Even though I deregistered my number a long time ago, I still sometimes get text messages via iMessage (on my iPad) instead of via SMS on my phone. People sending the messages think they are texting my phone number and don’t seem to have any way to stop it. Anyone else have this problem? It’s been going on for years and I wish there was a way to stop it.
iPad, iPadOS 16
Hello dtweney,
Since your number was deregistered, your iPad won't get messages unless one of three things is occurring.
2. Or you are forwarding Messages from your iPhone: Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support
3. The last possibility is your number wasn't de-reregistered properly? Deregister iMessage on your iPhone or online - Apple Support
Check all the settings for each, and then you will know which it is. If they are sending an iMessage using your Apple ID email address, not your phone number, you just need to sign out of Messages, or deactivate it, or tell them to delete that message thread, and start a new one with your phone number from now on.
Thanks.
Hello dtweney,
Since your number was deregistered, your iPad won't get messages unless one of three things is occurring.
2. Or you are forwarding Messages from your iPhone: Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad - Apple Support
3. The last possibility is your number wasn't de-reregistered properly? Deregister iMessage on your iPhone or online - Apple Support
Check all the settings for each, and then you will know which it is. If they are sending an iMessage using your Apple ID email address, not your phone number, you just need to sign out of Messages, or deactivate it, or tell them to delete that message thread, and start a new one with your phone number from now on.
Thanks.
Hey dtweney,
With all of that being the case, it's probably best to Get Support directly from Apple on this issue from here. They'll be able to dig a lot deeper.
Take care.
Thank you for your reply!
I can confirm that people are messaging my phone number, not my Apple ID - most of them don’t have the latter since I don’t use it or give it out.
I haven’t had an iPhone in years, so no forwarding is happening.
I went to deregister my phone number at the link you shared and got an error message saying the number isn’t in the database, so it has clearly been deregistered.
I even removed the phone number from my contact info in my Apple account.
I don’t know what to do about this… it’s as if my phone number is “stuck” somewhere in Apple’s universe.
Still getting iMessages even after deregistering my phone number
