contactsiosmessages
I've explained one of my contacts how to set his phone number as a recipient for iMessage.
However, his name still appears as Text Message and not iMessage.
How often does iOS check if a number is an iMessage number? Is there a way to force-refresh?
I've restarted my phone – didn't work.
I believe that the siri command for imessage is: Message Alice i'll be there soon. This will not prevent it from sending a text message. To prevent it from sending a text message, go into settings --> messages --> and turn off the "Send as SMS" switch.
In her contact it should look like this:
Alice Appleseed
Phone: (XXX) XXX-XXXX
Email: aliceappleseed@xxxxxxx.net
What you need to do is try to message her on one of these accounts.
Try saying: "message alice on her email...I'll see you later"
Then: "message alice on her mobile...I'll see you later"
The point is: you want to state where you want to send the message. If you just say "message Alice", then siri will ask you where you want the message to go.
Since the iPad doesn't have a phone number, you message it through its email address (this will have to send an iMessage). The non-iPhone uses its phone number (this will have to send a text message).
I hope this helps.
Update: Brought to my attention by the author of the original question, the method above: "message alice on her email...I'll see you later" is not fully effective.
Rather, saying it this way:
"message alice on iCloud...I'll see you later"
will send the imessage to Alice's iCloud email address (which must be set up by her as an E-mail address which can contact her via imessage). Note: If I'm correct, the E-mail account used as a contact point does not have to be an iCloud account (although it may be better to use one anyway). For instance, you could use the E-mail account of johnny.appleseed@example.com, yet label it as an iCloud account in Contacts, and it SHOULD work the same.
Sadly, I have since stopped using Siri, simply because I have been too busy, so feel free to correct me if I am wrong about this all.
Glad I could help. (surprised that you remembered my answer, since it was written a good while ago.)
It's an issue with OS X & Exchange sync. As a workaround, you can use the OWA app by Microsoft to sync your contacts to iCloud:
On iOS there's an app called OWA. Within the app there's a setting within the People section for sync'ing your contacts. Basically it creates a new group in your iCloud called OWA that is a carbon copy of your contacts.
Once I turned this on and saw it sync with my laptop, I got my names resolved and showing in iMessage again!
I have documented a more complete explanation and resolution in Resolving Contacts Sync on OS X - Error SOAPWebServicesErrorDomain.
Best Answer
It happens immediately. There is a chance that your friend hasn’t configured iMessage properly.
Tell him to turn off iMessage, and turn it back on.