Why does Apple struggle with messaging when so many others get it right?

[4492865]

"as long as both parties have whatsapp". Exactly my point. And if both parties don't have it?
"imessage is not cross platform because you cannot run it on a windows, linux or android". I guess I better tell my Android friends to stop messaging me if that's the case LOL

That's not iMessage, that's SMS. Not the same, even if it appears in the same app on Apple devices.

SMS might be free in the US, in many contries around the world, it is not free and can cost as much as $ 0.10 per message. That's where apps like whatsapp come in.

 

[mib1800]

That's not iMessage, that's SMS. Not the same, even if it appears in the same app on Apple devices.

SMS might be free in the US, in many contries around the world, it is not free and can cost as much as $ 0.10 per message. That's where apps like whatsapp come in.

Well said. This is the main reason why Google decoupled SMS from hangout. iMessage fans can't understand this and regurgitate that imessage is super duper and heavenly with integration to SMS.

In fact many don't use iMessage because of this SMS integration. I know of people who incurred huge phone bill due to overseas SMS being sent.

 

[russell_314]

The things that make iMessage popular are the things you're complaining about. SMS integration is a big thing. Any of my friends can give me their phone number and I can message them regardless of their phone brand and they don't have to download an app. If they have an iPhone they get an iMessage and if not an SMS. Either way I can communicate with them without having to ask if they downloaded something.

I use iMessage all the time and have never encountered roaming charges. I use it with text messages to talk to people in my country. If I'm sending messages international of course I don't use iMessage. There are many good messaging apps and they have a purposes but that's not in the same catagory as iMessage or SMS.

 

[mib1800]

The things that make iMessage popular are the things you're complaining about. SMS integration is a big thing. Any of my friends can give me their phone number and I can message them regardless of their phone brand and they don't have to download an app. If they have an iPhone they get an iMessage and if not an SMS. Either way I can communicate with them without having to ask if they downloaded something.

I use iMessage all the time and have never encountered roaming charges. I use it with text messages to talk to people in my country. If I'm sending messages international of course I don't use iMessage. There are many good messaging apps and they have a purposes but that's not in the same catagory as iMessage or SMS.

Then isn't it more troublesome you are using 2 or more messaging services. You have to remember who are using android and overseas and who has iphone.

Compared to just using ONE universal WhatsApp, WeChat etc

 

[russell_314]

Then isn't it more troublesome you are using 2 or more messaging services. You have to remember who are using android and overseas and who has iphone.

Compared to just using ONE universal WhatsApp, WeChat etc

No it's not. I know what friends are overseas. I don't have to remember who has Android or iPhone because iMessage automatically changes to SMS for Android users. It would be much more troublesome to convince all my friends to download something much less the same thing. I have friends who have WhatsApp, WeChat, and KIK but none have all. I would end up using three or four different apps in addition to the texting app to send SMS.

 

[mib1800]

No it's not. I know what friends are overseas. I don't have to remember who has Android or iPhone because iMessage automatically changes to SMS for Android users. It would be much more troublesome to convince all my friends to download something much less the same thing. I have friends who have WhatsApp, WeChat, and KIK but none have all. I would end up using three or four different apps in addition to the texting app to send SMS.

Haven't you been reading? I thought you said you will not use imessage for overseas SMS. If imessage automatically change to SMS you will send overseas SMS if your contact is an overseas number.

 

[jakeenzo]

This wasn't me asking for help. It was a thread to discuss why Apple has such a hard time getting this to work correctly like every other messaging platform has, and point out lal the quirks and issues it has.

I don't know a single person in real life who hasn't had one or all of the issues I mentioned above. I'm glad it works well for you, but it doesn't work well for everyone.

Only people who are technologically incompetent are unable to solve these issues.

 

[russell_314]

Haven't you been reading? I thought you said you will not use imessage for overseas SMS. If imessage automatically change to SMS you will send overseas SMS if your contact is an overseas number.

That's what I said. The majority of my friends are not overseas so I use iMessage/ SMS for them. With the few friends of mine that are overseas I use a different messaging app.

 

[mrex]

I don't think you're getting it. I can send an iMessage to anyone with a phone number and it changes to SMS if they don't have iMessage. Does WhatsApp change to SMS if they don't have WhatsApp installed?

iMessage might require an Apple device if you want the full features but it also works cross platform without any required app to be installed. Other messenger programs don't have this feature.

i dont think you get it. you dont need a phone (number) at all using skype for example. relying on imessage/sms you need a phone number to contact someone. even if you think about only phones, whatsapp doesnt give a damn if you are using android or iphone or even windows phone - it just works.

and what happens when an iphone user suddenly has an android phone and you are still sending imessages to that person without knowing the person changed the phone using the old imessage chat window? especially when people many times dont remember to turn imessage off before changing their phones...

 

[russell_314]

i dont think you get it. you dont need a phone (number) at all using skype for example. relying on imessage/sms you need a phone number to contact someone. even if you think about only phones, whatsapp doesnt give a damn if you are using android or iphone or even windows phone - it just works.

and what happens when an iphone user suddenly has an android phone and you are still sending imessages to that person without knowing the person changed the phone using the old imessage chat window? especially when people many times dont remember to turn imessage off before changing their phones...

You need their Skype name. Maybe you were able to convince all your friends to download and sign up for Skype but I think that's beyond my skills. I was able to convince all my friends to get cell phones... Not really they already had them. What happens when an iPhone user suddenly has an Android phone. The message fails then gets sent SMS.

 

[mrex]

You need their Skype name. Maybe you were able to convince all your friends to download and sign up for Skype but I think that's beyond my skills. I was able to convince all my friends to get cell phones... Not really they already had them. What happens when an iPhone user suddenly has an Android phone. The message fails then gets sent SMS.

Skype name or phone number - something is surely needed.

No need to convince anyone. Either they have whatsapp or skype or mostly both. With skype or whatsapp you can also send files which is impossible via sms.

 

[igroeg]

iMessage/Messages is great if you're communicating with someone who has an iPhone/Apple device. That's it.

Cross-platform apps such as WhatsApp, Viber and Telegram are better, because they allow you to converse with other people regardless of the OS/device they use. For free!

To the people who say that iMessage is awesome because if the recipient doesn't have an Apple device the message will go through as SMS.. that's fine only if your data plan includes free and/or unlimited texts. Otherwise you'll be paying. Not awesome.

Takes a few seconds to install any of these 3rd party messaging apps. I don't understand where this 'inconvenience' stems from. People keep dozens of apps on their phone. Surely having a few extra won't melt it.

I would love for a free universal messaging app to be embedded in every device, but we're not there yet.

Let's be honest - if you really want to talk to somebody, you'll install whichever app you're told. Pretty simple.

 

[fisherking]

... have to own apple device.

using a crossplatform app doesnt mean you have to buy a certain device. that is the difference between imessage and an app. and a quite huge difference.

my android-using friends and i message all the time, as well as my iphone friends. what's the problem??

EDIT: and, as has been stated on this thread repeatedly... in the US, everyone just texts. elsewhere, whatsapp seems to dominate. so, depends where you are.

 

[mrex]

Of course it isnt a problem using imessage and sending text message to all places, but send a file using imessage to your friend you dont have imessage.

 

[4492865]

Of course it isnt a problem using imessage and sending text message to all over places, but send a file using imessage to your friend you dont have imessage.

SMS is also not encrypted, so if you're sexting the NSA may have a field day with all those green bubbles.

And yes in Europe and Africa very few people use plain SMS texting because it costs money.

 

[fisherking]

Of course it isnt a problem using imessage and sending text message to all places, but send a file using imessage to your friend you dont have imessage.

you can text (and send images, etc) with messages. if you need to send a file, there's always... email...

 

[bransoj]

that's fine only if your data plan includes free and/or unlimited texts. Otherwise you'll be paying. Not awesome.

Is it that common these days to have plans that dont include a lot of SMS Texts? In the UK at least the its pretty much the norm to get loads of texts if not unlimited included on a mobile plan. Mine for example has unlimited data and texts then its the phone minutes that are limited to keep my cost down, i pay just £20.

 

[igroeg]

Is it that common these days to have plans that dont include a lot of SMS Texts? In the UK at least the its pretty much the norm to get loads of texts if not unlimited included on a mobile plan. Mine for example has unlimited data and texts then its the phone minutes that are limited to keep my cost down, i pay just £20.

Quite the opposite for me. I have unlimited minutes but the texts are paid, and they cost $0.14/each. You can see how that stacks up.

 

[bransoj]

Quite the opposite for me. I have unlimited minutes but the texts are paid, and they cost $0.14/each. You can see how that stacks up.

Think my contract charges me for MMS not to iMessage so i've just got that turned off on my phone and it doesnt really bother me. Amazed that there are plans that charge for texts these days.

 

[HJM.NL]

So it got me thinking, on EVERY other messaging platform I've used (Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Hangouts, etc.), keeping messages in sync "just works". Meaning, if I launch Facebook on my computer, I see the exact same messages on my computer as I do on my phone in the Messenger app. There is no sycnhing, there is no choosing which number/address to send from, there is no issue with messages only appearing on one device, etc. All the messages are there instantly and in sync.

Anyone wonder why Apple can't get this right? Why it is so bug ridden and clumsy?

A short answer: lag of focus and neglect on Apple’s part.

They’ve neglected their soft- and hardware business too long and paying attention to areas as streaming video services nobody asked for or will be missing when it wasn’t there.

They’ve only be making minor steps for years now while other companies innovated, focused and invest.

Getting the highest profits and margins on their products while investing the minimum is the result. Even if they would change course and putting some billions in action, it will take years to catch up, if they ever will.

Welcome to the new Tim Apple

 

[fisherking]

A short answer: lag of focus and neglect on Apple’s part.

They’ve neglected their soft- and hardware business too long and paying attention to areas as streaming video services nobody asked for or will be missing when it wasn’t there.

They’ve only be making minor steps for years now while other companies innovated, focused and invest.

Getting the highest profits and margins on their products while investing the minimum is the result. Even if they would change course and putting some billions in action, it will take years to catch up, if they ever will.

Welcome to the new Tim Apple

and this is.. what? your opinion? a fact based on actual research? or just another whiny post on a forum that, on better days, is a great place for discussion, and ppl helping each other with (in this case) ios 12 issues...

 

[DblHelix]

Agreed. Lots of little bugs that add up. My most recent issue was that I wouldn't get an alert when my wife would message me. Tried just about everything. Turning imessage off and on, turn notifications off and on, checked that I didn;t turn off alerts for my wife, etc. The fix that worked was to delete the iMessage thread. Then I started getting alerts again when she would text me.

 

[mrex]

you can text (and send images, etc) with messages. if you need to send a file, there's always... email...

Or a snail mail and usb-stick...

 

[russell_314]

Think my contract charges me for MMS not to iMessage so i've just got that turned off on my phone and it doesnt really bother me. Amazed that there are plans that charge for texts these days.

I know in the USA even most cheap prepaid plans come with unlimited text and talk. I don't see the big negative or positive about iMessage. It's just a message program that works with SMS (Maybe the only one?). Also I don't know anyone who says "Give me your Skype name and I'll message you". That reminds me of the Edge vs Chrome video when Edge asks "What are we going to Bing first?". Don't get me wrong message programs have their purpose. This is mostly chatting with people online that you don't know well enough to give them your phone number and chatting with people overseas. Of course this is the USA because I know in some countries messaging programs are far more popular. Maybe because they don't get free SMS messages IDK.
[doublepost=1552540977][/doublepost]

Agreed. Lots of little bugs that add up. My most recent issue was that I wouldn't get an alert when my wife would message me. Tried just about everything. Turning imessage off and on, turn notifications off and on, checked that I didn;t turn off alerts for my wife, etc. The fix that worked was to delete the iMessage thread. Then I started getting alerts again when she would text me.

I guess anything can have bugs but in all the years of using iMessage I've never had "Lots of little bugs". The only bug I've ever experienced was messages appearing out of order. This was a while ago and hasn't happened recently.

 

[Skoal]

iMessage is according to opinion of majority of people (including me), is the best messaging service there is. It is one of the strongest reasons why so many people want nothing but iPhone.


You obviously are one of few who have problems. My iMessages are perfectly synced across devices.


I wouldn't compare iMessages to Messenger. I do not need Facebook to suggest me bakeries near me when I send cake emoji to my friend.

I love iMessage and use it almost exclusively (where possible) but I've had issues with messages in the cloud. Half the time it just doesn't sync. I can turn the laptop on and keep messages open for an hour and I'll still have messages sitting on the laptop from weeks ago that I've deleted on other devices.