How to deregister your iOS device from iMessage

Deregistering your phone number from Apple’s iMessage platform might sound like a complicated process, but it’s actually quite simple.

So why would you want to deregister from iMessage? For one, if you’re the type of person who switches between an Android device and an iOS device on a frequent basis (like myself), deregistering from iMessage is a necessity, especially since Apple’s messaging platform essentially gobbles up your number.

You also may want to opt to deregister from iMessage if you’ve lost your iOS device or it’s been stolen.

Below are the simple steps required in order to get Apple’s iMessage platform to relinquish your phone number.

If you still have your iPhone

If you still have your iPhone, the process is relatively simple and only requires you to navigate to ‘Settings,’ ‘Messages’ and then click turn ‘iMessage’ off. Next, tap FaceTime, click ‘Off’ and exit settings.

While this works in most cases, sometimes when switching between my Google Pixel and iPhone 7 Plus, I’ve run into issues where any iMessage thread that originated via data and not a standard text, resulted in me no longer receiving my messages.

I’ve spent months dealing with this issue before realizing that there’s a very simple solution Apple actually launched a few months ago.

When you no longer have your iPhone

The processing for deregistering your iPhone when you don’t have your device anymore, or if you’re encountering messaging related issues like I’ve experienced above, is perhaps even simpler.

All you need to do is enter your phone number into the form at this link after selecting the appropriate country and click ‘Send Code.’ A 6-digit confirmation code is then sent to your device.

Enter this in your browser window and you’re done; you’ve successfully deregistered your phone number from the depths of Apple’s iMessage.