iMessage functionality when dual sim second line turned off

Question

iMessage functionality when dual sim second line turned off

I just registered a 2nd number on my iPhone 11 Pro Max so that I have a personal number and a work number. I want work calls and messages to only come through to my iPhone when I’m working. Therefore on days off, calls should divert to voicemail and messages wait until I’m back in work and then deliver to my iPhone.

The calling side of things works perfectly when I go to Settings>Mobile Data, select my “Work” line and turn it off but a strange thing happens with iMessages:

When my work line is off, others can send iMessages to my number (blue bubbles) and they don’t mark as delivered (as you’d expect) but when I turn my “work” line back on those messages don’t deliver to my iPhone and remain “undelivered” on the senders phone. If they send another iMessage once my “work” line is enabled it comes straight through but all the previous iMessages seem to be lost.

Is this expected behaviour? Has anyone else found the same happens to them?

I would expect that either my work number is deregistered from iMessage when I turn the line off meaning any attempts to message me would come as SMS (which is fine) or for the iMessage server to simply wait until my line comes back on again and then deliver the messages (which is ideal).

Any help or confirmation of similar behaviour anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.

iPhone 11 Pro Max

Posted on Dec 4, 2020 2:27 AM

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Answer 1

KMB_12

Community Specialist

Dec 9, 2020 7:49 PM in response to Ben Wakefield

Hi Ben Wakefield,

We understand you're looking to be able to easily switch numbers for both phone calls and messages, and we'll be happy to assist.

The following page offers guidance, including on how to switch numbers before sending a message: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM

Take care!

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Answer 2

Dec 12, 2020 3:18 PM in response to KMB_12

Hi Kareng12,

Thanks for your reply and I appreciate that you’ve pointed me to Apple Support site. Sadly its not switching numbers I’m interested in at all. Rest assured I’ve scoured the support site and been directed to this guide many times. I wish the guide was more helpful but at most it points to iMessage use in the following way only:

”You can use iMessage or SMS/MMS to send messages with either phone number. You can switch phone numbers before you send an iMessage or SMS/MMS message.”

The guide is fine for people that are happy to have their Work and Personal lines on all the time, but there are times I don’t want to be contacted by Work (I’m on holiday, don’t want contact over the weekend, etc) and I’d like to think there are others out there with the same idea.

Having a 2nd iPhone seems to be better than a single dual sim phone because if I turn a work phone off (or put it in Aeroplane mode) then any iMessage group chats (which my work uses a lot), FaceTime calls, etc that come through will arrive when the phone is switched back on again.

The only way to achieve the same effect as switching a separate phone off on a dual sim iPhone is to turn off the “Work Line” in settings but from what I can tell, any iMessages that are sent while the line is off are just lost, never to be seen again. A nightmare particularly as the senders will assume I’ve received them when I haven’t.

I’m really hoping this is something I’m doing wrong or something I can resolve but after hours with Apple Support to no avail (it seems no one I’ve spoken to has any experience of using dual sim functionality), I’m hoping someone here who uses dual sim can at least confirm their device behaves the same way and if not, perhaps we can work out together what might be wrong.

If it’s still unclear what I want from this setup, please let me know.

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Answer 3

raina_b22

Community Specialist

Dec 17, 2020 1:39 PM in response to Ben Wakefield

Thanks for getting back to us Ben,

We know you mentioned having already worked with Apple Support, we recommend continuing with them, as they'll be in the best position to assist further, or get you in touch with a more specialized team for assistance if necessary.

You can connect with Apple Support again from the following page: Contact Apple Support

Additionally, we're always interested in hearing about additional features and functionality you'd like to see in the future, and encourage you to share your input here: iPhone - Feedback

Cheers!

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iMessage functionality when dual sim second line turned off

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