How do I prevent SMS hijacking by Messages app on my iPhone?

Question

Level 1

0 points

How do I prevent SMS hijacking by Messages app on my iPhone?

I like texting (SMS) but I do not like the fact that the Messages app hijacks them and converts them to the apple type messages. This is particularly annoying now because my work number SIM has been moved to my work android phone. iPhone users who exchanged messages with me while it was in my iPhone are sending messages which are automatically sent as apple messages which then don't show up on the android.

This is becoming a real problem. I even missed a business meeting because of it.

How can I dissociate messages sent to this number from the apple environment so they don't get hijacked?

and how can I force my devices not to convert SMS messages into apple ones?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Removing Messages app

iPhone XS Max, iOS 18

Posted on Sep 10, 2025 3:01 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Mac Jim ID

Community+ 2026

Level 9

79,584 points

Sep 10, 2025 3:35 PM in response to TBlackthorne

If you had a phone number that was associated with an Apple device and transfer that number to an Android device, then you may have to deregister iMessage on that number here.

Deregister iMessage on your iPhone or online - Apple Support

Also note that iMessage allows sending a message to either an email address or a phone number, so if another user only has your email address, you will not get that message. They will have to add your phone number to their contacts in order to send SMS messages to your Android phone. SMS only allows you to receive a message sent to your phone number, not email address.

Reply

Answer 2

TBlackthorne Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 11, 2025 6:47 AM in response to Mac Jim ID

"a phone number that was associated with an Apple device"

It had always been in an Android device but one day the battery was spent and I needed to contact someone urgently so I flipped the SIM to an old iPhone, not realising that apple then appropriated the messaging protocols. Ever since then some messages have been undelivered to my android work phone and turned up on my non-work apple devices.

"...if another user only has your email address, you will not get that message." Not sure what you mean by this. If they are using iMessage to contact me, won't emails arrive as emails and SMSs arrive as SMSs?

Reply

How do I prevent SMS hijacking by Messages app on my iPhone?

Similar questions