What disconnecting iMessage means

Disconnecting iMessage means turning off the service that lets you send blue-bubble text messages through Apple's servers instead of your phone carrier's network. When iMessage is on, your messages to other Apple users travel through the internet. When you turn it off, all your text messages — even to iPhone users — go through regular SMS, which shows as green bubbles.

You might disconnect iMessage if you're switching to an Android phone, if you're having trouble receiving texts, or if you want to use only standard text messaging. The process takes less than a minute and you can turn it back on anytime.

Key Takeaways

  • Disconnecting iMessage turns off blue-bubble messaging and forces all texts to send as green-bubble SMS instead.
  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage off; on Mac, open Messages > Settings > Accounts and uncheck iMessage.
  • If you're switching to Android, disconnect iMessage before you stop using your iPhone, or you may not receive texts from iPhone users.
  • Turning iMessage off does not delete your message history — all past conversations stay on your device.

How to disconnect iMessage on iPhone

Open the Settings app on your iPhone. Scroll down and tap Messages. At the top of the Messages screen, you'll see a toggle switch next to iMessage. Tap it once to turn it off. The switch will turn gray, and iMessage is now disconnected.

That's the entire process. Your phone will now send all text messages as SMS through your carrier. If you have an Apple Watch, you may see a prompt asking whether you want to keep iMessage on the watch — you can choose either way, but turning it off there too keeps everything consistent.

How to disconnect iMessage on iPad or iPod Touch

The steps are identical to iPhone. Open Settings, tap Messages, and toggle iMessage off. If you use multiple Apple devices and want to disconnect iMessage everywhere, you'll need to repeat this step on each device separately — turning it off on your iPhone does not automatically turn it off on your iPad.

If you share an Apple ID across devices, disconnecting on one device may prompt you to sign out of iMessage on the others. Follow the on-screen instructions and toggle iMessage off on each device individually to may support it's fully disconnected.

How to disconnect iMessage on Mac

Open the Messages app on your Mac. In the menu bar at the top, click Messages, then select Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions). Click the Accounts tab. You'll see a list of accounts on the left side — find the one associated with your phone number or Apple ID.

Click that account, then uncheck the box next to Enable this account. Close the Settings window. iMessage is now off on your Mac. Messages you send from your Mac will go through SMS if you have a phone number registered, or they won't send at all if you only have an Apple ID.

Why you might need to disconnect before switching phones

If you're moving from iPhone to Android, disconnect iMessage on your iPhone before you stop using it. Here's why: when an iPhone user sends you a text, their phone checks Apple's servers to see if your number is registered for iMessage. If it still is, their message goes through iMessage and may never reach your Android phone.

The safest approach is to disconnect iMessage on your iPhone, wait a few minutes, then switch to your Android device. If you've already switched and aren't receiving texts from iPhone users, you can visit Apple's iMessage deregistration page from any web browser, enter your phone number, and Apple will remove it from their system within a few minutes.

What happens to your messages when you disconnect

Disconnecting iMessage does not delete any of your past conversations. All your message threads stay on your device exactly as they were. You can still read old iMessages you sent and received — they just won't be marked as iMessages anymore once you refresh the conversation.

Going forward, new messages will arrive as SMS and show as green bubbles instead of blue. If you turn iMessage back on later, your old blue-bubble messages will still be there, and new messages to other iMessage users will go back to blue bubbles.

How to turn iMessage back on

If you change your mind, turning iMessage back on takes the same few seconds. On iPhone, go to Settings > Messages and toggle iMessage back on. On Mac, open Messages > Settings > Accounts, click your account, and check the box next to Enable this account. You'll need to sign in with your Apple ID if you're prompted.

Once iMessage is back on, you may need to wait a minute or two for Apple's servers to recognize your number again. After that, messages to other iPhone users will go back to blue bubbles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will people know I turned off iMessage?

No. When someone sends you a text, they won't see any notification that iMessage is off. Their message will straightforward arrive as SMS instead of iMessage. On their end, it will show as a green bubble instead of blue, but many people don't pay attention to that distinction.

What if I only want to turn off iMessage on one device?

You can disconnect iMessage on your iPhone while keeping it on your iPad or Mac. Each device has its own iMessage setting, so turning it off on one doesn't affect the others. This is useful if you want to use SMS on your phone but keep iMessage on your tablet.

Can I disconnect iMessage without losing my Apple ID?

Yes. Disconnecting iMessage only turns off that one service. Your Apple ID stays active, and you can still use FaceTime, iCloud, the App Store, and everything else tied to your account. iMessage is just one feature within Apple's ecosystem.

Why am I not receiving texts after I turned off iMessage?

If you switched to Android and didn't disconnect iMessage first, your number may still be registered on Apple's servers. Visit Apple's iMessage deregistration page from a web browser, enter your phone number, and submit. Apple will remove it within a few minutes, and iPhone users' texts should start reaching you.

Does disconnecting iMessage affect FaceTime?

No. iMessage and FaceTime are separate services. You can turn off iMessage and keep FaceTime on, or vice versa. They don't depend on each other.