iMessage with two iPhones and one Apple ID

[BWThorp]

My wife and I both have iPhones with iOS5 installed (her a 3GS and me a 4). In order to share apps and music, we both use my apple ID. However, when I try to text her phone, it shows text message the whole time. If she tries to text me, she is able to send an iMessage, which I can then respond to. If I try to send to other users that are on iOS5, I am able to send an iMessage.

Has anyone seen this problem and found a workaround? I have tried turning iMessage on and off, resetting the phone and nothing changes. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[WordMasterRice]

My wife and I both have iPhones with iOS5 installed (her a 3GS and me a 4). In order to share apps and music, we both use my apple ID. However, when I try to text her phone, it shows text message the whole time. If she tries to text me, she is able to send an iMessage, which I can then respond to. If I try to send to other users that are on iOS5, I am able to send an iMessage.

Has anyone seen this problem and found a workaround? I have tried turning iMessage on and off, resetting the phone and nothing changes. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

There are literally hundreds of threads on this exact subject. Some with the same exact thread title.

The work around is use 2 ID's

 

[aristobrat]

In order to share apps and music, we both use my apple ID.

Adding to what WordMasterRice said, remember that you can use different Apple IDs at the same time for iTunes Store and iCloud.

You guys can continue to both stay logged into the iTunes/App Stores using your Apple ID (so you can share apps/music), however it's probably best that she logs into iCloud with her own unique Apple ID.

 

[sdse78]

There are literally hundreds of threads on this exact subject. Some with the same exact thread title.

The work around is use 2 ID's

Can you show me a thread that will remedy the problem? My wife and I have the same issue with ours. She is unable to do anything with iTunes on her phone as well as purchasing apps.

 

[jmmo20]

the other work-around is not to use apple IDs at all with iMessage.
it works just by registering your phone number.

If you then add your apple ID, you can be reached both at your phone number and email address, but it's not compulsory. Same goes for Facetime.

 

[dan8379]

the other work-around is not to use apple IDs at all with iMessage.

I guess I'm confused here....my wife and I have the exact same situation as the OP....2 iphones, 1 shared Apple ID. We have no problem texting with imessage, but we just send the old fashioned way, with phone #'s. I don't even know how to text with an apple ID. Using phone # to text should cause any problems, right?

 

[Mr Kram]

I guess I'm confused here....my wife and I have the exact same situation as the OP....2 iphones, 1 shared Apple ID. We have no problem texting with imessage, but we just send the old fashioned way, with phone #'s. I don't even know how to text with an apple ID. Using phone # to text should cause any problems, right?

yes, if you're texting each other. but if someone else, with an iPod tries to text by email, then there would be a problem.

 

[outphase]

Just create an Apple ID for your wife's device just for iMessages. It's separate from the Store.

 

[dan8379]

Can someone clarify this for me? My message settings say "Receive at 2 addresses" and has my apple ID (e-mail address listed). But I don't get imessages sent to my e-mail address, only to my phone # as a text. How does this work? If I wanted to get a copy to my e-mail address what would I do? Sorry, just trying to figure all this out. Thanks.

 

[TLewis]

Can someone clarify this for me? My message settings say "Receive at 2 addresses" and has my apple ID (e-mail address listed). But I don't get imessages sent to my e-mail address, only to my phone # as a text. How does this work? If I wanted to get a copy to my e-mail address what would I do? Sorry, just trying to figure all this out. Thanks.

No, the "e-mail address" is simply a sequence of characters that (hopefully uniquely) identifies you. That's it -- iMessages are NEVER sent to your email address. Your address is simply used to identify you, and sending iMessages to your email address means, "Send an iMessage to so-and-so"; it does NOT mean, "Send an email to so-and-so." An iMessage is much like a text message, and is NOT an email message.

There is currently no way to have an iMessage sent as an email message.

To quickly answer the other questions:

• Next time, do a search. This is one of those questions that's been beat to death.
• You can share Apple ID's for purchases. That's not a problem, unless you hit the 10-device limit.
• Each person should get their own iCloud ID. (Yes, you can do this while still using the same Apple ID for the Apple store.)
• Set your iMessage caller ID: http://lifehacker.com/5849916/the-ins-and-outs-of-using-imessage-on-multiple-devices

 

[Savage10]

One Apple ID for multiple iPhones

Yes you can! Just go to Settings -- Messages -- Send & Receive and make sure there's only one phone number. With the latest iPhone update, it added my phone number and my son's phone number on his phone, so he was seeing all of my texts (as we share my Apple ID). Since I removed my number from his phone, this issue has been fixed.