How to TOTALLY deactivate iMessage

Question

How to TOTALLY deactivate iMessage

I'm a huge Apple fan and I'm as big an iPhone fan. What I'm not is an iMessage fan. How can I completely disable iMessage on my Mac...and I mean TOTALLY disable it. Currently, every time I get a text message from my wife it goes to iMessage and NOT to my phone, which is not the behavior I want. I don't want little blue text message bubbles on my iPhone, I want green ones (true text messages). This used to work just fine, but all of a sudden reverted to receiving iMessages when she sends me a text and vice versa. Further, why does there have to be a tie between my mobile number and iMessage to begin with? What I do on my phone should have nothing to do with what I do on my Mac.

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion

Posted on Aug 8, 2013 5:23 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Matt Clifton

Level 7

29,975 points

Aug 8, 2013 6:35 PM in response to Larry McJunkin

Just sign out of iMessage in Messages. Go to Messages - Preferences - Accounts, and delete any "iMessage" accounts you see there.

You can delete the other accounts if you never want to use Messages.

The tie between phone number and iCloud account is optional. A lot of people like it. You can turn it off.

Matt

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Answer 2

Aug 8, 2013 8:05 PM in response to Matt Clifton

The only account listed was my iCloud account and it wouldn't let me completely remove it (the minus sign is grayed out). I just disabled the account and hopefully that will work. Thanks.

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Answer 3

kmoor1

Level 1

0 points

Nov 17, 2013 8:29 AM in response to Matt Clifton

How can I delete the phone number in accounts or change the phone number in accounts? The phone number is checked and it will not let me delete.

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