How to create a new iMessages from the iPhone?

Question

How to create a new iMessages from the iPhone?

Hi

ok i just setup my iPhone 4s, enabled successfully iMessage in the Messages setting and can even receive a

iMessage from the iPad of my Girlfriend and reply but ...

... when I try to start a new message I have no chance to enter an AppelID/Email.

If I type a name only phone numbers show up. If I try add one from my contacts, it doesn't show me any e-mail addresses, it shows again only phone numbers.

Even a manual input does not work, i am not allowed to enter the "@" symbol. (I just shows the simple number keyboard without any special characters).

In general, if I enter any text in the "To:" field it shows the green box and if I send something, it send a SMS and i get back a SMS from my provider saying he is not able to deliver the SMS. I even tried a trick by adding a shortcut for an e-mail under keyboards, but afterwards the "To:" line removed all to special characters and send an SMS again.

So at the moment I don't see a way to create a new iMessage in Messages.

Is something wrong in my setup?

Does somebody else has such a problem?

Is it a bug that it try to send SMS to a text phone number?

Thanks for reading ... 🙂

Steve

Posted on Nov 5, 2011 1:48 PM

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Answer 1

wjosten

Level 10

95,545 points

Nov 5, 2011 1:52 PM in response to stephan.zehrer

iMessage is seamless within the Messages app and works automatically as long as you are messaging another iOS 5 device, there isn’t a separate app or protocol to use, everything is done automatically.

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Answer 2

Nov 5, 2011 2:00 PM in response to wjosten

Yes you are right, but you have to add an iMessage receiver somehow.

But as I wrote, I can not add a email address to the "to:" line or select one from my contacts.

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Answer 3

wjosten

Level 10

95,545 points

Nov 5, 2011 2:09 PM in response to stephan.zehrer

The only email addresses you can iMessage are Apple ID's...do you have the proper Apple ID's listed in your contacts?

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Answer 4

Nov 6, 2011 1:38 AM in response to wjosten

Yes sure. As I wrote from the iPad to the iPhone it works, but from iPhone to iPad not.

The contacts of both devices have all the e-mail adresses, but I think the contacts doesn't matter.

On the iPad I am able to type in any e-mail address and it shows if this one works with iMessage or not. I expect the same behavior on the iPhone.

PS: how can i remove "Helpful Answer"? 🙂

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Answer 5

Dave Hutch

Level 4

1,497 points

Nov 6, 2011 3:00 AM in response to stephan.zehrer

Have you tried making sure that the settings on your phone are configured so that you are able to receive two addresses, one of them being your e-mail address?

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Answer 6

Nov 6, 2011 9:10 AM in response to Dave Hutch

On the iPhone? Yes. I think this is handled automatically as far as you enable iMessage in the Settings of Messages, it add automatically the Apple ID e-mail address. ( this is sometimes irritating cause is sounds so similar but means complete different things). But with receiving on the iPhone/iPad I have no problem. That works fine.

But sending a iMessage to an Apple ID only account (which you may have e.g. on a iPad) from the iPhone, that is the problem. Those accounts have no phone number and I can not enter e-mail address on the iPhone.

Is somebody else able to and if so how?

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Answer 7

Dave Hutch

Level 4

1,497 points

Nov 6, 2011 9:16 AM in response to stephan.zehrer

If I start a new iMessage on my iPhone 4 running iOS5, the list appears underneath as I type their name in. In the list are options for their phon number and also their e-mail address.

That's the same for a contact I have who doesn't own an iPhone. She only has an iPod

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Answer 8

Nov 6, 2011 11:26 AM in response to Dave Hutch

Ok whatever happend it worked as you described. But only for 2 messages and now it is as before and i did not change the configuration of my iPhone.

So i think it is a bug.

I just setup a test environment and created a new Appel ID, added it to the contacts and made some photos as a proof.

This is my contact entry on the iPhone:

This shows Messages if I select the contact in the "to:" line with the plus button

The only way to send an inital iMessage is to use the Message button in the Contacts.

But afterwards i can not send any further iMessages.

(i deleted on this the "test" message)

If I search for the contact, it doesn't show up

The same for John 🙂

Maybe it is related (but IMHO it should not) that the iPad and the iPhone use the same iCloud user and share therefore e.g. the Contacts.

thx

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