Possible Flaw in iMessage?

[Greg M]

An iPhone sees that the text is going to another iPhone and automatically sends it as an iMessage instead of a text. What happens if the receiving iPhone has reached it's data limit for the month?

Will that iMessage push them into overage charges?
This would be bad especially if the receiving iPhone has unlimited texting and only limited data.

Will that iMessage just vanish?
Some have limits on data that when reached the data just shuts off instead of going into an overage charge.

If this is the case, is there a way to shut off iMessage?
I can see where some people with an iPhone wouldn't want to receive iMessages. One would be someone who does a lot of texting to other iPhone users and has unlimited texting with very limited data available to them.

 

[FrankieG889D]

You can turn it off in Settings.

 

[unlimitedx]

considering a text message is only several kb each, you'd need to be right on that limit for texting to cause the overage.

 

[Greg M]

You can turn it off in Settings.

So when iMessage looks for a compatible device it's actually looking for a device that has iMessage turned on?

If so then that's great. I couldn't believe if what I was asking was true that it would has slipped by those smart people in Apple's design department.

 

[profets]

I've run into a few hiccups with it... One that keeps happening is when I send a message to a number that was once activated with iMessage.. My iPhone attempts to send it as iMessage but the recipient is no longer using iMessage so it sits at my end and never gets delivered. I always manually resend as text message.

 

[jshbckr]

So when iMessage looks for a compatible device it's actually looking for a device that has iMessage turned on?

If so then that's great. I couldn't believe if what I was asking was true that it would has slipped by those smart people in Apple's design department.

I think your concern is kind of a wash... if someone is THAT close to going over their data, they'd probably shut off the cell data portion of their phone, which means the iMessage wouldn't be delivered. Then the sender would see a "Failure to Send" message and could resend as a text.

And like others said, iMessages would be very small.

 

[PhoneI]

I've run into a few hiccups with it... One that keeps happening is when I send a message to a number that was once activated with iMessage.. My iPhone attempts to send it as iMessage but the recipient is no longer using iMessage so it sits at my end and never gets delivered. I always manually resend as text message.

delete the iMessage thread and create a new one.

 

[EmbraceTheOne]

Good thing I have 2GB data, And Unlimited texting.

 

[AFPoster]

Good thing I have 2GB data, And Unlimited texting.

+1 -- you won't have to worry if you have this.

 

[FrankieG889D]

So when iMessage looks for a compatible device it's actually looking for a device that has iMessage turned on?

Yes, when you select the contact you want to text, I'm pretty sure that the loading symbol pops up to the right of the name for a half a second. (The contact is green then turns to blue when it finds out it's an iOS device with iMessage)

 

[gloss]

I don't think it'll be an issue. These things are well under a 1KB per. Texts clock in at only a couple of hundred bytes.

 

[kevintech]

Good thing I have 2GB data, And Unlimited texting.

What if you have unlimited data? Will it be an issue?

 

[steve dave]

+1 -- you won't have to worry if you have this.

I am pretty sure this would be the situation in which you would have to worry about this scenario.

 

[FSMBP]

considering a text message is only several kb each, you'd need to be right on that limit for texting to cause the overage.

A text is not even a couple KB. A couple months ago, I calculated that if you sent 20,000 iMessages (around 160 characters in length), it wouldn't be more than 15MB. And that is being conservative considering often times people send messages like "ok" or "yes".

So, iMessage could push you in to overage - but it's unlikely that was the sole reason.

 

[fjrabon]

What if you have unlimited data? Will it be an issue?

if you've used so much that your speed is being throttled, it might take 4 seconds instead of 2. Which would totally suck.

 

[brholton]

Actually I have iMessage and have a few friends who had iOS 5 and down graded back to iOS4, it tries to send it to them as an iMessage and when it doesn't go through it automatically changes it to a text message and sends it.

 

[fjrabon]

A text is not even a couple KB. A couple months ago, I calculated that if you sent 20,000 iMessages (around 160 character's in length), it wouldn't be more than 15MB. And that is being conservative considering often times people send messages like "ok" or "yes".

So, iMessage could push you in to overage - but it's unlikely that was the sole reason.

well, technically you can send unlimitedly large messages and pictures via iMessage, right? For all the ones that are taking place of texts, true. However, you can, I believe, actually send very large pictures through iMessage as well. And, in theory, you can send the entire text of war and peace as one iMessage.

But yeah, I get what you're saying.

 

[FSMBP]

well, technically you can send unlimitedly large messages and pictures via iMessage, right? For all the ones that are taking place of texts, true. However, you can, I believe, actually send very large pictures through iMessage as well. And, in theory, you can send the entire text of war and peace as one iMessage.

But yeah, I get what you're saying.

Let's not forget that you can use it on Wifi.

 

[steve dave]

Oops

 

[parseckadet]

Let's not forget that you can use it on Wifi.

And other iOS devices such as the iPad and iPod Touch. In this case, if you sent a message to someone who turned off iMessage on their phone, but not these other devices, the message will still be sent as an iMessage. They just won't get it on their phone. That can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.

 

[jkozlow3]

Has anyone tested iMessage with Verizon yet while on a call and not on wifi?

For example, you're on a Verizon iPhone and on a phone call. You've previously used iMessage, so the the sender's iOS 5 iPhone attempts to send the message as an iMessage. You cannot receive data while on a call, so does the system automatically recognize this when the message doesn't go through and send the message as a text instead? If so, how long is the delay before this happens?

If not, I will be turning iMessage off providing that's an option. I think someone said it could be disabled, right?

 

[MindlessJD]

And other iOS devices such as the iPad and iPod Touch. In this case, if you sent a message to someone who turned off iMessage on their phone, but not these other devices, the message will still be sent as an iMessage. They just won't get it on their phone. That can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.

That is only if you send the iMessage to their email address. If you send it to their mobile number, your iPhone will see iMessage is not active for that number and send a text instead.

 

[outphase]

Actually I have iMessage and have a few friends who had iOS 5 and down graded back to iOS4, it tries to send it to them as an iMessage and when it doesn't go through it automatically changes it to a text message and sends it.

After about 3 failed iMessage attempts, it'll default you back to SMS. At least it did when I tried to send 3 different iMessages to a friend that downgraded.