iMessage - Start New Conversations From..

[kolax]

Every time I update iOS, Apple really annoyingly change 'start new conversations' from my phone number to my @icloud email. Every bloody time!

Now, with iOS 7.1 (or 7.1.1) I have no option for new conversations to be started from my phone number, it only gives me the option of email addresses.

Apple really has made the biggest mistake with iMessage by letting people use email addresses, then forcing people to use them by default. I still have multiple conversations with the same people because of this.

Actually, seems I can no longer choose my phone number for iMessage on the Mac for new conversations. Argh!

 

[C DM]

Sounds like something is going on with your iCloud/Apple ID as far as it relates to iMessage than anything iOS specific necessarily (in particular since most aren't experiencing this either).

 

[kolax]

Ah what a faff this is. I changed my password couple weeks ago, and my phone required me to sign in again, which I did. So I assumed all was well.. but apparently not.

There seems to be a bug with iMessage that it didn't inherit my new iCloud password, so I had to sign in again under send/receive (twice - first time gave me an error that iMessage was unavailable, which then logged me out completely of iMessage and I had to activate again).

Think Apple needs to work harder with iCloud when someone changes their password.

 

[LordQ]

Every time I update iOS, Apple really annoyingly change 'start new conversations' from my phone number to my @icloud email. Every bloody time!

Now, with iOS 7.1 (or 7.1.1) I have no option for new conversations to be started from my phone number, it only gives me the option of email addresses.

Apple really has made the biggest mistake with iMessage by letting people use email addresses, then forcing people to use them by default. I still have multiple conversations with the same people because of this.

Actually, seems I can no longer choose my phone number for iMessage on the Mac for new conversations. Argh!

7.1.1 here and I can choose where to start conversations from. Maybe logging off your Apple ID and logging back may help?

 

[kolax]

I should've been clearer in my last post that the issue is resolved now. Thanks anyway!

 

[Eddieliucp]

Hi there could you please tell me how you fixed it!?

 

[kolax]

Hi there could you please tell me how you fixed it!?

I didn't make it clear it was the solution in my post, but this bit:

...so I had to sign in again under send/receive (twice - first time gave me an error that iMessage was unavailable, which then logged me out completely of iMessage and I had to activate again).

Once I activated again, it started working properly. The issue was to do with my password change, so I had to sign out/in of iCloud (twice) in the Messages app.