Lost Texts?

[blairh]

Hello everyone.

I went to Italy for a month. Used a local SIM the entire trip.

Upon my return to the States I re-inserted my AT&T SIM. I feel like in the past the texts sent to me while in Italy would show up at this point. I had no new text messages.

Today a friend reached out asking if I received the texts he sent me while I was away. Which of course I did not. Is this normal? In the future I'd really like to continue using a local SIM abroad but not miss messages sent to me while away. Thanks.

 

[Slartibart]

Do I get this right? you asked why - while you were travelling bella italia - you weren’t receiving SMS directed to a SIM which you had removed from your phone during your stay in Italy … correct? Well… 🤓

If this is a question related to Apple Messages - everyone who is using it to send texts to you, would have to disable “Send as SMS” in their Messages settings (that is, disabling this Apple provided fallback option on their iPhone for when a contact can’t be reach via internet). Or/additionally everyone sending texts to you has to make sure to send to your email/icloud address not your phone number - which means you have to provide it to everyone and make sure they have saved it to your contact.

Then you can exchange SIMs and use Apple’s Messages fairly easily where ever. 😎

 

[blairh]

Do I get this right? you asked why - while you were travelling bella italia - you weren’t receiving SMS directed to a SIM which you had removed from your phone during your stay in Italy … correct? Well… 🤓

If this is a question related to Apple Messages - everyone who is using it to send texts to you, would have to disable “Send as SMS” in their Messages settings (that is, disabling this Apple provided fallback option on their iPhone for when a contact can’t be reach via internet). Or/additionally everyone sending texts to you has to make sure to send to your email/icloud address not your phone number - which means you have to provide it to everyone and make sure they have saved it to your contact.

Then you can exchange SIMs and use Apple’s Messages fairly easily where ever. 😎

No I of course did not ask that. I'm asking why when I re-inserted my American SIM did I not get the messages sent to me in that time that I was using my Italian SIM. Perhaps I am misremembering but I thought in previous years that the texts sent to my American number while I was abroad using an Italian SIM would show up once that American SIM was later re-inserted.

 

[Slartibart]

No I of course did not ask that. I'm asking why when I re-inserted my American SIM did I not get the messages sent to me in that time that I was using my Italian SIM. Perhaps I am misremembering but I thought in previous years that the texts sent to my American number while I was abroad using an Italian SIM would show up once that American SIM was later re-inserted.

Sorry, totally misunderstood - did the sender not receive a “failed” notification after some time? My Telco will only try to send an SMS for some time (one hour, maybe?), then it will be marked as failed in the text app on my phone.

 

[iStorm]

When you say "text" - do you mean iMessages, SMS, or both?

iMessages - you should have received them no matter where you are since they are sent over the internet...though it can break after a period of time if the phone number isn't linked to your phone anymore. Apple stores the undelivered iMessages on their servers for up to 30 days for redelivery (link). Make sure you have iMessages activated and set up correctly in Settings.

SMS - these obviously require your SIM card, but most carriers only try to redeliver them for a short period of time. The length of time varies with different carriers. Verizon will try to deliver messages for five days (link). AT&T is three days (link). If they remain undelivered, they're deleted and you won't get them.

 

[blairh]

When you say "text" - do you mean iMessages, SMS, or both?

iMessages - you should have received them no matter where you are since they are sent over the internet...though it can break after a period of time if the phone number isn't linked to your phone anymore. Apple stores the undelivered iMessages on their servers for up to 30 days for redelivery (link). Make sure you have iMessages activated and set up correctly in Settings.

SMS - these obviously require your SIM card, but most carriers only try to redeliver them for a short period of time. The length of time varies with different carriers. Verizon will try to deliver messages for five days (link). AT&T is three days (link). If they remain undelivered, they're deleted and you won't get them.

I mean both. But really I guess I mean iMessages.

I was in Italy for 34 days. Perhaps that is why they don't show up when I returned to America with my American SIM? I didn't toggle anything in iMessage settings the entire time.

 

[Slartibart]

I mean both. But really I guess I mean iMessages.

You didn’t receive any during this time? Technically you won’t get iMessages on a new SIM if the sender has only your mobile number and not your Apple ID/iCloud account saved in their contact.
If the other people use iPhones one indirect indicator is that your contact in their address book doesn't allow to reach you via Facetime.
So if you received iMessages of some they have probably your Apple ID in their contacts. The others haven’t.

 

[blairh]

You didn’t receive any during this time? Technically you won’t get iMessages on a new SIM if the sender has only your mobile number and not your Apple ID/iCloud account saved in their contact.
If the other people use iPhones one indirect indicator is that your contact in their address book doesn't allow to reach you via Facetime.
So if you received iMessages of some they have probably your Apple ID in their contacts. The others haven’t.

I think you brought up an interesting point. So I actually did receive an iMessage while I was in Italy. I'm assuming it's exactly as you said. That contact had my Apple ID email address saved and hence why I received their message. My friend that texted me where I did not receive the message only had saved my USA mobile number.

So I guess the solution is to ask my contacts to save my Apple ID email in their iPhones?

 

[Slartibart]

I think you brought up an interesting point. So I actually did receive an iMessage while I was in Italy. I'm assuming it's exactly as you said. That contact had my Apple ID email address saved and hence why I received their message. My friend that texted me where I did not receive the message only had saved my USA mobile number.

So I guess the solution is to ask my contacts to save my Apple ID email in their iPhones?

yep. I have friends in various countries and discovered that a while ago… iMessages work reliable when there is an Apple ID associated with a contact.