While most users should and would never disable iMessage, there might be good reason to. The biggest reason is if you constantly switch between iOS and another mobile operating system constantly with your phone number.
iMessage lets you send and receive messages via data with your phone number. This means that you can send messages in areas where cellular service isn’t available, such as on a plane. The service lets you send and receive messages from your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and even your HomePod with ease.
Follow along to learn how to disable this wonderful feature.
How to disable iMessage on iPhone or iPad
- On your iPhone, go into Settings > Messages.
- At the top, switch the iMessage toggle to off.
It may take a few seconds to disable. Now, iMessage will be disabled and all of your messages sent via the Messages app will be sent through the inferior SMS service.
While it’s not recommended to disable iMessage, especially since SMS still heavily compresses videos and photos, there may be a reason to do it. For some countries, people simply don’t use iMessage or SMS, rather services such as Viber, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger.
For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:
- How to add custom email signatures on iPhone and iPad
- How to disable iCloud Music Library on iPhone & iPad
- How to use Apple Watch and iPhone World Clock to keep time zones straight
- How to set a volume limit on iOS for Apple Music
- How to delete iPhone contacts
- How to disable 3D Touch on iPhone
- How to find out which iPhone model you have
- Apple Watch: How to add third-party apps to Siri Watch face
- How to find out which Mac model you have
- How to delete Apple Watch apps
