Apple Being Sued Over Phone-Switching iMessage Issue

[bigjnyc]

I switched from AOL Messenger to Yahoo Messenger. Those weasels at AOL didn't automatically forward messages sent to my name at AOL to my new messenger or email address...

Perhaps I should sue them too...

You know, because they deliberately swallowed up my messages...



I've helped 3 people switch over to non-iOS devices, warning them of this issue and going through the steps to turn off iMessage and whatnot. All three reported no trouble whatsoever months after the big switch. Only 2 of my friends have reported this behavior, but they too were shocked and had no idea what iMessage even was, clearly not being proactive and doing research before hopping out of the ecosystem.

But who cares, it will go to class action because everyone loves free money, it's fun to sue Apple, Apple will settle and implement another level of idiot proofing, then pay out $3.75 to those "poor affected souls".

edit, just to add a prediction...
6 months from now, once Apple has incorporated a "fix" for this "serious" issue, we'll start seeing complaints of iMessages no longer showing up on Macs and iPads following a switch to a different phone.



I'd seriously consider tossing some money into a betting pool for this.

analogies are not your strong suit my friend lol

 

[cube]

Why is it a problem? They are no longer an Apple customers with an iOS device using iMessage. Pretty clear cut to me.

The phone number is mine, not Apple's.

 

[kagharaht]

The phone number is mine, not Apple's.

You own that phone number? So after you stop paying your service from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or whatever you have, that number is yours to keep and no one else can use it?

 

[Mr Rabbit]

I've had this issue lots as I tend to change phones quite often.

It has nothing to do with android phones as such and can happen if you switch to any non iMessage compatible device wether that's the latest android or a 90's Nokia.

I've always got round it by signing out of iMessage on all devices associated with the phone number (Macs, iPads, iPhones) and leaving it disabled for a couple of hours.

Normally after this getting the wife to send another message will then mean it defaults to text message rather than iMessage.

Pfft, that's crazy talk! No way is this not Apple's fault!

analogies are not your strong suit my friend lol

But you get what I'm saying. I can't fathom being mad at a company for not automatically rolling messages sent to their proprietary messaging platform over to another platform. This is totally a case where Apple made iMessage far too seamless for the masses. Everyone in my family, most of the people I work with, etc had no clue as to why some messages were green and some were blue. Even after explaining it and sending them Apple KB's on iMessage they often still seem oblivious.

 

[TWSS37]

I see a lot of people throwing Android in here for some reason and it should be known that it is *any* device that a person switches to that's coming from an iPhone is impacted. So BB, Windows, Android, etc...

 

[cfedu]

Why is it a problem? They are no longer an Apple customers with an iOS device using iMessage. Pretty clear cut to me.

So if android prevented a person switching to iOS from making phone calls, would you be OK with that.

Im sorry that you ditched android, if you want to receive calls on your iOS device you will need to request a new number from your cell phone provider!!

 

[BruiserB]

just disable iMessage before switching!!

And if you forget to do this, there should just be a way to log into iCloud and disable a number associated with your account. I can't believe it would be that difficult for Apple to remove a number from it's database.

The bigger problem is probably when someone discontinues service on a number and never turns off iMessage. Then a new customer gets assigned that number later and if they have an Android phone, they end up not getting messages from people who try to text them because Apple's servers still think that number is on iMessage.

Maybe Apple should make iMessage "expire" if not used in 60 days and then have the iPhone "reactivate" it if the number is still associated with an iPhone.

 

[cube]

You own that phone number? So after you stop paying your service from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile or whatever you have, that number is yours to keep and no one else can use it?

When I switch provider I transfer my phone number.

 

[kagharaht]

So if android prevented a person switching to iOS from making phone calls, would you be OK with that.

Im sorry that you ditched android, if you want to receive calls on your iOS device you will need to request a new number from your cell phone provider!!

What does this have to do with making phone calls? Oh this must be a Straw Man argument.

----------

When I switch provider I transfer my phone number.

You didn't answer the question. You just proved my point about "owning a phone number".

 

[C DM]

Very stupid lawsuit. It's either a bug or an honest mistake.

The fact that it's been known about for so long and there's still no fix for it makes it far from stupid.

 

[alexrmc92]

I will agree that this is a problem, but people need to realize the difference between iMessages and Text Messages.

Apple is not preventing text messages from reaching any non-apple device, but rather it is the other devices that can not receive iMessages. iMessage is a system that routes messages over data, similarly to instant messaging. It has nothing to do with text messaging.

Now apple should have a way to remove numbers from iMessage so other iPhones will start sending standard text messages to that number rather than iMessages.

 

[FSMBP]

Why is it a problem? They are no longer an Apple customers with an iOS device using iMessage. Pretty clear cut to me.

You're not getting it...If I have an iPhone & other iPhones text me, it defaults to iMessage (which is fine). Now, after I switched to a Windows Phone, those other iPhones that text me, still go through as iMessages & since I don't have an iPhone, I don't receive those messages.


Due to this bug, people are not receiving their text messages because of Apple. This is clearly Apple's fault (additionally iMessage is opt-out, not opt-in).

 

[cube]

You didn't answer the question. You just proved my point about "owning a phone number".

If you prefer, I own the license to that phone number until I stop using it. Not Apple, not the operator.

 

[C DM]

Surely you would just remove the said iPhone from iCloud?

Unfortunately that "surely" isn't so sure as something of that nature doesn't seem to do the trick (at least for quite a few people).

 

[genovelle]

Only an Apple extreme fanatic would side with Apple on this. Period.

Fix it Apple.

If you honestly think this is user error, it's time to get your head out of the sand.


w00master

I just don't care..... If the smart people who convince them to switch to android including the reps at the carrier stores are so smart. They should know to turn off iMessage first. SMS is so limited it should be outlawed anyway. Good luck with long texts being turned into a bunch of texts.

 

[C DM]

wouldnt the real problem here be that the sender doesnt have the "send as SMS" option enabled in their message settings? Seems to me from the description of the problem the issue here is not the receiver but the sender.

The problem is that Apple tries to send a message as iMessage to begin with when that phone number is no longer associated with an Apple device.

 

[jeremysteele]

Only in the US you could actually win a retarded case like this.

How's it "retarded" (immature use of words)? The average consumer will have no clue how to prevent this issue, and most of Apple's support is clueless about it.

Not every lawsuit is bad.

I know quite a few people who have been affected by it, in some very negative ways.

 

[C DM]

I just don't care..... If the smart people who convince them to switch to android including the reps at the carrier stores are so smart. They should know to turn off iMessage first. SMS is so limited it should be outlawed anyway. Good luck with long texts being turned into a bunch of texts.

Except that turning off iMessage doesn't seem to do the trick for quite a few people. So, yeah.

 

[gotluck]

I just don't care..... If the smart people who convince them to switch to android including the reps at the carrier stores are so smart. They should know to turn off iMessage first. SMS is so limited it should be outlawed anyway. Good luck with long texts being turned into a bunch of texts.

Lol like having the texts segmented really matters... That page break is brutal!

 

[Georgij]

Easy solution that Apple can implement:
When you have written the message you can hold the 'Send' button for 1 second and the option pops up 'Send as SMS'.

 

[kagharaht]

If you prefer, I own the license to that phone number until I stop using it. Not Apple, not the operator.

So now you will imply that everyone also owns that phone number just like you. With a "license" to actually own a phone number outright. Even if you cancel your payments on providers and never use a cell phone again. You can transfer that to your landline because you "own a license" for that phone number. So everyone just go buy your license and you can justify this lawsuit as valid. lol People are just lazy ( because this is easily resolved ) or part of the "entitled" generation.

 

[Ries]

How is this a problem for Apple? iPhone users can always see if a message is not sent and can resend as SMS.

ALL iOS users (including senders and receivers) have the option to turn off iMessage.

Because they get received by the person you sold the phone to or the person who got your old number....

 

[cube]

So now you will imply that everyone also owns that phone number just like you. With a "license" to actually own a phone number outright. Even if you cancel your payments on providers and never use a cell phone again. You can transfer that to your landline because you "own a license" for that phone number. So everyone just go buy your license and you can justify this lawsuit as valid. lol People are just lazy ( because this is easily resolved ) or part of the "entitled" generation.

The point is that the problem is not easily resolved.

 

[TWSS37]

Why is everyone posting these solutions or telling people to "turn off imessage" first? Every single person who has "THE FIX" is either proven wrong or don't understand what's occurring.

There are several variables, and no evidence as to the actual root cause yet. Ever think, for a second, that if your unemployed *** has THE ANSWER instead of highly paid and educated Apple engineers who, you know, built iMessage, that it might not be that simple?

 

[gotluck]

So now you will imply that everyone also owns that phone number just like you. With a "license" to actually own a phone number outright. Even if you cancel your payments on providers and never use a cell phone again. You can transfer that to your landline because you "own a license" for that phone number. So everyone just go buy your license and you can justify this lawsuit as valid. lol People are just lazy ( because this is easily resolved ) or part of the "entitled" generation.

Are you serious? Carriers are not allowed to hold your number hostage, so why should Apple be allowed to?

The Same laws that effect number porting should apply here