There is not a more anxiety-inducing feeling than when you realize an important text message has been sent elsewhere.
This is particularly the case when you have recently upgraded to a different phone.
Maybe the texts are going to your old phone instead- or you are simply not receiving them at all!
Whatever the case may be, we understand this is a significant inconvenience and concern.
Fortunately, we have good news for you. You’re definitely not alone, and we are here to help you solve whatever may be causing your text-related issues.
This article outlines the main reasons why you may not be receiving your texts after switching phones, and what the solutions are available for both Apple and Android devices.
Let’s get into it!
Why Is My New Phone Not Receiving Texts?
Below, we have listed the top four reasons why your new phone may not be receiving text messages:
Poor Network Connection
The cellular network acts as a conductor to receive and send calls and texts.
If there is an issue with your service provider’s network, users can experience service disruption. This will make it impossible to send and receive text messages.
It is also important to know that when your phone is in Airplane Mode, you will not be able to access your service provider’s network. This would also make you unable to send and receive text messages.
While this doesn’t mean that you have a poor network connection, it may appear that way if Airplane Mode is enabled.
If you notice you have little to no signal bars, this indicates that you are likely experiencing a poor network connection. You can solve this by moving to a location with better network connection.
Your Phone Needs A Reboot
We may not always understand why, but restarting your device seems to remedy many cell phone issues.
In the same vein, restarting a phone has been proven helpful if you cannot receive texts on your new phone.
To do this, close all apps and shut down the phone. Keep it switched off for several minutes before you turn it back on. This may be the only step needed to receive your phone messages once again!
Outdated System Or Apps
Updating your device, and more specifically, your messaging application is similar in effect to rebooting your device.
Both updating your phone and the messaging app will fix bugs that could prevent your texts from coming in.
It’s important to update your phone’s messaging application as soon as new updates are rolled out.
In addition, the problem could stem from incompatibility issues between the messaging app and the device operating system. If so, updating both could be the solution to your phone issues.
However, in some cases, the problem can actually stem from incompatible updates as well!
If you notice that the messaging app has stopped working after a recent update, rolling it back to the previous version should solve the problem.
Blocked Contacts
If you are not receiving messages from a specific person or subset of people, it is possible you have blocked the contact/s and forgotten all about it.
It happens.
Check your contact list to ensure that the person/s is not barred from contacting you.
If you have contacts blocked, unblocking them will allow you to send and receive texts once more.
Why Are Text Messages Still Going To My Old Phone?
If the chat/messaging feature has not been fully disabled on your old phone, it is possible for texts to still be directed there.
The likelihood of this occurring is even greater if the messaging feature is disabled or not set up correctly on the new device.
In the case of Android devices, if the RCS chat feature is not disabled on your old phone, you may have issues receiving texts and calls up to eight days after switching over!
In the rest of this article, we’ll take a look at how to stop texts from going to both old iPhones and Android phones!
How Do I Stop Messages From Going to My Old iPhone?
If you are switching from an Apple device to an Android device, you need to ensure that the iMessage feature is turned off on your old iPhone.
This is necessary to receive texts from other iPhone users, as Android devices cannot receive messages from iMessage.
Android devices typically use RCS messaging, which is a service provided by Google and used by numerous telecommunication companies worldwide.
To disable iMessage on your old iPhone, go to your old iPhone’s Settings (usually depicted by a Gear icon).
An internet connection is necessary to ensure that this change syncs with your Apple ID. Select ‘Messages’ and disable iMessage from there.
If you no longer have access to your old iPhone, fear not!
You can visit Apple’s customer support website and disable the iMessage feature there.
You can do this by inputting your phone number and entering a six-digit code you would receive via text (on your new phone).
After entering the code, click the Submit button. Once the code entered is correct, the iMessage feature will be disabled.
If you enter an incorrect code, you will receive a notification informing you that the change was unsuccessful.
If all else fails and the above method does not work, chat with an Apple representative and ask them to disable the iMessage feature on your behalf.
How Do I Stop Messages From Going To My Old Android Device?
Similarly, switching from an Android device to an Apple device can cause texts to be received on the older phone.
New iPhone users may be able to send out text messages, but replies are still received on the old Android phone.
Follow these steps to ensure your messages get sent to your new iPhone:
- Launch your default messaging app then tap the three-dot menu and select settings.
- Then, click on ‘General’
- Select ‘Chat features’. Lastly, turn off ‘Enable Chat Features’. You should then be able to receive messages on your new iPhone.
The same applies if you are switching from one Android device to another.
You may need to follow the same steps as above to ensure that the chat features are disabled on the old device.
Afterward, ensure that chat features on the new device are enabled. This can be done by following steps one to four above, and turning the “Enable Chat Features” section on.
Other Reasons Why Your Phone May Not Be Receiving Text Messages?
The Message App’s Cache is Full
Your messaging app’s cache could be what’s causing your app to malfunction.
Just like with a browser, when a messaging app’s cache is full the application’s performance will become less than optimal.
Clearing the cache improves the processing capabilities of the app while not affecting messages or media negatively in any way.
- To clear your messaging app’s cache, go to Settings and select ‘Apps’.
- Scroll to your message app and select ‘Storage’.
- Then, click on ‘Clear cache‘. Lastly, confirm that you are intentionally clearing the cache.
Ensure that you clear the cache of both your current and previous messaging apps.
An Outdated Device
Understandably, we all have some level of attachment to our devices.
However, like almost everything else in life, we need to acknowledge when it is time to let things go and move on.
Your phone no longer receiving text messages may likewise be a sign it’s time for a new device.
This will especially be the case if you have exhausted all the options listed above in this article, and you own an older model device.
With constant changes to operating systems and messaging settings, there will come the point where older devices simply can no longer handle new updates.
Things To Do Before You Switch Devices
Switching devices can be a daunting task, especially since we do not want to risk losing anything during the migration.
As such, there are several things you should do before switching over to a new phone:
- Write down or memorize passwords to all applications, emails, and other accounts.
- Keep a record of all important contacts. While there is the option of saving contacts to the cloud, keeping a manual note of the essential numbers can prove beneficial in the event that your technology fails.
- Research the differences in operating systems of your two devices. Are you switching from Android to Apple? A little research can prevent major inconveniences, such as your texts going to your old phone.
- Finally- Disable iMessage or Chat Features on your old device!
Related Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is a cache?
Caches are also useful in saving time, as it stores data and suggests relevant data at appropriate times.
An example of a cache is when your phone automatically fills your personal information on basic forms.
On the downside, caches take up a lot of space on your device. When at capacity or in cases of corruption, caches can cause apps and entire devices to malfunction.
2. What is RCS messaging? Is it new?
RCS messaging intends to improve the default messaging services on Android. While the ideas behind RCS began to formulate in 2007, the version that is in use today was launched in 2018.
The significant improvements with RCS versus the traditional messaging app include sending and receiving higher-quality multimedia messages, sending documents, and making video calls.
In Conclusion
Switching phones can be a tedious task.
This is especially true when the transition is not smooth, and you end up missing vital information because your texts are going to the wrong device!
In general, the three main reasons you are not receiving messages on your new device include poor network connection, outdated apps, and blocked contacts.
Fortunately, we have discussed techniques that can help you solve this problem. We hope our article has helped you solve your text-related issues, and given you a little more knowledge along the way!