A long-standing issue with iMessage that causes iOS devices to still be able to send and receive messages even after a user has taken his SIM and iMessage login out of the device got renewed attention this week when the bug hit an Apple Store Genius and his iMessage history leaked out to the web.
Spurred by the latest report, Apple has broken their customary silence to address the issue. Don’t expect a fix to be forthcoming, though: instead, Cupertino is denying there’s a bug, and is instead blaming the whole debacle on the Apple Genius who failed to follow protocol. In fact, the so-called iMessage “bug” is actually incredibly easy to fix.
Speaking to Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, an Apple representative has said:
“This was an extremely rare situation that occurred when a retail employee did not follow the correct service procedure and used their personal SIM to help a customer who did not have a working SIM,” Apple representative Natalie Harrison told The Loop. “This resulted in a temporary situation that has since been resolved by the employee.”
A lot of people who have their iPhones stolen or lost are having the same issues, as thieves (or second-hand device buyers) pop in a new SIM card but still send and receive iMessages under the original owner’s account. According to Apple, though, this issue is easy to fix by just toggling iMessage on and off.
Is that really all there is to it? You’d think Ars Technica would have tried that. If so, this really is much ado about nothing.
