Customize iMessage: How to Turn Off Messages for Specific People

iMessage has undoubtedly taken the concept of messages to a whole new level for iPhone users. From enabling them to share animated GIFs and emojis to sending high-quality images and videos, iMessage, using Wi-Fi internet or cellular data, has made the chatting experience effective and full of fun. 

But what if you are trying to send a message to your friend for an hour now, and it doesn’t deliver the message? 

Well, there are numerous reasons behind messages not being delivered. Either your friend’s phone may be switched off due to low battery, or they have put their phone on airplane mode with their Wi-Fi off.

But you urgently need to contact your friend and want to turn off the iMessage app for your friend only to send a message through simple SMS directly. 

Can you turn off iMessage for your friend only?

How to Turn Off iMessage for One Person 2023 – A Quick Step-By-Step Guide

So, this is how simple it is to turn off iMessage for a certain phone number. However, you can use the direct method to block a particular person. 

For this, you have to open the conversation with the person in the iMessage app, get into the info option, and block the number. And this is how you will get the iMessage turned off for one person within a few minutes. 

If I Turn Off iMessage, Will I Still Receive Messages? 

If you have turned off the iMessage app on your iPhone, you won’t receive or send messages on your phone. 

However, suppose your iMessage is connected to other Apple devices like your Macbook, iPad, and smartwatch. In that case, you will receive the messages from senders on other devices, regardless of disabling the iMessage app on your iPhone. 

And if you have disconnected the iMessage messages app from all your Apple devices, you won’t receive messages from the senders in any of your devices. 

Moreover, if you turn off the iMessage for one particular contact by blocking their number, you won’t receive messages and notifications on any of your Apple devices. 

However, once you unblock them, you’ll start receiving all of the messages that were not delivered due to the blocked number unless they were not sent 30 days ago, as the iMessage server only stores undelivered messages for this time. 

In short, turning off the iMessage will not deliver any messages from the senders to your phone. But you can receive them later if you re-enable the iMessage app on your device, and the messages are at most 30 days. 

Why Would Someone Turn Off iMessage? Evaluating The Possible Scenarios

Well, if you are looking for the answer to why your boyfriend turned off iMessage after a clash with you, then we might not have an explanation, but here are some of the possible reasons behind a person turning off their iMessage.

1. To Save Cellular Data

The biggest reason for turning off iMessage on your devices is to save cellular data. As we know, iMessage requires a stable internet connection to work. If you continuously chat with your friend via iMessage, the chances of running out of cellular data are significant. 

Therefore, turning off your iMessage app and using simple SMS services instead is a great step if you want to save cellular data. 

2. Unavailability of Internet Connection

As we know, iMessage requires an internet connection or Wi-Fi connectivity to send and receive messages. If the internet is not available, the iMessage will hold the messages until the internet is connected to the device. That is, your boyfriend won’t be able to use iMessage app. 

If you are traveling to a location where internet signals are weak or unavailable, switching to simple SMS services instead of relying on iMessage is critical to staying in constant touch with your loved one. 

3. Switching to Android

Switching to an Android device is another reason for turning off the iMessage app. If the person switches to an Andriod device, they will stop using their iMessage app. 

Also, as Android devices are more popular than Apple’s, the person might have friends with Android devices. And as Andriod doesn’t support the iMessage, they might be turning off the iMessage so they can chat with them through simple SMS services. 

How To Turn Off iMessage For Android? 

The iMessage is a messaging application only available for Apple users and for devices like iPhone, Macbook, iPad, and Apple smartwatches. It is not available for Android devices. 

Therefore, you cannot turn off iMessage on Android as it is not accessible on these devices.