Issues with Apple iMessage/FaceTime verification sms on Pixel 8 Pro

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › Issues with Apple iMessage/FaceTime verification sms on Pixel 8 Pro

Jvipers2

236 posts

Master Geek
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#322958 10-Oct-2025 12:04

Hi all,

Sorry I've created this post here as I'm not 100% sure which sub this is supposed to be.

Long story short, I've been with Warehouse Mobile since 2019 on an iPhone 7+. Feb 2024 onwards, I have changed to a Pixel 8 Pro. This year, I've been charged for international sms to 447786205094 while traveling abroad. Upon contacting customer support and TDR, I was told that Apple can still request sms from a registered number even when the sim is no longer in an Apple device which then incurs a charge.

Can anyone help to clarify this is possible and how to prevent this as I'm not sure if I could just simply remove the phone number from Apple ID without a replacement number?

Thanks in advance.

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hhan

155 posts

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ID Verified

#3423669 10-Oct-2025 12:25

https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/

Try this one

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Jvipers2

236 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 91

#3423699 10-Oct-2025 16:06

hhan:
https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/

Try this one

Thanks, got the message:

"It looks like the phone number you provided is not registered with iMessage. Please verify the number and try again."

So now I'm curious if there's any truth to Warehouse Mobile/2 degrees' response

gzt

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#3423700 10-Oct-2025 16:19

The number you provided is listed on several telco sites as owned by Apple. Is that the number listed on your invoice?

Jvipers2

236 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 91

#3424578 13-Oct-2025 12:23

gzt: The number you provided is listed on several telco sites as owned by Apple. Is that the number listed on your invoice?

Yes it is... After clarifying with customer service, apparently Apple can trigger sms to be sent to them even if the sim isn't in their device.. I think this is not fair

Linux

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#3424676 13-Oct-2025 15:38

That is not good send an invoice to Apple for the SMS

Jvipers2

236 posts

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#3424738 14-Oct-2025 09:05

Linux:
That is not good send an invoice to Apple for the SMS

Don't think Apple would entertain that

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Behodar

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#3424740 14-Oct-2025 09:14

Jvipers2: Yes it is... After clarifying with customer service, apparently Apple can trigger sms to be sent to them even if the sim isn't in their device.. I think this is not fair

I suspect customer service don't know what they're talking about. How would Apple be able to make your non-Apple phone send an SMS?

ANglEAUT

altered-ego
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#3424826 14-Oct-2025 11:13

Behodar:

Jvipers2: Yes it is... After clarifying with customer service, apparently Apple can trigger sms to be sent to them even if the sim isn't in their device.. I think this is not fair

I suspect customer service don't know what they're talking about. How would Apple be able to make your non-Apple phone send an SMS?

Bzzzt! Wrong! The Customer Service team do know what they are talking about. When you put your SIM card into an iPhone you are warned that there may be carrier charges associated.

If the number was not properly deregistered from iMessage, then Apple could have tried to contact his phone to try & verify that it can still receive iMessages. If not, the sending device would fail back to pure SMS. Viola, there is your SMS charge, thanks to Apple.

Please keep this GZ community vibrant by contributing in a constructive & respectful manner.

snj

305 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#3424843 14-Oct-2025 12:03

ANglEAUT:

Bzzzt! Wrong! The Customer Service team do know what they are talking about. When you put your SIM card into an iPhone you are warned that there may be carrier charges associated.

If the number was not properly deregistered from iMessage, then Apple could have tried to contact his phone to try & verify that it can still receive iMessages. If not, the sending device would fail back to pure SMS. Viola, there is your SMS charge, thanks to Apple.

WH Mobile appear to be claiming that a Pixel 8 Pro sent the messages though, and that Apple can force a non-Apple device to send an outgoing message.

You're correct that inserting the SIM into an iPhone will trigger the message/verification cycle, but OP has stated they stopped using the platform completely well before these charges, so this appears to not be the case in OP's situation.

andyb

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#3424971 15-Oct-2025 08:29

The sensible thing would be for the carrier involved to zero rate the SMS charge to those numbers... its pretty easy to do.

andyb

Behodar

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#3424989 15-Oct-2025 09:23

snj:

ANglEAUT:

Viola, there is your SMS charge, thanks to Apple.

You're correct that inserting the SIM into an iPhone will trigger the message/verification cycle, but OP has stated they stopped using the platform completely well before these charges, so this appears to not be the case in OP's situation.

I'm also not sure where the viola comes into it.

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Jvipers2

236 posts

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#3425110 15-Oct-2025 12:08

snj:
WH Mobile appear to be claiming that a Pixel 8 Pro sent the messages though, and that Apple can force a non-Apple device to send an outgoing message.

You're correct that inserting the SIM into an iPhone will trigger the message/verification cycle, but OP has stated they stopped using the platform completely well before these charges, so this appears to not be the case in OP's situation.

If Apple can really do that, makes you wonder what else they could do. I know Android is open source but would this then be considered a loop hole for exploit?

andyb:
The sensible thing would be for the carrier involved to zero rate the SMS charge to those numbers... its pretty easy to do.

And miss out on easy revenue? No way!