Apple's iMessage Delivery Problems Worsened by Server Glitch - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple's iMessage Delivery Problems Worsened by Server Glitch

iPhone owners switching from their iPhone to another device often encounter an issue with lost messages that are incorrectly delivered to their inactive iPhone, instead of their new phone. This issue is a long-standing problem that was recently made worse by a server glitch, claims Apple in a statement provided to Re/code.

imessage400
Apple's iMessage service allows iPhone owners to exchange messages using Apple's iMessage servers, instead of the carrier's text messaging network. The system relies on the accurate identification of the originating and recipient devices as iPhones. When this identification fails, the message delivery system falls apart.

The lost messages problem arises when an iPhone owner switches to another smartphone, such as an Android device, and keeps their existing number. In select cases, Apple's iMessage service continues to recognize the phone number as being attached to an iPhone, instead of the new Android device. This recognition mistake causes a problem with messaging as Apple's iMessaging servers will route the message as an iMessage instead of converting it to a standard text message.

Apple advises iPhone owners to turn off iMessage on their phone and uncheck the number in other iMessage-compatible devices attached their iCloud account before switching devices. This method doesn't always remove the phone number from Apple's iMessage server, forcing former iPhone owners to contact Apple to remove them from the iMessage system manually. A recent server glitch has disabled this manual removal, leaving Apple support representatives temporarily unable to fix this problem for some customers.

“We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update,” Apple told Re/code in a statement. “For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare.”

Apple has not provided a time-frame for the release of this software update. Until a fix is in place, customers will have to contact AppleCare for further guidance on how to handle this troublesome issue.

Popular Stories

Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display family lineup feature

Apple Announces OLED MacBook Pro With Touch Display

Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today announced a new high-end MacBook Pro, which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes. The new device has a PROLED XDR display that supports touch gestures, and a glowing rear Apple logo. Pricing on the MacBook Pro starts at $2,899 for the 14-inch model and $3,399 for the 16-inch model. Apple says the MacBook Pro has the "world's best display in a pro laptop." The PROLED...
iPhone Duo Display Cracking

Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue

Friday October 30, 2026 3:20 pm PDT by
In a memo shared with Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers this week, and later obtained by MacRumors, Apple provided technicians with guidance on how to diagnose and address the iPhone Duo's inner display cracking issue. If a customer reports the issue, Apple advised technicians to inspect the iPhone Duo and repair or replace it in accordance with their standard procedures....
iPad mini OLED feature 1

Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display

Thursday October 29, 2026 1:47 pm PDT by
While the new iPad mini has an OLED display, the device does not support ProMotion, meaning the display's refresh rate is limited to 60Hz instead of 120Hz. ProMotion support would have allowed for the iPad mini's refresh rate to automatically adjust from 10Hz to 120Hz depending on the content being displayed, but evidently Apple has kept the feature exclusive to the iPad Pro among iPad...

Top Rated Comments

uknowimright Avatar
162 months ago
AppleCare rep: "In order to resolve this issue it is recommended you purchase an iPhone"
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
So let me get this straight!

You're going to give the middle finger to the most valuable company in the world so you can sleep with the enemy, and Apple is suppose to help you with this process and let you make a seamless transition?

This is not a bug or an issue IMO. I honestly don't think they will even fix it, nor should they.

Another fanboy... This is a problem for iPhone users too... Oh and Google is now the most valuable company so there's that.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
Why is this even being discussed as a "problem"? Apple should just have one recommendation to people facing this issue - "Buy an iPhone". I don't understand why Apple would have to go the extra mile to help users with competitor devices. If anything this proves staying within Apples ecosystem "Just Works". Why bother about those who choose to leave it? They ought to suffer the consequences. I don't see Apple bending backwards to make life easy for Windows users. :confused:

The issue isn't 'helping the enemy' or any other sort of brain washed rhetoric. The issue is they are holding something valuable that you own for ransom essentially. This bug hijacks your phone number and renders you unreachable to millions of people including friends, family, and work. Fixing a bug in your system isn't going the extra mile by ANY means, it's going the distance you should have gone in the first place before releasing software without documentation and advertising it's potential side affects or pitfalls.

Imagine Comcast holding internet access for you against your will if you tried to go to a competitor or if you moved to a part of the country where Comcast doesn't service... Since you were once a Comcast customer they wouldn't allow you to get internet through anyone else even if Comcast wasn't an option. Would this be allowed? Condoned? Defended by anyone but the most ridiculous Comcast advocate?

Common sense mate... common sense. It's a bug; it needs to be fixed regardless of who it affects.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OllyW Avatar
162 months ago
So let me get this straight!

You're going to give the middle finger to the most valuable company in the world so you can sleep with the enemy, and Apple is suppose to help you with this process and let you make a seamless transition?

This is not a bug or an issue IMO. I honestly don't think they will even fix it, nor should they.

Why is this even being discussed as a "problem"? Apple should just have one recommendation to people facing this issue - "Buy an iPhone". I don't understand why Apple would have to go the extra mile to help users with competitor devices. If anything this proves staying within Apples ecosystem "Just Works". Why bother about those who choose to leave it? They ought to suffer the consequences. I don't see Apple bending backwards to make life easy for Windows users. :confused:

It also affects the Apple customers who can no longer send messages to their friends because they have changed phones. :rolleyes:
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oletros Avatar
162 months ago
The problem is that Apple is not your telephone service provider, so there is no way for them to know, automatically, that you no longer are using that phone with that number.

How they don't know? They perfectly know what phone number is being accessed by an iOS device

----------

So let me get this straight!

You're going to give the middle finger to the most valuable company in the world so you can sleep with the enemy, and Apple is suppose to help you with this process and let you make a seamless transition?

This is not a bug or an issue IMO. I honestly don't think they will even fix it, nor should they.

Why is this even being discussed as a "problem"? Apple should just have one recommendation to people facing this issue - "Buy an iPhone". I don't understand why Apple would have to go the extra mile to help users with competitor devices. If anything this proves staying within Apples ecosystem "Just Works". Why bother about those who choose to leave it? They ought to suffer the consequences. I don't see Apple bending backwards to make life easy for Windows users. :confused:


Those are jokes, aren't?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
162 months ago
Since this has been an issue since iOS 5 the sales people who were chasing the extra commission of a SPIFFd non-iPhone are to blame for this getting out of hand. A good sales person knows his product and how to give the customer the best experience with their new product. Therefore if a customer was switching from an iPhone to competing platform, the first question to ask after finding if the customer wants to migrate photos and contacts is do they use Apple's iMessage feature (ie do you get Blue text balloons when you text other iPhone users?). If so, before switching the SIM, the salesperson should help the customer go into settings and turn off the iMessage feature and then send a test text to a known iPhone contact to verify that iMessage is disabled, indicated by the Green text balloon. This simple effort by the sales staff should have eliminated the majority of the defecting iPhone users text receipt issues after it was initially discovered.

Fanboyism at its finest... Surely Apple isn't capable of making a mistake!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
Apple Watch Ultra 4 Hits All-Time Low Price With Amazon's $99 Discount
6 hours ago
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
Reminder: Apple's Big Discount on Beats 360 Ear Cushions Ends Today
6 hours ago
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
Here's a New Tour of Apple's HomeView Software
6 hours ago
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
Apple Reveals New iPad Mini's Battery Capacity
7 hours ago
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
Top Stories: Apple's Big MacBook Pro, iPad mini and iMac Updates
9 hours ago
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
'Pluribus' Season 2 Reportedly Starts Production Today
15 hours ago
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Surge in China, Offsetting Decline in U.S. and Japan
16 hours ago
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
HomeView Software 27.2: Wallpapers, Control Center, and More
22 hours ago
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
Apple Alerts Stores to iPhone Duo's Display Cracking Issue
23 hours ago
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
iOS 27.3 Will Enable These Apple Intelligence Features in China
1 day ago
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
Apple Says iOS 27.3 Beta Coming Next Week
1 day ago
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
Apple's Flash Storage Suppliers Are Finally 'Getting Their Revenge'
1 day ago
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
14 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27.2
1 day ago
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
iPhone Duo Review: One Week Later
1 day ago
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
Samsung Mocks iPhone Duo Display Cracks in New Ad Campaign
1 day ago
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
The MacRumors Show: OLED MacBook Pro, iPad Mini 8, and More
1 day ago
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
MacBook Pro With Touch Display: 15 More Details Revealed
1 day ago
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
Russia Places Apple on State Surveillance Registry
1 day ago
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
Halloween Weekend Brings Discounts on Apple Accessories and Pre-Orders
1 day ago
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
Apple Has Released More Than 25 New Products in the Past Two Months
1 day ago
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
Local Code Launches as Free, Private AI Assistant Tool for Mac
1 day ago
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
Apple Acquires Ascend.io
1 day ago
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
HomePod Mini 2 Launches Today: All the New Features
1 day ago
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
AirTag 2 4-Pack Drops to New Low Price of $69.99
1 day ago
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
Rian Johnson's iPhone Camera App Goes Viral
1 day ago
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
Where Did All the iPhone Duos Go? Mostly to Apple's Stores
1 day ago
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
Apple's Touchscreen MacBook Pro Could Ship 1.5M Units in 2027
2 days ago
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
New Apple TV 4K and iPad Mini: RAM Amounts Revealed
2 days ago
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
Apple Executive Comments on New iPad Mini Lacking 120Hz Display
2 days ago
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
Here's a Hands-On Look at HomePod Mini 2's New Two-Tone Colors
2 days ago