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Before switching from iPhone to Android, one of the most important things you'll want to do is disable iMessage (providing you're using it in the first place of course). iMessage doesn't work on Android, so it's one of the things you'll need to leave behind when changing platforms. While you can do it after you make the switch, it's waaayyyy easier to do it beforehand to prevent and issues down the road.
You can disable iMessage on your current device in just a few quick steps — here's how to do it:
How to disable iMessage on your iPhone or iPad
- Launch Settings from the Home screen of your iPhone.
- Tap Messages.
- Tap the slider next to iMessage to turn it off.
- Go back to Settings.
- Tap on Facetime.
- Tap the slider next to Facetime to turn it off.
If you want to verify that you've done it properly, send a few messages to friends with whom you previously used iMessage. You should see green bubble replies now (SMS) rather than the blue bubbles (iMessage).
Once you make the swap to your new Android device, send a few test messages to make sure that all of your messaging is working as it should.
What if I've already switched to Android?
If you already swapped devices and forgot to turn off iMessage you're not totally out of luck. Apple has accounted for this error and made it easy-ish to disable iMessage after the fact.
Go to the Deregister iMessage page from any browser and scroll down until you see No longer have your iPhone?.
Enter the phone number you'd like to deactivate from iMessage and click Send Code. Check your current phone for a text message and enter the code that you're sent. Wait for confirmation that iMessage has been de-activated.
After that, you should be good to go. Again, send a few test messages to make sure that everything is working properly.
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