“The Internet is filled with tales of frustration from those who have traded in their iPhone for an Android phone only to find their text messages trapped within Apple’s cloud. The issue arises when an iPhone customer trades in his or her phone for, say, an Android device, but keeps the same phone number that Apple’s messaging system recognizes as an iPhone,” Ina Fried reports for Re/code. “A recent server glitch made the problem worse, rendering moot one of Apple’s key methods for trying to remedy the issue.”
“The iMessage problem is now the subject of legal action by a California woman seeking class-action status for a suit against Apple,” Fried reports. “Apple declined to comment on the litigation. It is, though, well aware of the challenges customers have faced when seeking to exit the iMessage universe.”
“While it isn’t going into details on when or how the upcoming iOS release will improve things, Apple is certainly hoping to have a solution once that is in place. Until then, users can avoid problems if they turn off iMessage on their iPhone and uncheck the phone number from any other Apple devices on which they are using iMessage before switching to a new non-Apple device,” Fried reports. “‘We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update,’ Apple told Re/code in a statement. ‘For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare.'”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: iPhone users who downgrade to Android have far larger problems than a few lost text messages.
Related articles:
Apple sued for 2nd time over iMessage failure to deliver texts to Android phones – May 17, 2014
Apple sued over vanishing texts to Android phones – May 17, 2014
“In the meantime, the best advice for any iPhone leaver is still to manually disable iMessage and return to regular SMS before they power down for the final time.”
Oh, you mean that the biggest part of the problem is user error? These people are living proof that there are some customers you really, really don’t want to do business with.
The sad thing is, Apple has opened the door for Android users to call AppleCare for support. How mind-boggling is that? You switch away from an Apple product and Apple still wants to help you have a good experience!
Not an altogether bad idea.
Remember, the stats showed a lot of first-time smartphone users who pick up Android later switch to iPhone.
So it’s very possible many iPhone users who switch *to* Android for whatever reason, may eventually switch *back* based solely on the Android experience.
How Apple takes care of former iPhone customers can be a factor in them returning at a later date… especially if they’re also Mac users.
And they admit in the full article that it was the Best Buy doofus who “helped” them make the switch. If there’s a problem it’s with the unqualified idiots that Best Buy represents as “experts”. A competent sales person would have performed the steps necessary to make the switch properly. So now it’s somehow Apple’s fault.
Take a look at Best buy they’re sales numbers are tanking.
I think the problem comes from the fact that two separate services are being effectively merged into one, then when people change they don’t realise that they’re losing one aspect. It’s not like where if you use google for your email, then start using icloud you know that your gmail will need to be forwarded or something. Perhaps it needs to be made clearer that imessage continues to function even if you no longer have access to it.
The whole activation of devices for imessage and facetime is a bit complicated. Even having to remember to deactivate old Macs is a bit annoying. Maybe the device should need to be logged in, or something every so often to continue working.
Come on MDN. Loosen up a little. My daughter lost her job from downsizing and had to go to an Android phone because she can’t afford the iPhone monthly charges anymore. Not everyone that has to downgrade is happy about it. It is sometimes life’s circumstances that cause these things to happen. She plans on getting another iPhone when she starts working again. She is using one she had left behind after I talked to her about getting an iPhone. It’s a prepaid cheaply that she can afford at this time. We all love our Apple products, I have most of them, but sometimes this stupid economy pushes us to places we don’t want to be, but we adjust to our own situation. Not everyone using an Android for phone is doing so because they want to, it’s because they have to. Just a thought for you MDN. What do you guys think?
iPhones work with prepaid plans, too. Android is not cheaper monetarily – only in build quality, security, ecosystem, and overall experience.
Maybe she should get a free Obamaphone from Oblahblah Claus who thinks money grows on trees, spends most of his time golfing and watching basketball games, and knows nothing about even basic economics?
Doofus. You have such a tunnel-visioned view of the world. I don’t suppose that a few $T of borrowed money wasted on the unnecessary Iraq war is an issue for you? Or $T in unfunded tax cuts?
No, I guess not…because absolutely everything that you don’t like is the personal responsibility of President Obama. I hear that he has a staffer dedicated to tracking your preferences so that they can do just the opposite. /s
[OT!] Before everyone starts ragging on you for this comment, let me share the details of my email I just received while reading this article. My wife had a medical test scheduled for tomorrow, and the hospital called to inform her that they had cancelled it due to her “inability” to pay. (We were trying to make payment arrangements, but would have put it all on a credit card to make sure it happened regardless.) I told her to call them back and tell them that Obama had promised he would pay for it! Didn’t he?! The secretary’s mom probably has an Obamaphone that I’m paying for, but we can’t find out why my wife is in constant pain. Unless we show up in the ER as illegal aliens without insurance – then we’ll be ushered in and treated as royalty.
For what it’s worth, just this morning on the national news they were discussing how they have seen a rise in hospital visits nationally sense Obama care has started. As much at 10-20% in some states. As they said, this is exactly the opposite of what was suppose to happen.
The quote from the guy speaking today in DC was, “access to insurance does guarantee access to better care”.
I don’t care which side you stand on with this issue, this is trouble information for not only the people who rely on it but also the tax payers who have to foot the bill.
Lou, I agree. A lot of people just need a basic phone and cannot afford to pay high prices for a device or for cellular service. But it does not necessarily just boil down to Android is cheaper than iPhone. It all depends on the models and carrier services that are being compared. You can get basic service on an older iPhone for very little money.
Here is an example. As an experiment, I bought $10 service (good for 90 days, unless used) on AirVoice Wireless for a first-generation phone sitting in a drawer and it worked fine. Yes, the chip is slow. But the phone worked great, and many of the other iPhone features did, too, including cellular service for email and even internet (though again, it was slow). The phone also worked as a pocket computer when I was near Wi-Fi service. So it is possible to get very inexpensive phone (and cellular data) service for iPhones, and older iPhones can be found for very little money, too. That first-gen iPhone still looks and feels great, too. I would sometimes pick it up mistaking it for my 3GS. It is basically the same form factor.
Yes, some features are “missing”. Visual voicemail does not work; I get an old-fashioned dial-in voice mailbox. And I just discovered the other day that I cannot initiate a 3-way phone call. On the other hand, I do not get a bill. After each call, a message is displayed with my remaining balance.
Here is another example. I am now using a $10 per month plan on AirVoice Wireless on my iPhone 3GS. (I am not trying to peddle AirVoice Wireless, which actually uses the AT&T cellular system, but it is the only one I have tried; there are service providers.) Works fine. It is all the phone service I need right now, and offers cellular data service, too, for those times I want. Otherwise, I still use my iPhone as a pocket computer whenever I am around Wi-Fi, which is most of the time.
A lot of people seem to be unaware of the fact that older iPhones still run great, and inexpensive phone service can be bought. But the phone carriers don’t make any of this easy and I think they actually try to keep it a secret, because they make a fortune up-selling people devices, services, and packages that many do not actually need.
The next time someone needs an inexpensive phone solution, tell them to consider an older iPhone and service from an MVNO. In many cases, it may still beat the pants off an Android. Sorry for the long post.
Most excellent advice. Thanks as I am buying some 3GS phones as iPod gifts.
And if you get the GSM version (the AT&T version) and it is unlocked, the phone is easy to use when traveling in Europe. You can buy a cheap local SIM card from a tabac or phone shop, insert, and you are good to go with a local phone number. You can top-up service as needed. (In France, you can buy minutes at any Tabac shop, then key the code into the phone. Piece of cake.) I get cheap service and then just top-up in $10 increments, as needed. I’ve done this in France, Italy, and Spain. (When paying for service, buy just what you want. Remember that “voice” service covers phone calls and SMS text, but cellular “data” service is needed for email, internet, and maps interaction – even tough the GPS chip itself is accurate and will locate your position on a map.) Good luck.
Apple is acknowledging this and working on a solution because it is clear that the problem is real and legitimate.
iMessage is Apple’s proprietary protocol for sending short messages over data networks. It works not just between phones, but with other Apple devices.
This problem exists because on the iPhone, iMessage uses the same application that is used for SMS, and the two are so seamlessly integrated that vast majority of users don’t realise they are using iMessage, rather than SMS when texting their friends with iPhones.
When an iPhone is set up, one of the steps involves associating the phone number with the iMessage protocol. Users will do this as it seems intuitive, even if they don’t quite understanding the underlying technology.
When an iPhone user leaves the platform and migrates the phone number to an Android (because, say, they wanted a larger screen phone and Apple didn’t make any), it is completely unrealistic to expect them to know that they have to de-couple their phone number from iMessage, not just on the old iPhone, but on every OTHER Apple device that uses iMessage protocol (through Messages app) — their iMac, MacBook Pro, iPad… As long as there is a single Apple device that has iMessage protocol configured to receive iMessages using that phone number, every time a user sends an SMS from an iPhone to that number, the message will be intercepted by iMessage and directed to the devices that are associated with the number (if any). The message will be marked as successfully sent, and the recipient will NEVER get it on their Android phone.
This must be properly fixed.
Yes it must be fixed….!!!!
But how do you propose to make people less STUPID?????
Ps. Isn’t it terrible that we have to remember to put gas in out cars. Someone needs to fix that. Lol
That’s rather arrogant. You have to be a rabid Apple fan in order to blame this one on stupid users.
On an iPhone, you text others by using “Messages” app. Vast majority of otherwise users don’t know that when you text another iPhone user, Apple’s iMessage server hijacks that text of yours and delivers it using their proprietary data protocol. This is so seamlessly integrated that it is completely transparent to the user (which is why nobody really realises what blue text bubbles mean, compared to the green ones).
So, when you take that phone number (or SIM card) to another non-iPhone phone those text messages suddenly vanish with no explanation. This must be fixed, and Apple is obviously aware.
And my old Ford parts don’t fit in my new Chevy. How dare they.
While I can understand the basic issue, I feel it’s a lot like converters upset cause FaceTime no longer works.
Remember Antennagate? Then we find out that most phones suffer in a similar way. But only Apple was a villain. I get the same feeling here.
And remember. Apple is ALWAYS Doomed.
Lol
Exactly like FaceTime… with one significant exception. When you move to FaceTime, there is no “FaceTime” icon (nor is there any icon resembling FaceTime. And the iPhone owners trying to FaceTime another former iPhone owner who is now on Android will get an error message.
An iPhone owner trying to text a former iPhone owner will get a confirmation that their text was delivered to the recipient, when in fact it never was. Regardless of whose fault is this and no matter how you try to explain this, it is simply wrong. And it looks like Apple is deliberately doing this to encourage people to return to iOS…
Why would someone comment to have her basically go on welfare to get a phone. What the heck is wrong with people. She is using a phone she had in her drawer. I don’t understand the reason for two people giving it one star. Maybe one day you too will loose your job, your income, your security. Then let’s see what steps you have to take to survive. Heartless people here on MDN. Karma to you both.
Ignore “First… Then…” He saw a chance to make a political statement that had nothing to do with your daughter or situation. Regulars around here know that. My “agreement” with him also had nothing to do with you or anyone in particular. It was a vent. Apologies if my hot air blew too near your real life situation.
As an apple fan it is disappointing it required a lawsuit to force them to fix the problem.
The lawsuit is only for quick cash. It had almost nothing to do with any Apple problem issues.
@SJBMusic. Understood. I totally agree with the point you were trying to make. Just maybe the wrong premiss was used. Thank you for your quick understanding response. Not many people would do what you just did. Thank you sir. God Bless you too.
I think people will always find a reason to sue! As for me Apple produces high-quality products. But any system is not perfect and has some faltering. Btw there are some tweaks on http://www.iosdoc.com for iOS 7 devices and those who like it hot)