Apple users have been complaining regarding a bug in the iMessage app for a while now. When a user switches to a non-Apple device the messages previously sent from the iMessage app, disappear. Further, when users switched to another smartphone — which does not run on an iOS — but did not dissever their contact numbers from the iMessage service, continue to appear as iMessage user.
Few months back, Apple was ordered to face a US lawsuit over failing to tell consumers that their message service will be blocked on switching to a non-Apple device. However, Apple said it never claimed that its iMessage service and Messages application, which ran with iOS 5, would recognize when iPhone users switched to rival devices.
In order to fix the bug, Apple introduced a new online tool (here) that allows users to deregister their iMessage service when switching to a non-Apple device, so that no user can send them an iMessage anymore. This feature, however, seems unavailable for Indian users as of now, but is soon expected to be made accessible.
Further, Apple users can turn off the iMessage feature too by tapping into settings> Messages > turn off iMessage.
