Apple Enables Former iPhone Users to De-register from iMessage

iphone6-message-settingsApple has released a new tool for its iMessage app that should fix a long-running problem for former iPhone users who have switched to non-Apple phones.

The iMessage texting app which comes as standard on iPhones offers users many of the features commonly found in OTT messaging apps – users can see if the other party is typing, can copy the responses to other Apple devices, and, most importantly, if connected to a wi-fi network, can send messages over the Internet.

However, when an iPhone sends a message to a number still associated with iMessage that is no longer using the app (because the user has changed phones to an Android or Windows handset, for example), the message can get stuck trying to send it to the app on the old iPhone, resulting in a high number of undelivered texts.

While users who still had their iPhone were able to de-register using an option within the app, for users who no longer had their phones, or were changing handset due to a stolen or broken phone, there was no solution. However, Apple have now added an online tool that enables users to leave iMessage.

While the problem only affected a small number of users, Apple have faced considerable criticism about the issue, with some dissatisfied users even filing a class-action lawsuit over the frequency with which messages were lost in the system.