Cannot receive iMessages

[Rod]

Some may already be aware that I have had to replace my iPhone temporarily (I hope) with an Android because it was the cheapest most available option.
Because of this I have become aware of an issue that with my head firmly in the Apple sand I had not previously known.
I missed a reply to an SMS I had sent to a friend. I did no even know I had missed it until I saw it on my MBP via iMessage. I then tested this with my wife's iPhone and found the same. A little research revealed that an Android phone will not receive an iMessage from an iPhone that has Wi-Fi at the time. If I use my wife's phone with iMessage turned on at home it will say 'Delivered' although I have not received it. The option that used to be available, to send as SMS is not available and the only way which works is to turn off iMessage on the iPhone.
There are no Android solutions to this problem although PushBullet may offer a solution soon.
So the alternatives are: 1. Ask all my friends here to turn off iMessage in settings. 2. Disassociate my phone number from my Apple ID.
Neither are good solutions for me but it does raise a question about Apple. Why has this been an issue since 2011 when imessage/ichat were introduced yet not fixed?
Why can't the Apple servers recognise that the message has not actually been sent and send as an SMS instead of storing it while erroneously saying its been received? Seems like 6 years is ling enough to work this out.

 

[chscag]

I think something is not working right in your setup. I routinely send iMessages to persons who use Androids and they arrive as SMS messages. And I likewise can receive SMS messages from an Android to my iPhone.

And yes, there is a delay when sending an iMessage as SMS to an Android. Sometimes is will say delivered right away and other times it will take several hours.

 

[Rod]

Thats because they do not have their Phone number (sim) associated with an Apple Account as stated; alternative 2. "Disassociate my phone number from my Apple ID."

Read this; http://mashable.com/2014/11/10/apple-imessage-android-fix/#qrKLjJ923ZqY

 

[Rod]

I have visited the web page to Deregister my phone number from iMessage/iChat http://www.mac-forums.com/showthread.php?t=340697&goto=newpost
If you do not have your iPhone you just enter your phone number and ask for a code. Tried that, cannot change number from US number? now been waiting 45 min for an iChat on MBP to Apple support that was supposed to reply in about 2 min.

 

[chscag]

Sorry about that Rod. I keep forgetting that you're outside of the US and Australia and have to live with the long delays and somewhat confusing instructions. Apple has been hinting at opening iMessage for all users (iPhone and Android) and we may see that come to life with iOS 11. Few people are aware that there are more Android phones in use world wide than there are iPhones. Apple has been very hesitant about boosting anything that helps the sale of Androids. Note their ongoing battle in the courts with Samsung as an example.

 

[ferrarr]

Does you friend have SMS messaging turned on in their phone settings? Are they using an iPhone? Also look in your Messages preferences on your Mac and see what "Start new conversations" is set to, either email, or phone number. Try the other option.

 

[Rod]

ferrarr, my friends (plural) and there are many here and overseas have what ever setting they have. Obviously I can't check them all or ask them all to turn off thier iMessage option in settings. What I can say is my wife and two friends here have sent me text messages that have only been received on my MBP via iMessage, not received on my android phone, (if my wife sends with her iMessage turned off then I receive it). Some of them have cellular data some have WiFi or both but it is clear that Apple believes my phone number is on an iPhone and stores iMessages to send via the web. The Android has no way to receive these messages even with WiFi. The Apple server believes it has been delivered so there is no option to send as SMS.

Using Apple's web tool to deregister the phone number did not work for although I could change the location (but only using Safari) it would not allows me to enter the eleven digits of the phone number. Ten seems to be the limit. The location picker puts in the area code, I leave off the zero at the start but there are still eleven digits. Standard Mob number in Bali is twelve digits.
Finally got Live Chat with Apple Assist, they could not help me but suggested a call to the support centre, could not arrange a call back. So yet to try that.