You don't like iMessage because you don't get it. [iMessage FAQ]

[xAnthony]

Great first post! I'm in love with iMessage. It's absolutely amazing. I'm now able to contantly keep in touch with relatives in other Countries without worrying about long distance charges. We can have a normal texting conversation! I love it!

Apple has made messaging that much better!

 

[psywzrd]

Maybe I missed it but I have a question about imessages. If someone using an iphone 4 sends a text to me using my cell number (I'm also on an iphone 4 right now so I guess it would be sent as an imessage), will that text show up on my ipad as well? In other words, can I carry on an imessage conversation with someone using only my ipad as if it was my iphone 4 (or iphone 5 when it comes out😉)?

 

[xAnthony]

Maybe I missed it but I have a question about imessages. If someone using an iphone 4 sends a text to me using my cell number (I'm also on an iphone 4 right now so I guess it would be sent as an imessage), will that text show up on my ipad as well? In other words, can I carry on an imessage conversation with someone using only my ipad as if it was my iphone 4 (or iphone 5 when it comes out😉)?

Yup, as long as you're both on iOS 5. And as long as your devices are sync'd up.

 

[psywzrd]

Yup, as long as you're both on iOS 5. And as long as your devices are sync'd up. (Through iCloud)

When you say sync'd up I assume you're referring to using icloud?

 

[FSMBP]

Yes.

Settings>Messages>
iMessage slider...Off

Interestingly, you can also choose to turn off SMS & strictly message with iMessage. Though that is not a smart idea, but makes you think why Apple allows that.

 

[mtnDewFTW]

I have two questions that have been on my mind since I heard about this whole thing. Lets say I'm on my iPhone, and I'm texting my girlfriend who is also running iOS 5, and we're doing the whole iMessage thing. And lets say one of us looses reception, so no data, but I'm still able to connect to my network. Or lets say that my network connection is really slow. Would iMessage then switch to text message? I wanna know if there's a way to avoid iMessage in situations like that (not that they happen to often).

And also, since I also have an iPad, does that mean that when I'm iMessaging from my iPhone, my iPad at home will blow up with constant notifications? Or is there a way to turn it on or off?

 

[xAnthony]

When you say sync'd up I assume you're referring to using icloud?

That's what I've read, yeah. As long as the accounts are sync'd with iCloud it works.

Interestingly, you can also choose to turn off SMS & strictly message with iMessage. Though that is not a smart idea, but makes you think why Apple allows that.

That's actually quite smart of them. Say you travel, you won't have to worry about any long distance texting fees. And you'll still be able to iMessage over WiFi. I actually really like that.

I also know a few people who do not have a texting plan (They're older and do not text) but this way they'll still be able to iMessage without having to worry about getting charged for SMS fees. I really like how Apple did this.

 

[Reach9]

I don't get it, who wouldn't like iMessage? It's one of the best features of iOS 5! I know lots of BlackBerry users will be making the switch!

 

[soamx]

I don't like that it's integrated into the SMS app.

I wanted it to be like BBM, a standalone app.

Also don't like that it chooses when to send iMessages for me. I want control over when I'm sending an iMessage.

There are a lot of people who are not fortunate enough to have unlimited data(it's not even offered anymore) however, pretty much everyone has unlimited SMS.

Do you think those people are going to be happy when they are being charged for Data rather than SMS, which they have an unlimited amount of?

I was really excited about iMessage before, but after getting to use it, i'm pretty bleh about it.

So far I've been able to message other phones that have ios 5 by using their cel phone #. But what about iPad/iTouch users, what code can I use to imessage them?

 

[Bobby Corwen]

wait who even initially said they dont like iMessage? lol

 

[Reach9]

I don't like that it's integrated into the SMS app.

I wanted it to be like BBM, a standalone app.

Also don't like that it chooses when to send iMessages for me. I want control over when I'm sending an iMessage.

There are a lot of people who are not fortunate enough to have unlimited data(it's not even offered anymore) however, pretty much everyone has unlimited SMS.

Do you think those people are going to be happy when they are being charged for Data rather than SMS, which they have an unlimited amount of?

I was really excited about iMessage before, but after getting to use it, i'm pretty bleh about it.

So far I've been able to message other phones that have ios 5 by using their cel phone #. But what about iPad/iTouch users, what code can I use to imessage them?

I don't think a couple KBs will kill your data. I believe you can turn iMessage off as well.

 

[soamx]

I realize sms text's aren't very much data, and this doesn't affect me at all because I have an unlimited data plan.
I'm more concerned about those without unlimited data plans who are sending thousands of texts, and unknowingly racking up charges thinking they are safe because they have Unlimited SMS in their plan.

 

[outphase]

Do you think those people are going to be happy when they are being charged for Data rather than SMS, which they have an unlimited amount of?

1 SMS is 140 bytes. Suppose that is grossly overstated to be 1KB with overhead, etc. as an iMessage. Suppose they send 10000 messages via iMessage in a billing cycle, that would be about 9.77 MB. I would hardly say that would break anyone's capped data plan.

 

[iPhone4UK]

Quick question..I have iPhone 4 and iPad. I'm guessing by logging in using apple ID on iPad will mean it will receive imessages? Also if I've read a message on my phone it won't be unread on my iPad?

 

[xAnthony]

I don't like that it's integrated into the SMS app.

I wanted it to be like BBM, a standalone app.

Also don't like that it chooses when to send iMessages for me. I want control over when I'm sending an iMessage.

There are a lot of people who are not fortunate enough to have unlimited data(it's not even offered anymore) however, pretty much everyone has unlimited SMS.

Do you think those people are going to be happy when they are being charged for Data rather than SMS, which they have an unlimited amount of?

I was really excited about iMessage before, but after getting to use it, i'm pretty bleh about it.

So far I've been able to message other phones that have ios 5 by using their cel phone #. But what about iPad/iTouch users, what code can I use to imessage them?

I have a 500 MB data plan and I use Whatapp to no end. On average, 3,000-4,000 messages a month. (A lot of picture/video messaging also) I've never experienced any data problems, and I actually don't even use 50% of my monthly data. I normally use about 200MB a month. Whatapp uses just a few MB each month.

And to message iPod Touch/iPad users, you use their email.

I don't really see how you can't be excited about it. It's amazing. It's basically like BBM except it's built into the messaging app. (Which is better. I wouldn't want two messaging icons and have to worry about finding out which message came from where)

I'm actually thinking about lowering my texting plan. I won't need unlimited texting, and I could save about $10 a month.

 

[JCCL]

Dude I get your post, but I can't like iMessage a lot because around 70% of my friends don't have an iPhone, but have Whats App in BB or Android, therefore iMessage is no use for me with them.
I understand I could sent text messages, but really that is no good because for me because I have to pay for every message, while I have unlimited data.
Any messaging tool that is limited to one platform is DOA, at least for me. Blackberry succeded with BBM, but at the time, there was not really as much smartphone offer as there is today.

 

[tigress666]

That's what I've read, yeah. As long as the accounts are sync'd with iCloud it works.



That's actually quite smart of them. Say you travel, you won't have to worry about any long distance texting fees. And you'll still be able to iMessage over WiFi. I actually really like that.

I also know a few people who do not have a texting plan (They're older and do not text) but this way they'll still be able to iMessage without having to worry about getting charged for SMS fees. I really like how Apple did this.

I agree. I do not have texting cause it is just not worth what they ask for it and if this is true it sounds like it means I can use it to refuse texts that will cost me (without flat out banning all texting which is the only way to make sure people don't cost you money by texting you).

 

[rdowty]

iMessage is a great feature to have but the con is like facetime, you only can use it with other iOS 5 devices. Like it or not, we all have friends with WP7 or Android and what not and we cannot connect with them this way.

The simple solution to that is to get cooler friends.

 

[M-5]

Since it works on iPads and iPod touched as well, how would one contact them since they might not have an iPhone to associate a number to?

 

[shandyman]

Since it works on iPads and iPod touched as well, how would one contact them since they might not have an iPhone to associate a number to?

it does it via email. and iphone you can choose to have it recognise you by either email or phone number or both. Which facetime now does on the iPhone too as it was just phone number only before.

 

[FSMBP]

wait who even initially said they dont like iMessage? lol

Well, I just read the comments in MacRumors frontpage article "Walkthrough Apple's iMessages..." There was so much misinformation/lack of knowledge about iMessage that I wanted to make a FAQ.

It was just filled with ignorant negativity about iMessage...

 

[Daveoc64]

I don't like that it's integrated into the SMS app.

I wanted it to be like BBM, a standalone app.

Also don't like that it chooses when to send iMessages for me. I want control over when I'm sending an iMessage.

There are a lot of people who are not fortunate enough to have unlimited data(it's not even offered anymore) however, pretty much everyone has unlimited SMS.

Do you think those people are going to be happy when they are being charged for Data rather than SMS, which they have an unlimited amount of?

I was really excited about iMessage before, but after getting to use it, i'm pretty bleh about it.

So far I've been able to message other phones that have ios 5 by using their cel phone #. But what about iPad/iTouch users, what code can I use to imessage them?

That's my biggest problem with this.

I have unlimited texts and it's illegal to charge someone in the EU to receive a message (even when they're roaming), so it's not going to save me money to use this service. I think there are too many situations where iMessage would fall down (because a data connection isn't available, but that the sender of the message is unaware of that) when a plain old SMS is much better.

Obviously the features relating to knowing when a message has been read are a benefit over SMS, but they aren't worth the risk of losing messages IMO.

I'd like to use iMessage, but only for people who have an iPad or iPod touch.

 

[shandyman]

That's my biggest problem with this.

I have unlimited texts and it's illegal to charge someone in the EU to receive a message (even when they're roaming), so it's not going to save me money to use this service. I think there are too many situations where iMessage would fall down (because a data connection isn't available, but that the sender of the message is unaware of that) when a plain old SMS is much better.

Obviously the features relating to knowing when a message has been read are a benefit over SMS, but they aren't worth the risk of losing messages IMO.

I'd like to use iMessage, but only for people who have an iPad or iPod touch.

IMessage works all the way down to GPRS, it's rare that you're anywhere without a data connection. iMessage apparently will send it as an SMS off the person has no data connection, so that's part of your problem solved.

If you don't want to use iMessage then dont enable it, it's off by default.

 

[Daveoc64]

IMessage works all the way down to GPRS, it's rare that you're anywhere without a data connection.

I know of several places where the signal is too weak for a data connection, but strong enough to send (and receive) SMS.

iMessage apparently will send it as an SMS off the person has no data connection, so that's part of your problem solved.

I've heard that too, but I can't see how this will work in reality.

It'd have to work like this:

1) You go to Messages and type a recipient's name
2) The Messages App contacts the device of the recipient and checks whether it's connected or not
3) The recipient's device responds (or doesn't)
4) The phone then decides how to send the message.

That sounds horribly unreliable, and complete overkill for sending a text message. I could send a message to someone within the time it would take for that to happen (I often text something like "Ok" to someone).

I've seen how long it takes iOS to work out whether the recipient supports iMessage - it's a noticeable delay.

If you don't want to use iMessage then dont enable it, it's off by default.

I have already disabled iMessage.

 

[FSMBP]

I know of several places where the signal is too weak for a data connection, but strong enough to send (and receive) SMS.



I've heard that too, but I can't see how this will work in reality.

It'd have to work like this:

1) You go to Messages and type a recipient's name
2) The Messages App contacts the device of the recipient and checks whether it's connected or not
3) The recipient's device responds (or doesn't)
4) The phone then decides how to send the message.

That sounds horribly unreliable, and complete overkill for sending a text message. I could send a message to someone within the time it would take for that to happen (I often text something like "Ok" to someone).

I've seen how long it takes iOS to work out whether the recipient supports iMessage - it's a noticeable delay.



I have already disabled iMessage.

You do realize those steps you listed are all seamless. There is no difference in timing to send a current text now as with iOS 5.

It's not like it constantly checks - it remembers which friends have iOS 5/iMessage.