How to disable Text Message Forwarding between iPhone and iPad?

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Level 1

88 points

How to disable Text Message Forwarding between iPhone and iPad?

Hi,

I am trying to disable Text Message Forwarding between my iPhone 6S (iOS 10.0.1) and my 3rd generation iPad (iOS 9.3.5).

What I do on the iPhone:

1. Start the Settings app.

2. In Settings navigate to Messages > Text Message Forwarding.

3. Try to switch off "Richard's 3rd gen. iPad (iPad)".

What happens:

The item cannot be switched off.

What else I tried:

1. On the iPad disabling Settings > Messages > iMessage, then repeating the steps above. The result is the same.

2. Trying to switch off Text Message Forwarding between my iPhone 6S and my iPad Pro, which is running the same version of iOS (10.0.1). Same result.

Has anybody got this to work?

Thanks

iPhone 6s, iOS 10, iOS 10.0.1, 128 GB

Posted on Sep 16, 2016 11:46 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Richard Liu Author

Level 1

88 points

Sep 16, 2016 12:41 PM in response to Milestone777

Thanks. I'm now trying to turn iMessage back on on that iPad. Remember: one of the things I tried was turning Settings > Messages > iMessage off. In order to try what you suggest, I have to turn it back on. I have supplied my Apple ID and password twice, and both times I've received the message that the iMessage server cannot be contacted. One would have thought disabling Text Message Forwarding with the iPad would be as straight forward as enabling it.

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Answer 2

Sep 16, 2016 11:55 AM in response to Richard Liu

On the iPad you don't want text messages on, go to Settings>Messages>Send&Receive>Uncheck the phone number

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Answer 3

Sep 16, 2016 12:44 PM in response to Richard Liu

sign out of icloud completely on that iPad, then sign back in, check and see if iMessage is enabled after that

Settings>iCloud

Scroll down to sign out

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Answer 4

Richard Liu Author

Level 1

88 points

Sep 17, 2016 11:54 AM in response to Milestone777

Sorry to take so long getting back to you on this. Signing out of iCloud completely on the iPad caused the iPad entry in Text Message Forwarding on the iPhone to disappear. That's what I wanted in the first place, since I'm preparing to sell that iPad.

Now I have a related problem with the Text Message Forwarding on the same iPhone. It shows two devices with the same name, "RRL-MacBook Pro". A long time ago I had only one Apple laptop, a 17" one, so I named it that (without a "17"). And when I sold it and got another, it received the same name. At some point I needed something smaller and got a black MacBook, which became "RRL-MacBook". When I replaced it with a 13" MacBook Pro, I named the replacement "RRL-MacBookPro13". So now in the Text Message Forwarding list I see "Richard's iPad Pro", "RRL-MacBookPro13" and two "RRL-MacBook Pro" entries. Only the entry for the iPad Pro is on, yet on both Macs I can send and receive messages using Messages. Now I'm wondering, (a) how is that possible if I haven't enable text message forwarding for them on the iPhone, and (b) why two "RRL-MacBook Pro" entries.

I suspect iMessage is like an IMAP mail account in the iCloud, and there's a difference between sending a text message via SMS and sending it via iMessage. iMessage is for messaging among Apple ID's. If you don't have an Apple ID or aren't signed in, you can't receive of send iMessages, only SMS. Since all my devices are signed in, they're all able to iMessage. Is this how you understand iMessage vs. SMS?

So what's text message forwarding? Is for allowing a device that is running Messages and signed in with the same Apple ID as the iPhone to send and receive SMS's through the iPhone?

And what about the two RRL-MacBook Pro's? Might it be that I sold the previous 17" MacBook Pro without first deactivating iCloud. I don't think so. I usually erase the boot disk and install the most recent version of OS X possible. I suppose I could either sign out of iCloud on the only laptop with than name that I still own and see whether both entries disappear or just one, or assign a new name. At any rate, I wish I knew which course of action is less likely to "muck up" things. Do you have any thoughts on this?

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