iMessage on multiple devices flaw

[GreyOS]

This is not a bug but a flaw that I think Apple could solve, I'm interested in what others think or if there are simple ways around the issue before submitting feedback.

If someone associates their iPhone number with iMessage and also enables that number on their iPad, then iMessages sent to that number go to both devices. So far so good.

The problem is when the iPhone has no internet but the iPad does. For me this is more likely as the iPad is generally stay at home with wifi on all the time. iPhone goes out and can have no signal occasionally.

The iPad will get the iMessage and mark it as delivered on the sender device. This also means the fallback to SMS will not occur for the sender even though the iPhone hasn't got it. iPad may be at home while user out with iPhone so message never seen.

Personally I think Apple should be smarter and indicate which devices it has been delivered to, and/or give an option to default to SMS if the iPhone is one of the devices that has not received it. Perhaps there other solutions that are better.

It's really useful to have messages received on both devices but not when it's satisfied with it not being delivered to the primary device.

 

[Mlrollin91]

As soon as you have service, the message will be pushed and you will see a notification for said Message. Even if you had a way to do what your propose it wouldn't work. You still would not have service and the same thing would occur. iMessage also included SMS forwarding to your iPad. So your iPad would just receive the SMS before your iPhone does.

 

[GreyOS]

As soon as you have service, the message will be pushed and you will see a notification for said Message. Even if you had a way to do what your propose it wouldn't work. You still would not have service and the same thing would occur. iMessage also included SMS forwarding to your iPad. So your iPad would just receive the SMS before your iPhone does.

Sorry I wasn't clear that I meant when you have signal but no internet.

 

[Phoenixx]

I've encountered this exact flaw, and it has resulted in messages being missed by the end user. The result was that I had to send important messages to an iPhone user using ANOTHER PHONE, because the recipient had both an iPad (left at home) and an iPhone. They didn't use mobile data at all, so EVERY message sent to them wasn't being received until they got home.

The other flaw that irritates the heck out of me is that the messaging app doesn't sync between devices. Once a conversation begins, it has to be manually removed from EACH DEVICE. This means that that unwanted conversation has to be removed multiple times (in my case FIVE TIMES). This is absolutely ridiculous. The conversations on the message App aren't even synchronised between the iPhone and Apple Watch.

 

[GreyOS]

I've encountered this exact flaw, and it has resulted in messages being missed by the end user. The result was that I had to send important messages to an iPhone user using ANOTHER PHONE, because the recipient had both an iPad (left at home) and an iPhone. They didn't use mobile data at all, so EVERY message sent to them wasn't being received until they got home.

Not just me then! By the way another option in future may be to temporarily disable iMessage on your phone - but this is just another workaround.

Here's a list of scenarios I can think of where this can happen, for anyone sceptical.
- They have run out of data on their plan
- They have cellular signal but not data (this may seem unlikely but I know it happens in deepest darkest Somerset UK!)
- They have disabled cellular data
- They are connected to a very weak or limited wifi network and don't have wifi assist.
- Problems with the cellular network

Apple's servers do know which devices have received the message, I simply wish this to be communicated back to the sender in some way, giving them options when their targetted device hasn't received it. Or smartly use the send as SMS option (if enabled) when the iPhone hasn't received it within x minutes, even if other devices have.

The other thing is that even if they don't even have cellular signal at all on their iPhone, and thus not even an SMS would work, it's still useful for the sender to know what's received it. For example if I know my partner is out with iPhone and left iPad at home on wifi, if I iMessage then it will say delivered, but how can I be sure her iPhone got it?

I realise there might be privacy concerns -- why should senders know about your devices -- but I think Apple could think of smart ways to handle this.

The other flaw that irritates the heck out of me is that there is no syncing of messages between devices. Once a conversation begins, it has to be manually removed from EACH DEVICE. This means that that unwanted conversation has to be removed multiple times (in my case FIVE TIMES). This is absolutely ridiculous. The conversations on the message App aren't even synchronised between the iPhone and Apple Watch.

Yep that's annoying.