Apple Fixing iMessage Lock-In Bug

Apple's frustrating iMessage bug that has left iPhone and iPad users struggling to jump ship to Android could be close to being fixed, with the company saying that it is partway through addressing the problem with the SMS alternative. The glitch – which sees a user unable to extricate their cellphone number from the iMessage system, meaning their remaining contacts using iOS may send them messages they're unable to read on their non-Apple device – has already prompted a lawsuit.

According to the plaintiff, a former iPhone owner, the value from her ongoing cellular service is being undermined by Apple's issue.

Apple has declined to comment on the lawsuit specifically, but has said that the fix it promised earlier this month is already underway.

"We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update," an Apple spokesperson told Re/code. "For users still experiencing an issue, please contact AppleCare."

One of the problems ex-iMessage users had encountered was that Apple's support team had been unable to manually remove a number from its association with an account. The only remaining suggestion they could give, therefore, was telling former users to advise all of their iPhone-owning contacts to remove and re-add their phone number from their individual address books.

The timescale for the future software update is unclear, and it's yet to be seen what affect Apple's efforts will have overall on the iMessage issue.

SOURCE Re/code