Confused about iMessage

[bazookaman]

So my wife's sister just messaged me while trying to get the wife's 5S set up in the UK. She wanted my Apple ID for iMessage for the wife's phone. But in the US we both use our phone numbers for iMessage. I can add my Apple ID to my phone for iMessage I guess, but I do not. Hers is the same way. But then, I'm not even sure if she has an Apple ID to add. But since she's using it in the UK with a UK nano sim it seems to want MY apple ID. Apparently her phone isn't even usable w/o my ID.

I'm totally confused.

Edit: Some more info: Apparently her phone would not show anything from her old phone. No contacts or anything. It needed MY Apple ID for...whatever. I mean, I DO use my Apple ID for the app store. So myself, my wife and my daughter all share one computer with one itunes account. But I guess I didn't realize you couldn't even use an iPhone w/o an Apple ID.

Edit 2: Yep. Now my phone is jacked up. I was using my phone number for imessage until she signed into imessage with my Apple ID. Now mine needs my apple ID too and won't work with just my phone number. But if I choose my Apple ID, all my messages go to myself. WTF!

[silvarios]

Can't you use your shared Apple ID for apps, but individual IDs for the iCloud stuff?

[NewtonMP2100]

so...iConfused......'bout....iMessage....????

[bazookaman]

silvarios wrote:
Can't you use your shared Apple ID for apps, but individual IDs for the iCloud stuff?

Heh. You would think. I think when they restarted the phone it asked for my ID. Since my ID was associated with my phone, it didn't like that. So basically I can text my SIL (via regular SMS) but I cannot text my wife (b/c she is using my Apple ID) unless I log in with my Apple ID too...which I cannot do b/c then all my messages come to me. INGENIOUS!

[bazookaman]

Actually I KNOW she does not have an Apple ID. When I logged into iMessage with MY Apple ID, my email address popped up along with my daughter's. We set her one up so that everytime she got a facetime request from her aunt, everyone's phone wouldn't ring.

So it's MY Apple ID for the app store on everyone's iDevice. It's my daughter's email for her facetime and iMessage. It's MY phone number for my iMessage and my wife's phone number for her iMessage.

So where this went south is when she put the UK sim card in. I guess that phone number was no longer associated with iMessage and the new phone number should have been. But it asked for an Apple ID so they entered mine. Since it's the only one. But of course, for whatever reason that has prevented ME from using MY phone number for iMessage on MY phone.

[silvarios]

I thought iMessage required an Apple ID. Unless your wife's texts are blue, she's never been using iMessage. Perhaps your wife was sending regular SMS/MMS this whole time? If your wife uses her UK SIM to message you, there might be additional charges for the International rate.

From Apple:
"Go to Settings, tap Messages.
Turn on iMessage and tap “Use your Apple ID for iMessage.”

Note: iPhone screens shown. On an iPad and iPod touch, you won’t see the screen on the right, you’ll go straight to the Sign In screen below."

https://www.apple.com/ios/messages/

Edit: Never mind, from iMore:
"Prior to iOS 6, you could only use an Apple ID, aka an email address, in order to send iMessages from an iPad. If you're running iOS 6 or higher, you can link your phone number with your Apple ID and start message conversations on both iPhone and iPad with your phone number."

Your wife simply needed to associate the new phone number with Apple, right?

[bazookaman]

silvarios wrote:
Your wife simply needed to associate the new phone number with Apple, right?

Maybe? My SIL is trying to track her down now to straighten it out. If nothing else, she can set up a new Apple ID with her email.

However, not sure why mine will no longer activate with my phone number.

[silvarios]

bazookaman wrote:
[quote=silvarios]
Your wife simply needed to associate the new phone number with Apple, right?

Maybe? My SIL is trying to track her down now to straighten it out. If nothing else, she can set up a new Apple ID with her email.

However, not sure why mine will no longer activate with my phone number.
Don't know. Seems like Apple was really pushing the Apple ID with iMessages on the iOS 8 product pages, so I thought you needed one and the number alone didn't work. What do I know? I sold my last iPhone back in like October last year.

[space-time]

install Viber.

[rgG]

What does it say on your phone under Settings>Messages>Send & Receive>What addresses are here?

It should allow you to check off which number or email address you want your iMessages sent to and to originate from.

Edit: Also, on a phone, the actual phone number should be greyed out and checked by default in the "you can be reached by iMessage at" section.