iMessage

Thanks so much for posting this, Eklab. I have 5 devices using the same apple ID.

To make it work, I had to do a slight variation:

Settings>Messages>Receive at>Apple ID – sign out.

Then choose Use your Apple ID for iMessage>sign in withusual>then it will ask for your email address – enter name@email.com.

Then go to that user's email adres and verify the link Apple just sent (or ask the user to do that, if you do not have access to their mailbox).

I did this for all members of the household, and even added 2nd email adresses for work. All working like a charm now!

I have an iPad2 running IOS5. The default Apple I'd is my mobile me email address.. Don't know how that Apple ID got into iMesage but since I never use mobile me email no one knows to contact me in iMessage through that address. I tried to change it to my iTunes ID which is my current Yahoo email address but iMessage won't let me do it. Keeps telling me that the ID is being used. Don't know why because I use both addresses in FaceTime without any problem. Tech support tells me I must change my APPLE ID IN ITunes to some other email address if I want to use that ID in iMessage. Tech support tells me I can do it without fear that anything will change in iTunes when I change my account ID. I don't believe it. I also find it hard to believe that an iTunes ID can't be used anywhere else. Any comments on this situation would be greatly appreciated. In addition I haven't moved from Mobile Me to the cloud.

How do you set up additional ***@.me.com acounts for the family so that each device recieves imessages for their device only?

I set up additional ***@me.com email aliases under my iCloud email account. You can set up three alias emails under your iCloud account and that is what I have used for each device I have so that iMessage can be used with one Apple ID.

How did you do that?

Can I set up aliases under my iClould emial account using my device or from my PC? What is the best method?

Sign in to your iCloud account from your PC. You cannot do it from your device. After you sign in click on the mail icon then in the upper right corner you will see a symbol that looks like a gear. Click that and select "preferences" then click the accounts tab and then you should be able to add email alias under your iCloud email.

The real answer is to turn off iMessages (Settings/Messages) on all phones. Read below.

My GF just updated to OS5 this afternoon. I sent her a text and my phone showed it in blue and indicated it was a iMessage. I had never seen this before. So I checked out iMessage online and see there are some negative comments. Particularly that once you're in, iMessage is messy to get out of. It's an attempt by Apple to route your SMS through their cloud I think and your normal SMS is messed up. So I turned it off in Settings/Messages.

THEN I called the GF to do some tests.

- I texted her it arrived pretty fast (iMessages off on my phone means it goes through as standard SMS)

- She texted me and it took about 6 minutes to get to my phone. Unacceptable. I think Apple stubbornly tries to send the message through iMessage (iCloud) and if it doen't go out then it sends it through SMS five minutes later

- I had her turn off iMessage at her phone. Another send from her and it goes through right away. Mine do too. All is well

I think that once an iMessage is sent and accepted then the two phones recognize each other as iMessage compatible and Apple tries to force you into using it.

Bottom line:

1) Turn off iMessage. Do it right away so others aren't hooked into this kooky business practice.

2) Tell your friends to do the same.