Apple, your integration of SMS/MMS/iMessage sucks. Either fix it or separate them.

[Eug]

It turns out my wife has not been getting text messages from her mother.

The messages were getting sent as iMessages, and then disappearing into the ether. No SMS fallback.

So, I just told my mother-in-law that I was shutting offer her iMessages. She said fine, because she doesn't care either way (as she has unlimited free messages on her account), so everything now is SMS/MMS.

And now it works fine. My wife and her mother can communicate properly, with no missed messages.

 

[Eug]

It turns out my wife has not been getting text messages from her mother.

The messages were getting sent as iMessages, and then disappearing into the ether. No SMS fallback.

So, I just told my mother-in-law that I was shutting offer her iMessages. She said fine, because she doesn't care either way (as she has unlimited free messages on her account), so everything now is SMS/MMS.

And now it works fine. My wife and her mother can communicate properly, with no missed messages.

Great. Now she's getting nothing from her brother. He's been trying to send her texts and she's been getting nothing at all.

I just don't understand how Apple can screw this up so badly. Why the hell would iMessage continue to send iMessages when all the iDevices have iMessages shut off? It's been a day now, and his messages to her continue to disappear into never never land. No SMS fallback, just nothing.

This is just so fscking frustrating. This has got to be the worst implementation of a messaging system I have EVER seen. WTF?!?

It almost makes we wonder if iOS 8's integration of SMS/MMS is so that they can "fix" the iMessage problem, without actually fixing it, because they don't have a clue how to fix iMessage.

 

[Eug]

It turns out my wife has not been getting text messages from her mother.

The messages were getting sent as iMessages, and then disappearing into the ether. No SMS fallback.

So, I just told my mother-in-law that I was shutting offer her iMessages. She said fine, because she doesn't care either way (as she has unlimited free messages on her account), so everything now is SMS/MMS.

And now it works fine. My wife and her mother can communicate properly, with no missed messages.

Great. Now she's getting nothing from her brother. He's trying to send her texts and she's been getting nothing at all.

I just don't understand how Apple can screw this up so badly. Why the hell would iMessage continue to send iMessages when all the iDevices have iMessages shut off? It's been a day now, and his messages to her continue to disappear into never never land. No SMS fallback, just nothing.

This is just so fscking frustrating. This has got to be the worst implementation of a messaging system I have EVER seen. WTF?!?

It almost makes we wonder if iOS 8's + Yosemite's integration of SMS/MMS is so that they can "fix" the iMessage problem, without actually fixing it, because they don't have a clue how to fix iMessage.

 

[Ichinisan]

Great. Now she's getting nothing from her brother. He's trying to send her texts and she's been getting nothing at all.

I just don't understand how Apple can screw this up so badly. Why the hell would iMessage continue to send iMessages when all the iDevices have iMessages shut off? It's been a day now, and his messages to her continue to disappear into never never land. No SMS fallback, just nothing.

This is just so fscking frustrating. This has got to be the worst implementation of a messaging system I have EVER seen. WTF?!?

It almost makes we wonder if iOS 8's + Yosemite's integration of SMS/MMS is so that they can "fix" the iMessage problem, without actually fixing it, because they don't have a clue how to fix iMessage.

Does she have other Apple computers or devices that messages are getting delivered to? iPod / iPad / Mac / etc.

 

[Eug]

Does she have other Apple computers or devices that messages are getting delivered to? iPod / iPad / Mac / etc.

Nope, I made sure to turn iMessage off on all of them, but I'm going to check yet again.

Apple should just provide a centralized option for setting this up, but they don't. But even if they did, I'm not sure it would work because even when you KNOW everything is off, it still doesn't work.

 

[Eug]

So after a day of no green texts from her brother (despite his sending multiple), they started coming again. So this time the delay was "only" 1 day, although I've heard it can be weeks for other people.

 

[Eug]

Great. Now she's getting nothing from her brother. He's trying to send her texts and she's been getting nothing at all.

I just don't understand how Apple can screw this up so badly. Why the hell would iMessage continue to send iMessages when all the iDevices have iMessages shut off? It's been a day now, and his messages to her continue to disappear into never never land. No SMS fallback, just nothing.

This is just so fscking frustrating. This has got to be the worst implementation of a messaging system I have EVER seen. WTF?!?

It almost makes we wonder if iOS 8's + Yosemite's integration of SMS/MMS is so that they can "fix" the iMessage problem, without actually fixing it, because they don't have a clue how to fix iMessage.

Nope. I'm running iOS 8 and Yosemite now and in order to use integration of SMS/MMS, you MUST turn on iMessage. You cannot separate the two. This is so irritating.

I guess I'll just continue using SMS/MMS on the phone directly.

 

[el-Capitan]

OK, so this is a mess.


Now that i have iOS8 i cannot SMS my wife anymore (iOS7, iM enabled). It defaults to iM and says i have to enable iM to send an iM. But i do not what to enable iM. Just want to send an SMS/MMS.

Help?

 

[Eug]

Now that i have iOS8 i cannot SMS my wife anymore (iOS7, iM enabled). It defaults to iM and says i have to enable iM to send an iM. But i do not what to enable iM. Just want to send an SMS/MMS.

Try starting a new Message thread with iMessage off, but with specifically selecting her phone number in the contacts for the SMS. Usually should work, but no guarantees.

 

[el-Capitan]

Try starting a new Message thread with iMessage off, but with specifically selecting her phone number in the contacts for the SMS. Usually should work, but no guarantees.

This worked once. The first time. Now, when i start a new one and selecting her phone number, there is always a grey 'iMessage' in the textbox.

 

[el-Capitan]

Trying to make a Genius appt. but the website is not responding. I'm boiling!

 

[el-Capitan]

Disabled wife's iM. Now we can 'talk' again.

I'm sure this will creep up with others though. Why cant I just text? What is wrong with texting?

 

[Ichinisan]

Disabled wife's iM. Now we can 'talk' again.

I'm sure this will creep up with others though. Why cant I just text? What is wrong with texting?

FEES.

Why do you want to leave iMessage disabled? Any particular reason?

If I don't see "iMessage" in the box, I don't send a message.

1. I am morally opposed to the idea of paying for text messages (which only relieve traffic on the network versus a phone call, so the carriers should not charge for it)

2. I'm on an grandfathered unlimited data plan, so I don't plan to switch to a provider with unlimited texting any time soon.

3. There are lots of other people in my situation.

 

[el-Capitan]

So, turns out my rant was unjust.

My wife had disabled SMS/MMS on her phone. All now fixed.
Apple's support site was fine too, it was my extension Ghostery blocking it.

A friendly online chat with Apple sorted all out. Great service.

-

I don't use iMessage becasue i don't see reason to route my texts through Apple. Like everyone i know, i have an unlimited text plan. When i first tried it years ago there was problems with delivery, messages disappearing and general confusion in delivery between my ipad and iphone. I have left it silent since.

The only benefit i see is when texting abroad, but iPhones are less common in Europe and everyone seems to be using Whatsapp anyway.

 

[RampantAndroid]

So, turns out my rant was unjust.

My wife had disabled SMS/MMS on her phone. All now fixed.
Apple's support site was fine too, it was my extension Ghostery blocking it.

A friendly online chat with Apple sorted all out. Great service.

-

I don't use iMessage becasue i don't see reason to route my texts through Apple. Like everyone i know, i have an unlimited text plan. When i first tried it years ago there was problems with delivery, messages disappearing and general confusion in delivery between my ipad and iphone. I have left it silent since.

The only benefit i see is when texting abroad, but iPhones are less common in Europe and everyone seems to be using Whatsapp anyway.

imessage gives delivery confirmation, and if turned on, read receipts. I just wish imessage was cross platform.


As for Ghostery...I have it to. It's a neat idea, but it just is more of a pain because it blocks EVERYTHING under the sun.

 

[Eug]

The delivery receipts are unreliable.

I have had many iMessages with confirmed delivery receipts that just disappear into the ether.

I presume the read receipts are reliable though.

 

[Eug]

Well this is a HUGE iOS bug. If you have a previous iMessage thread, but you have turned off iMessage, in iOS 8 it actually refuses to let you send a text to the same person. The only option is iMessage, but if you try to send it it will fail, because iMessage is off.

 

[suklee]

Set up a new iPhone 6, but was not getting SMS messages from Authy.. then I remembered this thread Eug. Turned off iMessage on the old iPhone 5 and presto! SMS started coming in again immediately.

 

[smackababy]

I don't know if this is related, but when upgrading from my 5, Verizon decided to not give me a new sim and wanted me to reuse my old one (and didn't include a sim removal tool...) and I was looking for something to use. I was unable to send iMessages over Wifi without an active sim. It refused to send them as iMessage, even with SMS turned off.

Eventually found a toothpick and was able to change the sims and have had no problems since.