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XS Max iMessage error: "Number not available. Which number would you like to send the message with?". I receive this error when sending a text that came in from another number when text forwarding is enabled.

I have two devices with two numbers sharing one iMessage.  When an SMS text is forwarded to the iPhone XS Max, the error is: 


Number not available. Which number would you like to send the message with?

Primary

Cancel


I can reply from the iPads and the X.  It's only the XS Max that gets this error.

iPhone XS Max

Posted on Nov 17, 2020 9:31 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 27, 2020 12:41 AM

We have several devices sharing different iCloud and iMessages and iTunes. The problem is on the XS Max. When a message is received from the other devices, the XS Max cannot return an SMS text using the alternate number. It gets an error. The error says “cannot send from this number. Must use your primary number.“ The primary number being the number of the XS Max, not the number that was texted by the incoming text. The iPad Gen3 is on the same iMessage ICloud ID as the XS Max. The iPad sends texts from the correct number (the originating incoming number). iMessages (blue texts) still work as normal. The problem is responding from a different number would cause confusion to the person texting the original number.

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 27, 2020 12:41 AM in response to jeremy_v

We have several devices sharing different iCloud and iMessages and iTunes. The problem is on the XS Max. When a message is received from the other devices, the XS Max cannot return an SMS text using the alternate number. It gets an error. The error says “cannot send from this number. Must use your primary number.“ The primary number being the number of the XS Max, not the number that was texted by the incoming text. The iPad Gen3 is on the same iMessage ICloud ID as the XS Max. The iPad sends texts from the correct number (the originating incoming number). iMessages (blue texts) still work as normal. The problem is responding from a different number would cause confusion to the person texting the original number.

Nov 25, 2020 11:28 AM in response to richardlight

Hi richardlight,


From your post, it sounds like you're having trouble with Messages on your iPhone XS Max. To confirm, this error appears when a message is received on the iPhone XS Max? Have you noticed any trends for when the issue occurs such as when sending a photo or a message with an effect? Which iOS version is the iPhone XS Max running?


All the best.

XS Max iMessage error: "Number not available. Which number would you like to send the message with?". I receive this error when sending a text that came in from another number when text forwarding is enabled.

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