided an app to do this after facing lawsuit threats from previous iPhone users.
To deregister your mobile number:
- Go to the Apple website
- Look for the ”Deregister and Turn Off iMessage”option.
- Type in your mobile number.
Apple will then send you a text message. Key in the confirmation code on the site to verify you’ve got access to the mobile number. Once verified, Apple will remove your mobile number from the system. So when an iPhone user tries to send you a text message, your number will not pop from the iMessage list anymore and will automatically send you a normal SMS. Based on the Apple website, itll take a couple of hours for your digits to be completely wiped out from the system.
If you have your old iPhone, you may simply do this straight from your discarded phone. You need to:
- Insert your SIM card into your old iPhone.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Open the Messages option.
- Disable the iMessage slider on top of the screen.
- Return to the main page and then open the Facetime option. Disable the ”Facetime” slider too.
- Remove your SIM card.
When you insert the card back into your new non-iPhone device, the text messaging should work without a hitch.
While this is a common messaging issue, many smartphone users are still unaware of this simple solution. If your family and friends complain about you not answering their text message one youve never received this is most likely the fix you need.
Cesar is a Product Manager at Gadget Salvation, a leader in the refurbished electronics industry. An avid technology enthusiast, he’s always on top of the latest tech trends and applies that knowledge to drive product innovation.
