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iMessage purgatory

adampash.com

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Re: iMessage purgatory

#91

Post by mikestew »

JimmaDaRustla wrote: post #43
LeoPanthera wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does. Log into your Apple ID at https://appleid.apple.com and un-associate your phone number. Though this only works if you attached your iPhone to your Apple ID in the first place. The phone bugs you about it repeatedly but many people do not do so.

Then I fail to see why this is really an issue - blog explains no proper solution, need to pay $20, engineers can't figure it out, etc... Sounds like hogwash.

It is really an issue because the above workaround doesn't always work. You can apply that to every single suggested fix in this entire thread: it might work for one, but it doesn't work for all. The Apple discussion forums are littered with evidence of this, and my own personal experience of swapping back and forth a few times convinces me that people aren't just making it up.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#92

Post by kevando »

adampash wrote: post #45
kevando wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah it's stupid issue but extremely easy to resolve. My messages went to purgatory for about 15 minutes. http://phandroid.com/2014/04/07/turn-off-imessage-iphone-to-...

I've done all of that. The number is no longer associated with my Apple ID, but other iPhones still send messages to that number via iMessage — which means they go nowhere.

Well shit. Sounds like Apple has an issue clearing cache.

In the hopes of actually solving your issue, I hate to suggest this, but try reconnecting your number to imessage (and make sure you get any new imessage texts), then properly turn off imessage from that device. The defacto unplug it plug it back in.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#93

Post by miketuritzin »

Reich wrote: post #62
jc4p wrote: post #30

I went through this last month when I switched to the Nexus 5, had no clue I wasn't getting messages until someone with an iPhone tweeted at me asking why I as ignoring them. However, all it took from me was a call to Apple's customer service, I told them I had just switched off my iPhone and no longer got texts from people with iMessage and they immediately sent me to a tech that fixed the problem for me. Have you b…

This is the proper response. I feel like the linked post is just a reason to bash Apple. As someone who used to work in their tech support (and has no real feeling about the company good or bad), EVERY time someone calls with this issue, it is fixed with the click of a button that deauthorizes their iMessage token. I know a lot of people are saying that this shouldn't even have to be a step when you switch phones, bu…

EVERY time someone calls with this issue, it is fixed with the click of a button that deauthorizes their iMessage token.

This is false. I just called 1-800-MY-APPLE (details in my reply to GP) and they said I had already deactivated iMessage for the number and that I needed to tell all of my friends to delete their existing threads with me. And then even that did not fix the problem.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#94

Post by eee777 »

kennywinker wrote: post #52
jc4p wrote: post #30

I went through this last month when I switched to the Nexus 5, had no clue I wasn't getting messages until someone with an iPhone tweeted at me asking why I as ignoring them. However, all it took from me was a call to Apple's customer service, I told them I had just switched off my iPhone and no longer got texts from people with iMessage and they immediately sent me to a tech that fixed the problem for me. Have you b…

It's encouraging that they actually have the capability to fix the issue, but you really shouldn't have to call tech support to regain control of your phone number. When you sign up for iMessages they don't say "We take over your phone number and route all texts from iphones to it and you'll have to call tech support to make us stop!"

They do not have the ability to fix this. My wife's data plan is capped at 500MB and when it runs out iMessage does not work. She turned off iMessageing and days later when she still reported that she wasn't getting texts. The Apple tech said that she should tell people not to reply to a thread and to start a new one. She uses her phone for her business and she can't preemptively blast text over 150 contacts not to reply to an active thread, but to start a new one. Her iPhone contacts don't even understand the issue. Now she has to upgrade to an unlimited plan or risk missing messages. Apple has broken text messaging for anyone who uses an iPhone.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#95

Post by benstein »

I went through this a few months ago and discussed on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7166955

Here's my update: It's been about 4 months or so since I switched.

Nothing I was able to do or Apple was able to do fixed the problem. I was able to put Messages into debug mode and I sent Apple a full debug log (Apple bug report #15966535). They marked the ticket as "Duplicate" and I was no longer able to view any updates.

After about 3 months, most of the issue has resolved.

The majority of group-texts work now; iPhones now send the whole thread is MMS not iMessage. It's still not 100% but pretty good.

Most of my friends can send SMS without failures, but quite a few still get "iMessage failed" and have to "resend as SMS".

I've completely given up trying to fix the problem. Just hoping the remaining iOS devices resolve themselves at some point, or Apple fixes in next update.

Everyone thinks this is an Android problem that they can't message me anymore. Really tough to explain to the world that it's _their_ phone that's buggy.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#96

Post by dangoldin »

I ran into this too and ended up calling Apple. Their solution was to tell everyone who had my number to erase their iMessage history with me.

Somewhat odd - I can receive individual texts from two people that have iPhones but if one of them sends a group text to both of us, I do not receive it.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#97

Post by conradev »

miketuritzin wrote: post #89
jc4p wrote: post #30

I went through this last month when I switched to the Nexus 5, had no clue I wasn't getting messages until someone with an iPhone tweeted at me asking why I as ignoring them. However, all it took from me was a call to Apple's customer service, I told them I had just switched off my iPhone and no longer got texts from people with iMessage and they immediately sent me to a tech that fixed the problem for me. Have you b…

I am incredibly annoyed with Apple about this same issue. I also switched to a Nexus 5. I called the number you listed, and they confirmed that iMessage is already turned off for that number (which I did on my iPhone after switching to a Nexus 5 as well). Most of my friends' iPhones will still send iMessages to me, and most of the time their phones don't even say delivery of the messages failed. The tech support guy…

Do you have another iOS device (iPad, perhaps) that uses the same iCloud account as your iPhone did?

Re: iMessage purgatory

#98

Post by izacus »

Well it seems that Apple has little incentive to fix this and have been dragging their feet: They're hoping that a brand new Android user will blame non-working SMS messages to their phone and return it for another iPhone.

Just another lock-in behaviour from them.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#99

Post by miketuritzin »

conradev wrote: post #97
miketuritzin wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am incredibly annoyed with Apple about this same issue. I also switched to a Nexus 5. I called the number you listed, and they confirmed that iMessage is already turned off for that number (which I did on my iPhone after switching to a Nexus 5 as well). Most of my friends' iPhones will still send iMessages to me, and most of the time their phones don't even say delivery of the messages failed. The tech support guy…

Do you have another iOS device (iPad, perhaps) that uses the same iCloud account as your iPhone did?

No, not another iOS device.

Re: iMessage purgatory

#100

Post by rnovak »

I had the same issue, but I was able to still retrieve the messages via another apple device that was still connected to the iMessage service. I was then able to disassociate my number with the service.

When I had my iPhone, I had originally linked both my email and my phone number to the same iMessage account, so fortunately I never lost messages.

If it was tied to your email as well, you might be able to disable the service via another apple device.

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