How to avoid this iMessage problem if upgrading iPhones???

**talkin73** · 12-21-2011, 09:19 AM

http://www.tipb.com/2011/12/20/issue...-iphone-users/

Seems this is an issue for folks that are selling their iP4 and upgrading to 4S. Anyone know a way to prevent this issue if selling an iPhone 4 with iOS 5.0.1 and upgrading to a 4S?

**ghostface147** · 12-21-2011, 10:47 AM

Well if you read the article, it mentioned specifically stolen or lost iPhones. If you sell it, surely you aren't giving them your existing SIM card right?

This ONLY affects stolen or lost iPhones as the article clearly said.

Sell it and there is no problem as many people I am sure have done on here.

**derk** · 12-21-2011, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by ghostface147

Well if you read the article, it mentioned specifically stolen or lost iPhones. If you sell it, surely you aren't giving them your existing SIM card right?

This ONLY affects stolen or lost iPhones as the article clearly said.

Sell it and there is no problem as many people I am sure have done on here.

Actually that's not true. There have been posts on Apple support forums and Macrumours. Folks have sold their iphones and wiped it clean without the microsim and the new buyer has received folks iMessages.

Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

**derk** · 12-21-2011, 01:01 PM

Here's more details on other users experiences with their stolen/lost and sold iphones.

**christyr143** · 12-21-2011, 01:04 PM

I have always wondered about this.... It's my understanding that when you activate a new iphone (and the new sim that comes in the phone) then the old sim is automatically deactivated and no longer associated with the existing phone number. Is this not correct?

**derk** · 12-21-2011, 01:08 PM

Here's a post in tipb.com from someone who sold his iphone and is having iMessages issues.

ChadF 14 hours ago
I can confirm this happened to me! I sold my iPhone 4 to supplement the purchase of my iPhone 4s. Shortly before selling I upgraded to IOS5. I DID complete a full wipe of all data. I sold to a small local wireless reseller shop and they sold the phone. The new owner got ALL my iMessage texts. (my phone was Verizon BTW)

No solution after calling support and web searches. The reseller finally got back in contact with the new owner and they agreed to turn off iMessage altogether in the settings as a workaround. I am taking their word, they very well could still be getting all my texts. (note only the texts that travel over wifi and through iMessage were being routed to both the old iPhone 4 and my new iPhone 4s)

**Corey** · 12-21-2011, 01:11 PM

How does it affect Verizon iPhones? There's not a SIM card in an iP4, so would the information still be locked into the device? I bought my iPhone 4 from eBay, and even though it had been wiped and reset to factory settings, when I download certain apps that the previous owner used, it still tries to tie some information to the previous owners account. How would iMessage be affected if I upgraded to an iPhone 4S/5/whatever since there isn't a SIM card to deal with?

**derk** · 12-21-2011, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by christyr143

I have always wondered about this.... It's my understanding that when you activate a new iphone (and the new sim that comes in the phone) then the old sim is automatically deactivated and no longer associated with the existing phone number. Is this not correct?

The old sim is de-activated, however, if you put the de-activated SIM in an any phone, it will still show the old number it belonged to (though not activated/active).

On the Apple Support forum, that Ars Technica referenced, the user ended up creating another Apple ID and the problem went away.

I *think* the issue is twofold: 1)old number on de-activated/activated SIM 2)Apple ID that was being used in the iphone.

One would think that when you wipe the iphone, it TRULY wipes EVERYTHING, but ChadF who sold his iphone did wipe his iphone.

This is definitely confusing.

**derk** · 12-21-2011, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Corey

How does it affect Verizon iPhones? There's not a SIM card in an iP4, so would the information still be locked into the device? I bought my iPhone 4 from eBay, and even though it had been wiped and reset to factory settings, when I download certain apps that the previous owner used, it still tries to tie some information to the previous owners account. How would iMessage be affected if I upgraded to an iPhone 4S/5/whatever since there isn't a SIM card to deal with?

I missed that detail on ChadF's post about Verizon iphone. I wonder if a CDMA iphone still holds other data even when it was reset to factory settings.

**Peligro911** · 12-21-2011, 01:28 PM

That is strange I don't see how this would happen with iMessage getting set to receiving messages to a new phone number .. Maybe the iMessage setting was set to the email not the number .. I know when I was switching between the two I would have to do a hard reset for it to actually take affect. .. I doubt any of those settings are there because the info was wiped.
I switched from iPhone 4 to 4s no issues and know the person with the 4 and everything worked fine after I wiped and sold. Has to be a issue on iMessage server end or something.

Sent Into Orbit from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk

**christyr143** · 12-21-2011, 01:47 PM

^ I'm thinking the same thing, that maybe it had something to do with the email associated with the Apple ID? I have noticed that with the last two iphones I wiped before selling, I had to go into the store under settings and actually sign my Apple ID out. I have left the sims in both of my old iphones prior to selling and haven't had an issue with anything like this.

**AStranger** · 12-21-2011, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by derk

I missed that detail on ChadF's post about Verizon iphone. I wonder if a CDMA iphone still holds other data even when it was reset to factory settings.

The phone probably have a hard-coded identification key that is written in the firmware. I suppose Apple made the mistake of simply using that as an identifier for the user.

**ghostface147** · 12-21-2011, 02:44 PM

Yes exactly.

**NoleScream** · 12-21-2011, 03:46 PM

Here's a good article about to prevent unauthorized use after doing a remote wipe if a stolen phone is an issue.

**Heisenberg** · 12-21-2011, 03:50 PM

I think it's more of a device ID being registered on Apple servers than it is a sim card issue. An iPhone using gsm or CDMA without a cell connection is essentially an iPod touch. The ID is registered. So it's an issue that Apple clearly needs to fix.

**Guacho** · 12-21-2011, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by ghostface147

Well if you read the article, it mentioned specifically stolen or lost iPhones. If you sell it, surely you aren't giving them your existing SIM card right?

This ONLY affects stolen or lost iPhones as the article clearly said.

Sell it and there is no problem as many people I am sure have done on here.

I also thought it was like this but it seems even iphones with no sim card are somehow keeping a connection with the imessage account thru the phone's imei number.

**derk** · 12-22-2011, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by Guacho

I also thought it was like this but it seems even iphones with no sim card are somehow keeping a connection with the imessage account thru the phone's imei number.

In my case, before I sold my iphone 4 to fund my iphone 4s, I downgraded it to 4.3.3 for the buyer and jailbroke it.. He's not using iMessages for me to know it's a problem. Of course, when there's a public release of an untethered jailbreak in iOS5, I will find out if the iMessages problem would plague me.

Sent from my iPhone 4S using Tapatalk