Apple has introduced an online process for deregistering from its iMessage service if customers no longer have an iPhone.
The Apple iMessage service is an alternative to SMS text messaging and MMS picture messaging. It’s integrated into Apple’s Messaging app.
If the sender and receiver both have an iPhone, messages can be sent via WiFi or mobile data as an ‘iMessage’. However, if the message is being sent to a non-Apple device, it’ll be sent as either a conventional SMS or MMS message depending on the type of content.
Although users can choose to deactivate Apple iMessage from the settings on their iPhone, some people have been unable to switch iMessage off if they’ve removed their SIM card and have adopted a different smartphone platform (e.g. Android, BlackBerry or Windows Phone). This has resulted in messages from other iPhone users being ‘lost’, because they’ve been sent via iMessage.
Apple’s new online solution is at https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage. Customers who want to leave iMessage can now enter their mobile phone number, receive a confirmation code via SMS and enter that code into the website.
Alternatively, if they still have their iPhone, they can put their SIM card in it and go to Settings, followed by Messages, and then select the ‘off’ option for iMessage.