Apple sued over text messaging issues related to switching away from iPhone
Apple is being sued yet again, this time from a former iPhone user who claims the company's iMessage service is causing texts coming to her new Android smartphone to vanish.
According to the complaint filed on Thursday with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, plaintiff Adrienne Moore says Apple device owners are "penalized and injured" when switching away from iMessage. The lawsuit was first spotted by Bloomberg.
In her claim, Moore notes she was automatically opted-in to use iMessage when her iPhone 4 updated to iOS 5. When she later traded in that device for a Galaxy S5 in April, iMessage continued to send text messages originating from other iPhone users to the now deactivated Apple smartphone without forwarding them to the Samsung handset. Senders are not notified that their message was not forwarded, leaving both parties in the lurch.
Apple has been aware of this issue since the release of iOS 5. In a support document covering iMessage troubleshooting, the company warns users to turn off the proprietary service prior to transferring their SIM card or phone number to a non-iOS device. If proper steps are not taken, other iOS devices may continue to send text messages via iMessage instead of SMS or MMS for up to 45 days.
Moore claims she and other iOS device owners were not made sufficiently aware of the system issue and as a result missed "countless" texts, causing irreparable harm.
The lawsuit is seeking class-status under California's unfair competition law, claiming iMessage is wrongfully interfering with customers' wireless contracts by restricting the use of carrier text messaging systems.
According to the complaint filed on Thursday with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, plaintiff Adrienne Moore says Apple device owners are "penalized and injured" when switching away from iMessage. The lawsuit was first spotted by Bloomberg.
In her claim, Moore notes she was automatically opted-in to use iMessage when her iPhone 4 updated to iOS 5. When she later traded in that device for a Galaxy S5 in April, iMessage continued to send text messages originating from other iPhone users to the now deactivated Apple smartphone without forwarding them to the Samsung handset. Senders are not notified that their message was not forwarded, leaving both parties in the lurch.
Apple has been aware of this issue since the release of iOS 5. In a support document covering iMessage troubleshooting, the company warns users to turn off the proprietary service prior to transferring their SIM card or phone number to a non-iOS device. If proper steps are not taken, other iOS devices may continue to send text messages via iMessage instead of SMS or MMS for up to 45 days.
Moore claims she and other iOS device owners were not made sufficiently aware of the system issue and as a result missed "countless" texts, causing irreparable harm.
The lawsuit is seeking class-status under California's unfair competition law, claiming iMessage is wrongfully interfering with customers' wireless contracts by restricting the use of carrier text messaging systems.
Comments
Similarly, it can be easy, when selling a device, to forget to deactivate it for iTunes purchases. Normally, you can only deactivate a device from that specific device, but if you've already sold it, it can be too late. In that case, Apple offers a mechanism that allows you to deactivate all devices, via a log-in to your iTunes account from any device, and the effect is immediate. They need some way that a user can deactivate iMessage without needing the actual device and without having to wait for 45 days.
Just switch back lady, ....solved.
Agreed and on the same note, I would love to show her in person!
Remove your phone number from iMessage. Dumb arse.
Remove your phone number from iMessage. Dumb arse.
How, if you don't have an iOS device any more?
There's definitely a problem here, and it's tied up with Apple's integration of SMS and iMessage. If Apple are acknowledging it, and yet haven't solved it since iOS5, then a lawsuit is fair enough; they should have fixed it.
1. if someone sells off their old iPhone without making sure new phone is working that is rather silly of them but in this day of trade in offers its not a shock
2. if you call Apple Care they can remove your number from the system manually.
3. if it is true that Apple has known about this since iOS 5 they should have changed iOS 6 and & to deactivate the number in the system any time the phone is wiped. Whats the harm since you can reactivate it when you activate the new phone.
Similarly, it can be easy, when selling a device, to forget to deactivate it for iTunes purchases. Normally, you can only deactivate a device from that specific device, but if you've already sold it, it can be too late.
I think you might be confusing authorizing computers in this. You don't activate devices for purchases in the same way. The only way a device would still be 'activated' is if you didn't erase it before handing it over. Which is a whole other mess
Three things here
1. if someone sells off their old iPhone without making sure new phone is working that is rather silly of them but in this day of trade in offers its not a shock
2. if you call Apple Care they can remove your number from the system manually.
3. if it is true that Apple has known about this since iOS 5 they should have changed iOS 6 and & to deactivate the number in the system any time the phone is wiped. Whats the harm since you can reactivate it when you activate the new phone.
Re: #3 -> beat me to it!
Apple needs to provide a means of fixing this after the fact. I was not aware of this issue and was an Apple At Home Advisor for iOS last year. There is no mention of the need to disable iMessage before leaving iPhone in the iPhone User Guide either.
so they filed a law suit instead of calling tech support?
Its seems more like an issue that your friends phones have learned you have an iPhone so they send an iMessage and anything you do on your phone wont have an instant effect on theirs, therefore you have to wait the 45 days for their phones to update.
2. She doesn't even google the stuff.
3. She doesn't contact Apple to remove the number
4.She doesn't restore her phone before trading it in or sign out if her iCloud/iMessage/Facetime
5. Why is she still running iOS 5?
6. Maybe her friends had her number as iPhone under contacts :smokey:
7. She actually sues them.
8. She doesn't even check for a fix.
so they filed a law suit instead of calling tech support?
Welcome to the US of A.