Replace Messages app with something else and have it use the phone number

messagessms

Is there a way for me to use a different app to send/receive SMS messages on my iPhone, and still use my same phone number?

It'd be great if it could become the default for sending messages on my iPhone, without jailbreaking.

So I'd like an app that

  • defaults to sending SMS messages, even for contacts that have iMessage
  • reuses my existing phone number when sending/receiving SMS messages

So in theory, it's like I have an Android phone, and only know how to send/recive SMS messages 😉

EDIT: Note my main problem is that when I have iMessage disabled, other people still try to send me iMessages, which I dont get if I have iMessage disabled of course!

Best Answer

You can turn iMessage off in the Settings app under Messages. Then your iPhone will only send SMS and MMS messages using your phone number.

You will also need to turn off FaceTime.

You will also want to make sure every iOS device you have has iMessage turned off, or you will just get iMessages on the devices that have it turned on.

If those steps don't work Apple provides a form to deregister your phone number from iMessage. It is nominally for Android users so I'm not sure if it will work for iPhone users.

You will not find a way to replace Messages as the default app without jailbreaking.

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