This happened to me when I borrowed an iPhone after I smashed the digitizer on my Nexus 4. For a few months, anyone w/ an iPhone who texted me got their message delivered to nowhere. What a pain in the ass.
Apple customer care finally fixed it after several phone calls and wasted time on the phone. I can't believe they didn't implement some failover system where it reverts back to SMS once the iMessage isn't picked up for months.
I had this issue. I was told that the only way I could fix it was ask everyone who had previously had an imessage conversation with me to delete their history of it. The Apple customer service agent simply didn't give a sh*t when I pointed out how ridiculous that was. That was the day I decided I would never go back to iPhone.
I ran into this too. After my iPhone 5s died, I realized I couldn't receive texts from anyone to my new Nokia. The only reason I could even fix it is I still have an iPad 2 I'm using.
I'm done with iOS anyway because that lightning port is defective, but the fact Apple was holding my texts hostage did not exactly endear me to them.
Lightning ports are garbage. I've had the opposite problem with them where the cords keep breaking because it keeps shorting out in the phone and toasting the edge connector. Happens on 2 phones and we have gone through about 8 Lightning cords. Yet I hear people complain about the new USB C connectors. Trust me the Lightning connector only looks like a good idea. I've never had an issue with a mini or micro USB charge cords for any other device, or even the old Apple Dock connectors never broke on me. But with the iPhone 5 they have just been a complete failure.
Nothing wrong with trying to save your customers from having to pay for text message fees. The problem is in the implementation. When my wife tested a Nokia 1020 it was a massive irritation for her and I to send and receive texts because her previous phone was an iPhone. Every time I sent a text I had to be mindful to tell my phone to send as text or it would just act like everything was ok or it would give me an error message. Damn irritating. There are many reasons why I won't buy another iPhone but iMessage isn't one of them. 16 GB in a base phone, crashing apps, old camera tech are my reasons. Its obvious that going straight from 16GB to 64GB was because many would have found a base unit with 32GB more than adequate. Honestly 16 was ok for me until they made me clear half of it out for an OS update. If that is to be the norm then I will need 32 just to keep space for updates. When I can grab a 32GB thumb drive easily for about $12 I know Apple can snag the chip for less than half that. Even with heavy iTunes investments there is only so much flogging I can take.
You guys talk all that crap, but Apple finally fixed it. So what's your problem anyway? When it's not fixed, you complain, when it's fixed, you complain .... you can never win huh?
They finally listened and got the fix in. What's not to like?!?!?!?
It's great that it's resolved, but this issue has been there fore over 3 years. Even if you only count when it became public [tech forum] knowledge, that's still many months to put up a website that will send an SMS to a phone and then disconnect iMessage from an iPhone tied to that phone number. Not exactly rocket science.
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DCide - Sunday, November 9, 2014 - link
I'd heard of this problem, but I hadn't been following it.Thanks for providing such a clear explanation I could understand in one reading.
Samus - Sunday, November 9, 2014 - link
great article would read again A++++ authorStealthX32 - Sunday, November 9, 2014 - link
This happened to me when I borrowed an iPhone after I smashed the digitizer on my Nexus 4. For a few months, anyone w/ an iPhone who texted me got their message delivered to nowhere. What a pain in the ass.Apple customer care finally fixed it after several phone calls and wasted time on the phone. I can't believe they didn't implement some failover system where it reverts back to SMS once the iMessage isn't picked up for months.
shabby - Sunday, November 9, 2014 - link
Gonna enter all my iphone friends phone numbers...Brandon Chester - Sunday, November 9, 2014 - link
That's why you need to enter a confirmation code that gets texted to the phone.Gigaplex - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
And all their friends keep getting spammed by confirmation texts. A sufficiently annoying prank if they're actually friends and not enemies.Speedfriend - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
I had this issue. I was told that the only way I could fix it was ask everyone who had previously had an imessage conversation with me to delete their history of it. The Apple customer service agent simply didn't give a sh*t when I pointed out how ridiculous that was. That was the day I decided I would never go back to iPhone.Wolfpup - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
I ran into this too. After my iPhone 5s died, I realized I couldn't receive texts from anyone to my new Nokia. The only reason I could even fix it is I still have an iPad 2 I'm using.I'm done with iOS anyway because that lightning port is defective, but the fact Apple was holding my texts hostage did not exactly endear me to them.
hpglow - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
Lightning ports are garbage. I've had the opposite problem with them where the cords keep breaking because it keeps shorting out in the phone and toasting the edge connector. Happens on 2 phones and we have gone through about 8 Lightning cords. Yet I hear people complain about the new USB C connectors. Trust me the Lightning connector only looks like a good idea. I've never had an issue with a mini or micro USB charge cords for any other device, or even the old Apple Dock connectors never broke on me. But with the iPhone 5 they have just been a complete failure.HisDivineOrder - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
This is what happens when Apple thinks it can go its own way.hpglow - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
Nothing wrong with trying to save your customers from having to pay for text message fees. The problem is in the implementation. When my wife tested a Nokia 1020 it was a massive irritation for her and I to send and receive texts because her previous phone was an iPhone. Every time I sent a text I had to be mindful to tell my phone to send as text or it would just act like everything was ok or it would give me an error message. Damn irritating. There are many reasons why I won't buy another iPhone but iMessage isn't one of them. 16 GB in a base phone, crashing apps, old camera tech are my reasons. Its obvious that going straight from 16GB to 64GB was because many would have found a base unit with 32GB more than adequate. Honestly 16 was ok for me until they made me clear half of it out for an OS update. If that is to be the norm then I will need 32 just to keep space for updates. When I can grab a 32GB thumb drive easily for about $12 I know Apple can snag the chip for less than half that. Even with heavy iTunes investments there is only so much flogging I can take.web2dot0 - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
You guys talk all that crap, but Apple finally fixed it. So what's your problem anyway? When it's not fixed, you complain, when it's fixed, you complain .... you can never win huh?They finally listened and got the fix in. What's not to like?!?!?!?
solipsism - Monday, November 10, 2014 - link
It's great that it's resolved, but this issue has been there fore over 3 years. Even if you only count when it became public [tech forum] knowledge, that's still many months to put up a website that will send an SMS to a phone and then disconnect iMessage from an iPhone tied to that phone number. Not exactly rocket science.