Can't deactivate iMessage after switching phones?

I just found this thread when having the same trouble. I actually only owned an iPhone 4 for 2 DAYS, but long enough to get stuck in the iMessage system …

I tried everything listed in this thread (up til about page 4, I think, so apologies if someone has already posted this solution), with no luck, until some mention of iCloud made me think to go find a way to log into my iCloud acount online and see what information was associated with my old phone there. I had not only activated iCloud, but also the Find My iPhone feature; not sure if maybe that's the X factor some some of us were experiencing that was making other solutions not work. I went to icloud.com, logged into my account, went to Find My iPhone. When I found the phone and the device details came up in the map interface, I chose Erase iPhone and confirmed. Voila. Please note that both of my iPhone using friends that successfully sent me text messages after this did turn their iPhones off and back on before trying.

I have the same problem as I have switched to an Android platform. However, I cannot use this solution as when I signed into my Apple ID, there are no products registered to the apple ID... So now what??? I am unable to recieve messages from my imessaging friends and they are not recieving my message.

I moved to a Nokia Windows Phone from a 4s about 3 weeks ago.

I traded in my iPhone for this new Nokia, while at Verizon, I factory reset my phone to remove personal/work information.

That same day, was still receiving text messages from my wife's iPhone 4s.

After that day, no further text messages from any user on an iDevice using iMessage.

48 hours ago, I removed my iPhone 4s from my iTunes account and my Apple profile.

30 minutes ago, I removed my iPhone from my iCloud account (did not Erase first 😟 ). Wish I found this post first to try to erase my iphone.

Still no new text messages coming in from random users at work using iMessage on their iDevices.

I am stuck in la-la land until Apple is able to do something or provide it's users with the ability to do something to dissassociate their old phone number with any iMessage services.

Apple, Please Help us here!

Add my name to the list of people who erased and traded in an iphone 4 without first deactivating imessage. I'm now stuck not being able to receive messages from anyone with an iphone. My number automatically reverts to imessage on everyone's iphones.

And to those of you who are replying to this thread saying, "I got it to work by going to my old iphone and disabling imessage" please just don't waste your time typing. We all know this works. The problem is persisting for those of us who no longer have access to our old phones. I've tried all of the suggestions on this thread...the support page, icloud, restarting my phone, etc.

Any new solutions that aren't listed.

Well, a solution, I think, has presented itself from support when I called Apple.

Called their support, and they acknowledged this is an issue.

FIX: Get into your apple account, and CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD.

Evidently, this triggers some things downstream like iMessage services to reset themselves.

10 minutes after doing this, I was receiving text messages from iDevice users, utilizing iMessage on their end.

They indicated it might be a full 24 hours before it goes into full effect, which makes sense if they have load-balanced their services on some sort of app fabric network with caching.

I'll follow up later if I have complete success.

FYI: there was news in the tech realm today ( http://twit.tv/show/tech-news-today/852 ) about Apple iMessage service having issues in general, especially if you've moved to iOS 7.

Makes sense now, that I was receiving texts from my wife's iPhone the first day I switched over, and the next day they just happened to rollout iOS 7 to the masses.

Let us know if you have success too....

Hi!

How has this worked out for you? I just tried to change my password aswell and hope that it helps 🙂

I just got a galaxy note 3 about 4 days ago. I didn't know I was supposed to turn off imessage. I am not receiving texts from my iphone friends. I have tried everything on here and wasted countless hours of my life trying to figure out how to figure it out. Apple has lost me as a future customer to any of their other products and I will not recommened them to anyone. Apple is dead.

Seriously. This thread is 2 years old and this **** is still a problem? How the **** could a company like this stay in business? Yes Apple, do I have your attention now? Does saying **** and inquiring about ways to get attention on your message boards get your attention? Wait...is there something in the "terms and conditions" that i signed and now will get arrested for? Yeah South Park is right. This is OBSURD. Something needs to be done LEGALLY about this.

Genius, Apple doesn't read these posts, just like you didn't read the forum ToU you agreed to when you joined. This is strictly user- to - user tech support.

This is not a problem for anyone capable of reading this thread (and many other sources), but after all, you didn't join this forum today and post your first here looking for any solutions. The only thing absurd is your ridiculous idle threats.

Just thought I would add my two cents ...

I got the new samsung galaxy note 3 and have had the same issues over the past week.

I tried the following solutions:

1. Turned off iMessages on old phone

2. Deactivated my iPhone from apple accounts

3. Deactivated my iPhone from iCloud

4. Deactivated my iPhone from iTunes

5. Changed my apple account password

None of the above worked by themselves but may have helped contribute to the final solution.

I finally spoke with an apple senior technition at length, and they were able to confirm that iMessages had been turned off on my old iPhone. Thus, the problem now was only with those wanting to text me who had (1) texted me in the past, and (2) had apple accounts. Once the iMessage feature on my old phone was confirmed to be off, they would receive an error message when trying to text me.

The technition advised me that at this point the following needs to happen: these people need to delete our text conversation history and then turn their phone on and off. At that point, their phone would no longer automatically send iMessages, but would send the messages as SMS.

AND THIS WORKED.

Incredibly frustrating to have to notify everyone that has ever texted me from an iDevice that they have to take these steps. But at least there is a solution.

Good luck to you all!

Similar story here. I did all of the things Pixie says above but it was only after my friends with iphones restarted their devices that the problem was resolved. I had also had them recreate my contact and relog into icloud as well, though I imagine these were not necessary based on what Pixie has said. I don't hate apple for this problem, but I do have to say that I am very happy that I transitioned to a Jelly Bean device.

My Fiancee and I just figured out how to fix this! You don't have to do ANY of the above! However you do have to have everyone that texts you from an IPhone do the following:

In their phones, in their contact for you they need to change the phone type for your number to : MOBILE.

WALLA! It works. I am having all my contacts do this and I am getting messages right away!

APPLE *****, PS 🙂

After unregistering your iphone from the Apple Support page, everyone who has texted you in the past using iMessage needs to reboot their phones. Unbelieveable. This is the only way they can text you without receiving an error.

Shutting off iMessages works but I want to still use my phone as an iPod. so, from now until the end of time, my apple id seems to be tied to my phone number. So, I guess it is an iPod (minus the messaging feature)...whatever.

omg you wrote this in 2011 and its now 2013. lol but you know what? It still works!! yay thank you!!!