iPhone text to emails?

[ctwo]

There is an iPhone user that randomly sends their texts to my various email accounts. They come from #@vzwpix.com and the text is in a plain text file attachment.

It's a PITA to retrieve that text because it needs to be downloaded on my Android phone and then found wherever downloads go, and then I need some kind of app to read it.

When I try to punish them the same way, I can't do it because my texts will be emailed from #@vtext.com and the message is in the subject line.

How do I explain their problem to them to make it stop?

 

[NorCalBusa]

Easy- simply ignore those texts. They'll figure out that path ain't getting it done and go more conventional.

 

[ctwo]

That doesn't work so great when it's like my girlfriend telling me she's howny and come over gnow... You just don't ignore that.

 

[Tom G]

That doesn't work so great when it's like my girlfriend telling me she's howny and come over gnow... You just don't ignore that.

You move in with her, saves you the rent for your place.

 

[ctwo]

This presents a problem of choice for me. Too many choices...

And I'm not ready for such a commitment. arty

 

[thedub]

How do I explain their problem to them to make it stop?

Use your words.

 

[ctwo]

What's the replication procedure to reproduce the problem? I've absolutely rejected everything Apple since the Mac came out, so I don't know what to say. I went there and asked to duplicate what they did, and they just sent me a regular text and did not know. I've asked a couple iPhone users and they didn't know either.

Texting was an issue when she first got the phone. It was like there was some app that required the recipient to have the same app and they had have an account to be part of the "ecosystem" or you could send them a text at all. It did not use the SMS (backhaul or whatever) system, and that app was only available to iPhones. I tried to tell her to not use "that app" and to instead use the regular messaging protocol, but what app was she using? Whatever she was using came with the phone, so I assume that is a common thing for every iPhone user. Anyway, that somehow got resolved, but for all I know she is using the same app.

How the heck do you attach a text as a text file in an email when trying to send an SMS text message? If I knew that, I could assemble some words and explain it.

 

[thedub]

I would bet what happened is the first time she tried to text you from that phone, she opened the SMS app, selected new message, navigated to your contact, then accidentally selected your email address instead of your phone number. Now every time she goes back into that text conversation to send a new text it's going to your email. The fact that it comes as an attachment, instead of just the text being the body of the email, is probably an iPhone thing.

So have her open her phone and go to that text conversation she's using to text you and see what it says for recipient.

 

[TylerW]

That doesn't work so great when it's like my girlfriend telling me she's howny and come over gnow... You just don't ignore that.

They send a text that ports to an email to invite you over for a booty call?

There's a million different applications to handle that better. Like straight SMS, or FB messenger, whaptsapp, signal, discord, slack, hangouts, twitter DM, snapchat, instagram, tiktok, skype, linkedin, etc.

Miss one or two, apologize and then gently let them know that their convoluted-ass way of summoning your peen is why. Then agree on a protocol that isn't a rube goldberg machine, and get back to your regularly scheduled funtime.

 

[ctwo]

They send a text that ports to an email to invite you over for a booty call?

There's a million different applications to handle that better. Like straight SMS, or FB messenger, whaptsapp, signal, discord, slack, hangouts, twitter DM, snapchat, instagram, tiktok, skype, linkedin, etc.

Miss one or two, apologize and then gently let them know that their convoluted-ass way of summoning your peen is why. Then agree on a protocol that isn't a rube goldberg machine, and get back to your regularly scheduled funtime.

LoL, the GF bit was just for illustration. No GF here. But it seems this is not uncommon with iPhone or iMessage. Some people complain that their iPhone sends a text from their email as an email rather than as a text. The latest happened from a sms text thread where messages seem to randomly go to my sms text on my phone and other times it goes to my email. Some have said something about the contact having both Apple ID fields and regular fields.

Here, this last message about the YT video went to my email rather than sms like the ones just above. I got the nytimes text, but not the message about the video, which was buried in my spam folder. They just type in that little box and hit the send arrow - where it goes is anyone's guess.

BTW, what app is that?

 

[DannoXYZ]

Let's clear up two completely different technologies in use here:

1. SMS/MMS requires cellular line, 3g/4g/LTE/etc. and goes between two phone numbers only.

2. SMTP/POP3 email requires email address such <user>@<domain>.com. These travel across TCP/IP private or public network such as Internet. There are also other protocols that uses TCP/IP to send text-like chat-messages such as Yahoo & Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, etc.

For most part, text apps exclusively use SMS and phone# across cell connections while mail/chat apps use only email-address across TCP/IP connections. However, there's some hybrid apps that does combination of both. Such as Apple's Message app:

with cellular-only connection
Message sends as SMS directly to phone# through carrier

with cellular-data or wifi TCP/IP network connection
1. Message sends as iMessage to Apple. If number/email is registered, it's forwarded as iMesssage to reciever.
2. Message sends as iMessage to Apple. If number is not registered, it's forwarded to carrier, which then fowards to receiver on cellular.

None of this is happening with you, nor is there any confusion from sender.

 

[DannoXYZ]

There's another hybrid technology SMTP Gateway that bridges them allows TCP/IP email programs to send text-messages to phones. This started out as way for datacentre servers to send alerts to technician's phones (back in days when phones didn't get emails). Kinda like a paging service.

This is initiated from email app sending to phone#@vzwpix.com or phone#@vtext.com. The email is sent to Verizon's mail-servers, which then forwards as text message on cellular connection. Note that this can ONLY be sent from an email program. Since your phone# or these addresses are not registered with Apple iMessage service, they can only be sent from an email app.

Clue is in your last message. You received one text and email from same person in short timeframe. They know exactly how to send message to you as text vs. as emai. Check header of email with video to find what app sent it and path of email. Will have to use browser-based email and pick option to "show details"'or "show headers" or "view raw message".