iMessage relay requires receiving device to be on?

[Aston441]

Unlike Google Voice, it seems that if a message is sent to a phone number, the device with that assigned number must be turned on, even if the sending device is also using iMessage, and even if that number also has associated other phone numbers and email addresses, and even if the two iMessage apps have communicated with each other before, correct?

This is forcing me to leave my second phone on all the time, even though both iMessage apps are using the same Apple ID, otherwise messages don't sync/relay between the devices, and also I'll miss messages sent to one device if I'm carrying the other.

It would be nice if iMessage retried sending to the other phone numbers and email addresses associated with the Apple ID if it didn't acknowledge a "received" from intended recipient after a minute.

Also then I could receive iMessages on iOS devices without cellular connections, without the iPhone needing to be turned on all the time.

 

[gixxerfool]

What type of devices? My wife's iPad will get iMessages no problem. as far as I know an iMessage will go to any associated device. In fact, I had my old iPhone as an iPod and it would receive the messages no problem. SMS forwarding will require it, yes. But iMessage shouldn't.

 

[mconk]

What devices are you using specifically? I have an iPhone, iPad and MacBook. My phone is always with me, my Mac is often traveling between home and work, and my iPad is always at home. All these devices use the same Apple ID for iMessage, and all three sync messages even if they are not online. For example, the Mac could be offline for a few days, and as soon as you connect to wifi you can literally see the iMessage history fly by as it catches up on the last few days of convos. Same with the iPad. There are times when the iPad has not been connected to wifi, but as soon as it connects, iMessage plays catch-up and syncs the message history. Can you explain your setup maybe a bit more in detail?