Why do people say it's hard to text an Android device from iPhone?

[evanking527]

I love iMessage. I am the only Apple user in my family and I text other Apple and Android users, but I hear all the time that using iMessage keeps people using Apple products. I'm sticking to Apple products, but it's not because of iMessage at all. So what exactly makes it a pain to text Android phones? John Gruber with "The Talk Show," along with the "iMore Show" and "The Next Ten Words," they all say anecdotally that texting an Android phone is terrible as opposed to texting an iPhone. Ben Thompson on John Gruber's "The Talk Show" said that "iMessage is without question the most straight up frustrating aspect of using an Android phone for any period of time," and “You can’t really get past there not being iMessage.” I think because of my background of being the only Apple user and texting the first iPhone years after using Apple products, the only difference I see is a color change and Read Receipts. I see them in green and because of Continuity I can text back on my iPad and Mac. So what do you lose? What are the benefits of messaging with iMessage as opposed to other Android phones or using a different platform like Facebook Messenger?

 

[metllicamilitia]

With iOS 10 iMessage now has other features like stickers, screen effects, adding a couple things to a text by 3D Touching it, and apps. Actual apps like Open Table which will not only allow people to book restaurants but place orders and split the bill. All directly in iMessage.

 

[Ledsteplin]

I don't have any issues texting those with Android. It simply switches to SMS, rather than iMessage. The only downside is the iMessage features won't work. Other than that, it works SMS fine. Facebook Messenger works fine as well. It affords more bells and whistles than SMS.

 

[Quis89]

I don't use a lot of that extra stuff within iMessage. For me, the advantage is in that 90% of the people I talk to have iPhones. So the instant messaging aspect of iMessage with other iPhone users is great. It's not what would keep me away from Android as there are other alternatives. But it is definitely an advantage that I would miss if I didn't have it. I prefer blue bubbles lol.

 

[Just_Me_D]

I love iMessage. I am the only Apple user in my family and I text other Apple and Android users, but I hear all the time that using iMessage keeps people using Apple products. I'm sticking to Apple products, but it's not because of iMessage at all.

I send and receive iMessages EVERY day. Many of my colleagues at work have Android phones so we sometimes communicate via SMS messages without any problems whatsoever. I, too, am sticking with Apple products, but iMessage is not a "major" reason why. I simply enjoy the whole experience.

So what exactly makes it a pain to text Android phones?

I don't consider it a pain at all, especially when I don't have a problem texting anyone, whether they have an iPhone or not.

John Gruber with "The Talk Show," along with the "iMore Show" and "The Next Ten Words," they all say anecdotally that texting an Android phone is terrible as opposed to texting an iPhone. Ben Thompson on John Gruber's "The Talk Show" said that "iMessage is without question the most straight up frustrating aspect of using an Android phone for any period of time," and “You can’t really get past there not being iMessage.”

iMessages are inherent to only Apple products at this time, and I take their complaint to be about not having the ability to send and receive "iMessages" between iPhones and non-iPhone devices. They can still send SMS & MMS messages between the competing devices as well as use cross-platform 3rd-party chat apps.

I think because of my background of being the only Apple user and texting the first iPhone years after using Apple products, the only difference I see is a color change and Read Receipts. I see them in green and because of Continuity I can text back on my iPad and Mac. So what do you lose? What are the benefits of messaging with iMessage as opposed to other Android phones or using a different platform like Facebook Messenger?

That'll depend on one's texting needs. For me, it's a non-issue.

 

[Lee_Bo]

I'm in several text chat groups at church an there are a few folks with Android phones and once in a while they will say they are not getting any text messages from anyone in the group on an iPhone. And it always seems to be these same few folks. Then after a day or two they will say everything is fine.

I personally think they are having to reboot their devices to get everything to work again. Just another reason I enjoy iOS over Android. Was having to reboot my Android devices way too much.

As for me, I'm staying with iOS for a while. It just works. Period.

 

[Wotchered]

I have quite a few people that I have to communicate with who are Android fans- no difficulty whatever,its just SMS that's all. If for some reason there is a suspicion that there's any international bottlenecks email picks up the slack.

 

[will.i.am.79.g1]

Because its not. So they gotta say something or else they just be not as privy.

 

[Rob Phillips]

My biggest iMessage to Android gripe deals with group chats. Most of the time it works flawlessly but every once in a while a single conversation somehow ends up getting split up in multiple conversations by somebody's message app.

 

[Rob Phillips]

Because its not. So they gotta say something or else they just be not as privy.

It's not always a flawless experience. I'm not sure being "privy" has anything to do with it.

 

[SparklyPickle]

They must not know how to properly use and set up iMessage and an iPhone

 

[dflyer]

I have found that the issue is not iPhone to android or visa versa as that what has always been the mantra. It is a carrier issue. Check with your carrier. I have discovered that Bell does not support group messages via sms. I was surprised a large carrier like that didn’t support it. I believe that may be the issue for group messages.