iMessage is Apple‘s popular messaging platform that allows iPhone, iPad and Mac users to send messages, photos and more over WiFi to avoid using cellular data. While there are many benefits to using iMessage, there are also valid reasons why you may eventually want to turn off this service on your iPhone.
Perhaps you have noticed your battery draining faster since enabling iMessage and want to disable it to see if that helps. Or maybe you want to switch to using an Android phone and will need to deregister iMessage so messages from your Apple contacts no longer get stuck on your old device.
Whatever your reasons for saying goodbye to iMessage, doing so properly ensures you continue receiving text messages without interruptions or confusion. This definitive guide will teach you how to fully turn off iMessage across all devices in just a few quick steps.
Overview of Turning Off iMessage
Before walking through the step-by-step process of disabling iMessage, let‘s briefly summarize what happens when you turn this service off:
-
All devices using your Apple ID will have iMessage disabled – This includes any iPhones, iPads, or Macs signed into your account.
-
You will no longer send or receive iMessages – With the service off, you go back to sending regular SMS text messages via your cellular plan or internet connected apps.
-
It can take hours for your phone number to fully deregister from Apple‘s servers – This means some users may still temporarily send you iMessages until the system updates your status. Be patient!
Now that you know what to expect, let‘s get right into the simple process of disabling iMessage on your iPhone…
Step 1: Open Settings
The first step to turning off iMessage is to open your Settings app, which is where all system services and features are configured on iPhone.
To open Settings, locate and tap the gray gear icon on your iPhone‘s home screen as shown above. This will launch the Settings menu.
Step 2: Tap Messages
Next, you need to navigate to the Messages section of Settings in order to specifically access iMessage options.
You can find the Messages menu by scrolling down the long list of different setting categories. Look for the green icon with a white chat bubble in it named "Messages" about halfway down the list.
Tap to open your text messaging settings once you locate the Messages option.
Step 3: Turn Off iMessage Toggle
Here is the money step where you‘ll officially disable iMessage across all your Apple devices!
In the Messages settings menu, locate the switch next to "iMessage" near the top of the screen. This toggle controls whether the service is on or off.
Simply swipe the toggle to the left so that it turns gray and displays the word "Off" rather than green and "On." Congrats – you have now successfully disabled iMessage!
It will likely take at least a few hours for your phone number to fully deregister from Apple‘s messaging servers. As long as you leave the iMessage toggle in the off position, everything should update automatically behind the scenes.
Now let‘s quickly cover a few optional but recommended steps…
Turn Off Related Services
If you want to ensure a completely smooth transition after disabling iMessage, turning off related services can help avoid potential hiccups.
Specifically, it‘s wise to also turn off FaceTime and disable backups from Messages in iCloud if no longer needed. Here is how to fully disable those iMessage-linked services as well:
Disable FaceTime
FaceTime works hand-in-hand with iMessage, letting you make video calls over WiFi. Since you have iMessage disabled, you likely won‘t be using FaceTime either.
To turn off FaceTime, go back to the main Settings menu and tap on "FaceTime." Simply swipe the FaceTime toggle to the left to switch it to the "Off" position as shown below:
Turn Off Messages in iCloud
Even with iMessage disabled, your conversations could still sync via a feature called Messages in iCloud. This uses your iCloud storage to continuously back up your SMS/iMessages across devices.
If you don‘t need ongoing backups and want to conserve cloud storage, you can turn this syncing off by following these steps:
- Open Settings -> Your Apple ID Banner (top section)
- Tap "iCloud"
- Scroll down and Tap "Messages"
- Toggle "Sync This iPhone" to the OFF position
And that‘s it! With both iMessage and Messages in iCloud now disabled, you have fully cut ties with all Apple messaging platforms.
Check for Lingering iMessage Issues
After waiting a few hours for your phone number to deregister from iMessage across Apple‘s networks, you should begin sending and receiving regular text messages normally again.
However, there are a few common issues that may pop up if your contacts can‘t seem to reach you via standard SMS messaging:
Still Getting Stuck as iMessages
If some users with iPhones continue sending you messages via iMessage rather than SMS, this likely means your phone hasn‘t finished deregistering yet. Make sure iMessage remains disabled and let a full day pass for changes to fully propagate.
Certain Users Not Getting Replies
You may notice that your SMS replies back to certain people with iPhones don‘t seem to be reaching them. This is because they still assume you are able to receive iMessages. Have them delete existing message threads with your number and start fresh.
Missing Group Chats Entirely
Since you left the iMessage world, you may be mysteriously removed from any iPhone group chats you previously participated in. Let the other people in those message threads know you switched to a non-Apple phone and can now only do standard group SMS messaging.
Can‘t Send or Receive Any Texts
If turning off iMessage results in you not getting ANY texts suddenly, this points to a problem or limitation with your cellular plan‘s standard messaging rather than an Apple issue. Contact your carrier to confirm your account has SMS/MMS capabilities enabled.
As you can see, deregistering iMessage can get a little messy depending on how tied into Apple‘s ecosystem you were. With the proper follow up though, you should be back on track sending normal texts in no time!
Cut All Ties By Deregistering Your Number
If you are committed to leaving iPhone behind and want to fully erase your Apple associations, you can take the additional step of contacting Apple support and requesting they deregister your phone number from iMessage and FaceTime servers:
This essentially forces your number offline across all of Apple‘s systems immediately versus having to wait for automatic updates. While not required, it ensures a 100% smooth transition when changing phone ecosystems.
Get Back Your iCloud Storage
Did you know that even with iMessage turned off, your years of stored conversations could still be eating up your precious iCloud storage?
The Messages in iCloud syncing discussed earlier continuously backs up not just iMessages but also SMS texts, attachments and more.
If you forgot to turn off Messages in iCloud and want to reclaim that space now, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings -> Your Name -> iCloud -> Manage Storage -> Messages -> Disable & Delete
- Confirm disabling Messages in iCloud backup when prompted
After disabling and deleting, you‘ll soon see all that storage freed up for other files!
Just note any iMessages or text history saved in iCloud will be permanently erased after 30 days. So download anything you want to keep within the first month after deleting those backups.
Whether you simply wanted to disable iMessage temporarily or have permanently moved on from iPhone, I hope this guide covered everything you need to smoothly switch off this messaging platform!
Let me know if you have any other questions down in the comments. And don‘t forget to share this tutorial if know anyone else looking to ditch their iPhone.