I think the reason people are getting such different circumstances is simply because theres so many, and on different carriers. I don't know if this will help anyone, but I just figured I would post what I really would have like to of just read. So, if someone else is in my shoes maybe this will help make iMessage make a little more sense.
I came to figure out my problem as I was discussing it with a less than knowledgable, but thats ok, he was extremely helpful in the end. Not to mention I called at 12:22 AM and was able to reach a real human voice that was the SAME human voice I was talking to when I had figured out my problem. Which is rare for AT&T.
Anyways...
I am on my parents family plan, and my brother is on my sisters family plan. All of which have iPhones (iPhone 3GS, 2 iPhone 4's, 2 iPhone 4S's). I was the first to get an iPhone back when the 2G was released and have been hooked since. My family soon following as most do. Since I have had the iPhone for so long, I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan still. As well as an unlimited sms/mms package. So, texting sms/mms, surfing the web and being carefree about data is great.
The rest of my family wasn't as quick to it and AT&T quickly quit offering their Unlimited Data plan and now offer iPhone Data plans in 300 MB ($20) and 3GB ($30) for sure referenced below. Again, some more circumstances come into play and it turns out my parents live in an absolute internet deadzone. Nothing faster than dial-up available. No cable for miles. With how many trees there are around here, satelite is far too pricey for how often it would go out. So AT&T's 3G towers were blazing fast to us, even on a slow day lol. I have since moved out and now have wireless internet at my house as well as full 3G signal, STILL GREAT. iOS5 came out along with the release of iMessage allowing you to sms/mms other idevices so long as they too were running at least iOS5 with iMessage activated. EVEN BETTER.
HERES WHERE THE TROUBLE STARTS
My penny pinching parents, as well as both siblings use third party apps to text and I am the only one left with an actual sms/mms plan. Further, AT&T offered my mom and my sister the same sms/mms message opt-out to prevent unwanted charges. Anyone with iMessage, they like to use the native SMS app. Anyone without, a third party app. Seems like way too much work, gotta pay to be lazy I suppose?
Tonight I sent text messages to both my parents and siblings all using iMessage, seperately. Regular text sending through and being received on all devices with no problem. I then sent an mms picture message to all of them. Out of the 4 (perfectly iMessage capable) devices, only my sister's iPhone received it. After sorting through some sites I came across a customer service number that could be reached 24/7 and decided to give it a shot. The poor guy didnt seem to really know much on the subject like I said, but A for effort lol. Where he did come in handy is making me think it out a bit more in depth until it became a bit more clear just how much all of these circumstances affected my situation, and maybe why so many people are having so many different issues with the same thing. I knew the problem wasnt on my end, it even said delivered and my sister even received the mms message just fine. Whereas my brother, mom, and dad didn't get a single pixel. The difference? Wi-Fi
As it turns out, iMessages CAN be sent over both the carrier and wi-fi just as Apple says it does. Which should mean they should receive sms and mms messages sent over iMessage using their data plans and 3G towers that are plenty capable no problems.. BUT iMessage can be used differently by different carriers. AT&T, along with their opt-out package, (surprisingly) chooses to protect it's customers from incurring data charges while receiving even iMessage MMS messages. Only allowing me to send through an MMS message, as well as it ACTUALLY being delivered to the recepient. Theres quite a bit at play here as if you are even still reading have found out. But I had to share in case it could help shed some light on others problems that are likely not exactly the same but could possibly help point you in the direction I was searching for AT LEAST 4 hours to eventually find out myself as I talk to some random agent at ridiculous working hours..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In short..
I have wireless access at home, unlimited data and sms/mms plan
The rest of my family does not, as well as an SMS/MMS Opt-Out package to block SMS/MMS messages.
SMS over iMessage works fine with all. Send an MMS picture message to them all, and only my sister gets it.
Just so happens she was somewhere at the time that offers free wireless internet and even with the exact same SMS/MMS Opt-Out as the rest... RECEIVED IT.
AT&T's Opt-Out Plan will block them until conected to a wi-fi access point to prevent unwanted charges. iMessage can deliver over both wi-fi and your carrier, but receiving it gets tricky with choose this opt-out and are not able to connect to wireless internet on a daily basis. A lot of problems I have seen fixed simply by resetting carrier settings. But in the end could just have to do with the fact the recipient is maybe not near wi-fi access. I am sure the problems vary user to user, carrier to carrier. But may have a similar solution. (besides not living in BFE.) Pretty long I know but I hope it helps someone!
Chapter 85
By the way, heres a link to iPhone plan costs by carrier I reference.
http://ipod.about.com/od/introductiontotheiphone/a/iphone_family.htm
And the directory I used to find AT&T Customer Support in 2 minutes, even at 12 AM ha
http://gethuman.com/contact/AT-T/
I came to figure out my problem as I was discussing it with a less than knowledgable, but thats ok, he was extremely helpful in the end. Not to mention I called at 12:22 AM and was able to reach a real human voice that was the SAME human voice I was talking to when I had figured out my problem. Which is rare for AT&T.
Anyways...
I am on my parents family plan, and my brother is on my sisters family plan. All of which have iPhones (iPhone 3GS, 2 iPhone 4's, 2 iPhone 4S's). I was the first to get an iPhone back when the 2G was released and have been hooked since. My family soon following as most do. Since I have had the iPhone for so long, I have a grandfathered unlimited data plan still. As well as an unlimited sms/mms package. So, texting sms/mms, surfing the web and being carefree about data is great.
The rest of my family wasn't as quick to it and AT&T quickly quit offering their Unlimited Data plan and now offer iPhone Data plans in 300 MB ($20) and 3GB ($30) for sure referenced below. Again, some more circumstances come into play and it turns out my parents live in an absolute internet deadzone. Nothing faster than dial-up available. No cable for miles. With how many trees there are around here, satelite is far too pricey for how often it would go out. So AT&T's 3G towers were blazing fast to us, even on a slow day lol. I have since moved out and now have wireless internet at my house as well as full 3G signal, STILL GREAT. iOS5 came out along with the release of iMessage allowing you to sms/mms other idevices so long as they too were running at least iOS5 with iMessage activated. EVEN BETTER.
HERES WHERE THE TROUBLE STARTS
My penny pinching parents, as well as both siblings use third party apps to text and I am the only one left with an actual sms/mms plan. Further, AT&T offered my mom and my sister the same sms/mms message opt-out to prevent unwanted charges. Anyone with iMessage, they like to use the native SMS app. Anyone without, a third party app. Seems like way too much work, gotta pay to be lazy I suppose?
Tonight I sent text messages to both my parents and siblings all using iMessage, seperately. Regular text sending through and being received on all devices with no problem. I then sent an mms picture message to all of them. Out of the 4 (perfectly iMessage capable) devices, only my sister's iPhone received it. After sorting through some sites I came across a customer service number that could be reached 24/7 and decided to give it a shot. The poor guy didnt seem to really know much on the subject like I said, but A for effort lol. Where he did come in handy is making me think it out a bit more in depth until it became a bit more clear just how much all of these circumstances affected my situation, and maybe why so many people are having so many different issues with the same thing. I knew the problem wasnt on my end, it even said delivered and my sister even received the mms message just fine. Whereas my brother, mom, and dad didn't get a single pixel. The difference? Wi-Fi
As it turns out, iMessages CAN be sent over both the carrier and wi-fi just as Apple says it does. Which should mean they should receive sms and mms messages sent over iMessage using their data plans and 3G towers that are plenty capable no problems.. BUT iMessage can be used differently by different carriers. AT&T, along with their opt-out package, (surprisingly) chooses to protect it's customers from incurring data charges while receiving even iMessage MMS messages. Only allowing me to send through an MMS message, as well as it ACTUALLY being delivered to the recepient. Theres quite a bit at play here as if you are even still reading have found out. But I had to share in case it could help shed some light on others problems that are likely not exactly the same but could possibly help point you in the direction I was searching for AT LEAST 4 hours to eventually find out myself as I talk to some random agent at ridiculous working hours..
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In short..
I have wireless access at home, unlimited data and sms/mms plan
The rest of my family does not, as well as an SMS/MMS Opt-Out package to block SMS/MMS messages.
SMS over iMessage works fine with all. Send an MMS picture message to them all, and only my sister gets it.
Just so happens she was somewhere at the time that offers free wireless internet and even with the exact same SMS/MMS Opt-Out as the rest... RECEIVED IT.
AT&T's Opt-Out Plan will block them until conected to a wi-fi access point to prevent unwanted charges. iMessage can deliver over both wi-fi and your carrier, but receiving it gets tricky with choose this opt-out and are not able to connect to wireless internet on a daily basis. A lot of problems I have seen fixed simply by resetting carrier settings. But in the end could just have to do with the fact the recipient is maybe not near wi-fi access. I am sure the problems vary user to user, carrier to carrier. But may have a similar solution. (besides not living in BFE.) Pretty long I know but I hope it helps someone!
Chapter 85
By the way, heres a link to iPhone plan costs by carrier I reference.
http://ipod.about.com/od/introductiontotheiphone/a/iphone_family.htm
And the directory I used to find AT&T Customer Support in 2 minutes, even at 12 AM ha
http://gethuman.com/contact/AT-T/