iMessage: when traveling abroad, no data, have local number - SMS or iMessage?

[striders]

I have iMessage on my iPhone 6+ and MacBook (Yosemite). In the US, if another iPhone user message me, I'll receive it as iMessage. If non-iPhone user does, I'll receive it as SMS (normal text). BOTH method will be received in the iPhone AND MacBook.

Now if I travel abroad, I usually get a local SIM card. Assuming it does not come with data but I'll have a local number. My questions are:

1). If a user (iPhone or not) in the local country message my local number, do I receive it as SMS?

2). If a user (iPhone) in the US message my local number, do I receive it as SMS?

3). Let's say now I have Wifi connection while traveling abroad but with the local SIM, hence I now have data connection. If I send a message to a local number OR US number, does it get send as SMS or iMessage?

4). Since now I have a local number, what happened if someone try to message my US number (iPhone user or not)? Will the message get delivered UNTIL I swap back the US SIM card?

Sorry for the detailed questions, but I want to make sure I can send and receive normal SMS message when I am using a local SIM in another country.

 

[Gav2k]

Let's make this simple.

Take your iPhone and turn iMessage off before you leave America. Pop in your local sim and just use it for standard sms.

With your MacBook connected to say hotel wifi you can iMessage.

 

[striders]

Let's make this simple.

Take your iPhone and turn iMessage off before you leave America. Pop in your local sim and just use it for standard sms.

With your MacBook connected to say hotel wifi you can iMessage.

If I turn off iMessage on my iPhone, my MacBook can receive iMessage by using the email address but NOT the US number. Is this correct?

Let's say I don't bring my MacBook (leave it in US) with iMessage still on there. iPhone's iMessage is OFF. What happen to the text or iMessage people sent to my US number? Will it just queued up until I turn it ON again in my iPhone?

 

[gordon1234]

If I turn off iMessage on my iPhone, my MacBook can receive iMessage by using the email address but NOT the US number. Is this correct?



Let's say I don't bring my MacBook (leave it in US) with iMessage still on there. iPhone's iMessage is OFF. What happen to the text or iMessage people sent to my US number? Will it just queued up until I turn it ON again in my iPhone?

Turning it off on your phone will prevent any messages from being sent to your number as iMessages, regardless of device. They will still be able to send messages to your email address.

 

[shenan1982]

Let's make this simple.

Take your iPhone and turn iMessage off before you leave America. Pop in your local sim and just use it for standard sms.

With your MacBook connected to say hotel wifi you can iMessage.

Awful, untrue advice. If you turn off iMessage on your iOS device, it disables receiving iMessages on all devices, so your advice is bad.

If you're going international and turn iMessage off... in most cases you won't be able to activate until you return to the US since it uses a short-code to re-activate which works almost nowhere internationally.

I'm abroad 2 weeks a month, so I've seen it all. If you just don't touch it and don't take out the sim it'll continue to work on wifi or cellular abroad just fine.

 

[C DM]

Awful, untrue advice. If you turn off iMessage on your iOS device, it disables receiving iMessages on all devices, so your advice is bad.

If you're going international and turn iMessage off... in most cases you won't be able to activate until you return to the US since it uses a short-code to re-activate which works almost nowhere internationally.

I'm abroad 2 weeks a month, so I've seen it all. If you just don't touch it and don't take out the sim it'll continue to work on wifi or cellular abroad just fine.

Why would turning it off on one device affect the others?

Also in what situations does the short-code apply, given that I've deactivated and activated iMessage a number of times across a few different devices and don't tecall a short code being used.

 

[mizxco]

To answer the OP's questions

If a user (iPhone or not) in the local country message my local number, do I receive it as SMS?
1. Yes, you will receive it as an SMS. If you turned on Text Message Forwarding, it may show up on your MacBook.

If a user (iPhone) in the US message my local number, do I receive it as SMS?
2. Yes and the sender will be sending an international SMS, subject to carrier fees.

Let's say I now have data connection. If I send a message, does it get send as SMS or iMessage?
3. A prompt will show when you insert a new SIM requesting to activate iMessage. If you tapped yes, you will communicate with your contacts via iMessage with your new local number. If you clicked no, you will be sending an SMS or international SMS to US numbers. However, if you signed in to iMessage with Apple ID, you can send iMessages whenever you have internet access regardless of which SIM you're using.

Since now I have a local number, what happened if someone try to message my US number (iPhone user or not)? Will the message get delivered UNTIL I swap back the US SIM card?
4. If you haven't turned off iMessage on your iPhone before replacing the SIM or disabled your number via the web portal, the sender may see 'sent' but the iMessage will not be delivered ever to any of your devices. If the sender decided to send an SMS, you will receive it when you insert the original SIM.

Sorry for the detailed questions
5. Don't be. Also, replacing the original SIM from your iPhone will remove the phone number on all iOS/OS X devices signed-in to the same Apple ID.

 

[C DM]

To answer the OP's questions

If a user (iPhone or not) in the local country message my local number, do I receive it as SMS?
1. Yes, you will receive it as an SMS. If you turned on Text Message Forwarding, it may show up on your MacBook.

If a user (iPhone) in the US message my local number, do I receive it as SMS?
2. Yes and the sender will be sending an international SMS, subject to carrier fees.

Let's say I now have data connection. If I send a message, does it get send as SMS or iMessage?
3. A prompt will show when you insert a new SIM requesting to activate iMessage. If you tapped yes, you will communicate with your contacts via iMessage with your new local number. If you clicked no, you will be sending an SMS or international SMS to US numbers. However, if you signed in to iMessage with Apple ID, you can send iMessages whenever you have internet access regardless of which SIM you're using.

Since now I have a local number, what happened if someone try to message my US number (iPhone user or not)? Will the message get delivered UNTIL I swap back the US SIM card?
4. If you haven't turned off iMessage on your iPhone before replacing the SIM or disabled your number via the web portal, the sender may see 'sent' but the iMessage will not be delivered ever to any of your devices. If the sender decided to send an SMS, you will receive it when you insert the original SIM.

Sorry for the detailed questions
5. Don't be. Also, replacing the original SIM from your iPhone will remove the phone number on all iOS/OS X devices signed-in to the same Apple ID.

I don't know, seems like in the thread at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1853125/ there's talk about still being able to receive iMessages after much delay.

 

[mizxco]

I don't know, seems like in the thread at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1853125/ there's talk about still being able to receive iMessages after much delay.

That is true, because there's still a push notification awaiting to be delivered. Eg I step on a plane, someone sends me an iMessage, once my phone comes back online, push notification reaches my phone. The devices also sync, turning on my old iPhone, they come back in batches and show as read.

However in OP's case, devices would have removed the original phone number when OP puts in a new SIM. Meaning none of the devices are registered to receive the push notification.

That's why you'd want to turn off iMessage, so when senders iMessage your old number, it will fail to send and they would try your Apple ID etc.

 

[Gav2k]

Awful, untrue advice. If you turn off iMessage on your iOS device, it disables receiving iMessages on all devices, so your advice is bad.

If you're going international and turn iMessage off... in most cases you won't be able to activate until you return to the US since it uses a short-code to re-activate which works almost nowhere internationally.

I'm abroad 2 weeks a month, so I've seen it all. If you just don't touch it and don't take out the sim it'll continue to work on wifi or cellular abroad just fine.

iMessage won't be disabled on his MacBook

 

[mizxco]

iMessage won't be disabled on his MacBook

You must be kidding me right

Try putting a new SIM in your phone and check if your old number still exists in iMessage settings.
Of course you can make it stay by going offline but no internet = no iMessage
and when it goes online, the phone number will be removed.

But of course, iMessage via Apple ID will continue to work but that's not the OP's question.

 

[Gav2k]

You must be kidding me right

Try putting a new SIM in your phone and check if your old number still exists in iMessage settings.
Of course you can make it stay by going offline but no internet = no iMessage
and when it goes online, the phone number will be removed.

Did I at any point and time say in my original post to the op that he will be messaging from his number?

 

[mizxco]

Did I at any point and time say in my original post to the op that he will be messaging from his number?

OP clearly asked about whether he can iMessage with his phone number or not and it sounds it that was his main concern; his own phone number as the caller ID.

If you want, you can also reply via email or fax a reply but that's not what he asked. People like you just shove your own methods down ppls throat. You can certainly suggest but please answer his question.

 

[shenan1982]

You must be kidding me right

Try putting a new SIM in your phone and check if your old number still exists in iMessage settings.
Of course you can make it stay by going offline but no internet = no iMessage
and when it goes online, the phone number will be removed.

But of course, iMessage via Apple ID will continue to work but that's not the OP's question.

Not sure why he's passing bad info. Let him learn the hard way then. I'd love to be able to have iMessage work after a sim is removed, but that's not the way it works. I know first hand because 2 weeks ago I was in an area where my phone had no roaming agreement so I bought a local sim and popped it in... my old # worked on iMessage for about 5 mins then poof, disappeared. Then when I got to an area where my roaming came back, the phone wouldn't reactivate cause it couldn't send out the activation text abroad, so I ended up not having iMessage till I returned to the states and reactivated it.

----------

Why would turning it off on one device affect the others?

Also in what situations does the short-code apply, given that I've deactivated and activated iMessage a number of times across a few different devices and don't tecall a short code being used.

Your PHONE is what controls the phone number on your iMessage. So if you turn on your phone in the US, it links that number to your iMessage, and adds it to any device (iPad, Macbook, etc) that is also linked to your Apple ID. If you turn off then on your Macbook, it doesn't send out the code, because the Apple ID has already been associated via the phone. But if you take the sim out of the phone and then put it back in, the devices can't reactivate the number, only the phone can, and then it has to "phone home" by sending that activation text to authenticate and re-add the number to your AppleID .... so until it can do that (which I've only seen happen when roaming in a couple european countries, otherwise, you have to wait till you're back in the US), none of your devices will have iMessage capability from that phone number.

However, some people use their email address\apple ID for their iMessages, in which case you can turn on and off on any phone or device at any time and send from that... but if you want to use your PHONE NUMBER to send\receive, then the above applies.

 

[mizxco]

I'd love to be able to have iMessage work after a sim is removed

That's why I love whatsapp!

It's always a nightmare having to worry about it. I've learnt using a hotspot device is the best way. Can you imagine the horror when someone sends you a text but you get nothing? especially work/urgent messages.

My carrier also charges every time you activate. I'm beginning to imsg via Apple ID to avoid this but it's hard when ppl only know your phone number.

----------

I've deactivated and activated iMessage a number of times across a few different devices and don't tecall a short code being used.

Your PHONE is what controls the phone number on your iMessage. It has to "phone home" by sending that activation text to authenticate

To add to that, the 'short code' is sent in the background. Similar to clicking on a link to confirm your email address when you enrolled on this forum; only the process is automatic and you won't notice it unless it's an international SMS and you get billed for it.

 

[shenan1982]

That's why I love whatsapp!

It's always a nightmare having to worry about it. I've learnt using a hotspot device is the best way. Can you imagine the horror when someone sends you a text but you get nothing? especially work/urgent messages.

My carrier also charges every time you activate. I'm beginning to imsg via Apple ID to avoid this but it's hard when ppl only know your phone number.

----------





To add to that, the 'short code' is sent in the background. Similar to clicking on a link to confirm your email address when you enrolled on this forum; only the process is automatic and you won't notice it unless it's an international SMS and you get billed for it.

Most roaming networks (except a few in the UK\Germany), don't even recognize the format the background text tries to use... so that's why the activation fails. This is 2015, why Apple doesn't convert to a method of the phone activating iMessage through the internet\data connection baffles me.

But yeah, WhatsApp, and others are growing in popularity in many parts of the world... which is why Apple needs to get on it with iMessage. iMessage just is so much more seamless than any third party messaging app, it's addictive, like BBM used to be 10 years ago when I had blackberry. LOL

 

[mizxco]

Most roaming networks (except a few in the UK\Germany), don't even recognize the format the background text tries to use... so that's why the activation fails. This is 2015, why Apple doesn't convert to a method of the phone activating iMessage through the internet\data connection baffles me.

But yeah, WhatsApp, and others are growing in popularity in many parts of the world... which is why Apple needs to get on it with iMessage. iMessage just is so much more seamless than any third party messaging app, it's addictive, like BBM used to be 10 years ago when I had blackberry. LOL

I agree but at the same time, I can't think of another 'user-friendly' to proof your phone number. Especially when there's so many disposable phone numbers out there.

Using Whatsapp's activation method, it's easy to 'spoof' a phone number, which can be dangerous since people are likely convinced by the default messaging app.

Blackberry

 

[Gav2k]

OP clearly asked about whether he can iMessage with his phone number or not and it sounds it that was his main concern; his own phone number as the caller ID.

If you want, you can also reply via email or fax a reply but that's not what he asked. People like you just shove your own methods down ppls throat. You can certainly suggest but please answer his question.

Which was answered in post 4 by Gordon

 

[mizxco]

Which was answered in post 4 by Gordon

Oh, should we lock and archive this post then

 

[C DM]

Not sure why he's passing bad info. Let him learn the hard way then. I'd love to be able to have iMessage work after a sim is removed, but that's not the way it works. I know first hand because 2 weeks ago I was in an area where my phone had no roaming agreement so I bought a local sim and popped it in... my old # worked on iMessage for about 5 mins then poof, disappeared. Then when I got to an area where my roaming came back, the phone wouldn't reactivate cause it couldn't send out the activation text abroad, so I ended up not having iMessage till I returned to the states and reactivated it.

----------



Your PHONE is what controls the phone number on your iMessage. So if you turn on your phone in the US, it links that number to your iMessage, and adds it to any device (iPad, Macbook, etc) that is also linked to your Apple ID. If you turn off then on your Macbook, it doesn't send out the code, because the Apple ID has already been associated via the phone. But if you take the sim out of the phone and then put it back in, the devices can't reactivate the number, only the phone can, and then it has to "phone home" by sending that activation text to authenticate and re-add the number to your AppleID .... so until it can do that (which I've only seen happen when roaming in a couple european countries, otherwise, you have to wait till you're back in the US), none of your devices will have iMessage capability from that phone number.

However, some people use their email address\apple ID for their iMessages, in which case you can turn on and off on any phone or device at any time and send from that... but if you want to use your PHONE NUMBER to send\receive, then the above applies.

So basically the fairly generic statement that was made: "If you turn off iMessage on your iOS device, it disables receiving iMessages on all devices" is in fact not really true without it specifically applying to doing it on an iPhone and even then only disabling the ability to receive iMessages addressed to the phone number, not disabling being revive iMessages in general on all devices.

 

[mizxco]

not disabling being revive iMessages in general on all devices.

In my experience, if you pull out (replacing) the SIM, the phone numbers immediately goes away on all devices as it's now un-associated with your Apple ID.

And even when you pop it back in and re-activate the number, those undelivered msgs will not reach you. Which is a good thing, I won't want to get a new number and get bunch of other ppls unreceived text. In a lot of countries, numbers get recycled fairly quickly.

 

[shenan1982]

So basically the fairly generic statement that was made: "If you turn off iMessage on your iOS device, it disables receiving iMessages on all devices" is in fact not really true without it specifically applying to doing it on an iPhone and even then only disabling the ability to receive iMessages addressed to the phone number, not disabling being revive iMessages in general on all devices.

MOST people understood the general gist.

 

[mizxco]

MOST people understood the general gist.

His recap made it more confusing than before..

 

[C DM]

MOST people understood the general gist.

Perhaps, or perhaps not. The follow up response certainly qualified and thus clarified the earlier general statement.

 

[shenan1982]

I agree but at the same time, I can't think of another 'user-friendly' to proof your phone number. Especially when there's so many disposable phone numbers out there.

Using Whatsapp's activation method, it's easy to 'spoof' a phone number, which can be dangerous since people are likely convinced by the default messaging app.

Blackberry

Yeh I get it... makes sense. You'd think you could just add your number to your apple ID, confirm it, then you're responsible for keeping it up to date, but i guess that could create issues too.