text messages to iPhone stopped syncing to iPad and vice versa

June 11, 2016 8:53 AM

Since I got my (wifi only) iPad three years ago, all texts to my phone number would show up in iMessage on both my iPhone and iPad, and same with text messages to my email address -- until yesterday.

I can no longer text from my iPad to people with cell phones; only to email addresses (my iPad has no cellular plan), but I could do this before. None of my text message threads are complete on either device starting with discussions from yesterday. I must have toggled something without realizing it, but I can't find an answer anywhere.

Possibly relevant info: I changed my Apple/iTunes password a few days ago, and now my iPhone and iPad keep asking me to sign in every few hours, which has never happened before.

posted by tzikeh to Computers & Internet (3 answers total)

You're sure you're signing completely in on your iPhone/iPad? What sounds to me like it's happening is that you're not signing fully in (somehow, for reasons), are not connected to iCloud and it's not therefore associating your phone number and email address with your Apple Life.

So I'd probably sign out of all Apple ID stuff on your phone and iPad and step through the sign-in specifically again and send a few test messages around. It may be something as simple as your account defaulting to the email address for sending and not linking up to your phone number. Should be a straightforward fix but it's a pain to troubleshoot. I just changed my password a few days ago, totally know how weirdly annoying this is.
posted by jessamyn at 9:26 AM on June 11, 2016

Response by poster: are not connected to iCloud

I don't use iCloud; I've never signed in as far as I know. Am I using it without even knowing it?
posted by tzikeh at 9:42 AM on June 11, 2016

I'm not totally sure of the nomenclature but the "continuity" thing that lets other non-phone devices get texts and that sort of thing is what you want to be tinkering with. This article does a decent job of explaining it and where the settings live.
posted by jessamyn at 9:49 AM on June 11, 2016 [1 favorite]