Please sign in to post.

Orange eSim and iMessage on iPhones and iPads

Once I set my Orange eSim that has a French phone number, if people send iMessages to my US phone number will I receive them? What about when I send an iMessage to someone back home?
Should I just adjust my settings to enable iMessages to and from my email address only and uncheck my home phone number?
I plan to initiate iMessages to family and friends once I am in France by using my email address and then just keep up the messaging back and fort on that thread.
Can someone explain or expand on the best method while they’re for iMessages and FaceTime?
I know to try to keep majority of such use on WiFi in my Airbnb or hotel.
Would like to hear others’ thought on this, please.

Posted by
6227 posts

In answer to your first question, yes, you will receive them, but just remember to wait till you have wifi service before you respond. You can also use WhatsApp or Skype for messaging or voice ccalls, but you would have to make sure that your friends and family have the app. Also, make sure the setting that says "Send as SMS" is UNchecked (see Messages settings); otherwise, you might accidentally send it as a regular text, which means you could get charged for that.

If you have family and friends who do NOT have iPhones, you will not be able to message them without using SMS (or one of the messaging apps like WhatsApp), and that will incur charges.

You can use FaceTime, both for phone use and video chats. I did not have a phone number with my eSIM from Airalo but was able to call some family members and friends using FaceTime audio while accessing wifi in my hotel room. I used FT audio but you can try video - the quality will depend on the strength of the wifi.

There are several people on this forum (including TexasTravelmom) who have used Orange eSIMS, so they might be able to better help you with the phone issues.

Posted by
2267 posts

You dont need to have Wi-Fi connection to use iMessages with your US number- it’ll work via the data connection on your orange sim. And you don’t need to limit iMessage to email identification.

One thing that does get sticky is sending media directly from the photo roll, a link from safari, or any other embedded “send”. But if you send a regular iMessage and past a link or attach media from within iMessage, that’s no problem.

Note that when you insert the orange sim your get a system pop-up on your phone something like “new number “+frenchnumber”. Do you want to use with iMessage?” Answer in the negative to this to continue using your US number, even though the US sim may no longer be in your phone.

Posted by
6227 posts

Scudder, you are absolutely right about that, but I said that because It's easy to mistakenly respond to a text rather than a message. I should have been clearer though - thanks!

Posted by
13 posts

Open Google and search for "use email for iMessage". Be aware that if you change from a phone number to an email address that FaceTime will no longer function as before.

Posted by
169 posts

Yea as mentioned above, when I switched to the orange e-sim it basically popped up and said do you want to integrate this number/SIM card with your Apple ID, I did this assuming I can hop back to my other number on return.

However o know you can use iMessage etc. with only an email as the contact which may be the preferred method to set it up before switching to the orange e-sim

I’ve had zero problems switching back and forth between my Canadian sim car and the orange Esim

Posted by
168 posts

Note that when you insert the orange sim your get a system pop-up on your phone something like “new number “+frenchnumber”. Do you want to use with iMessage?” Answer in the negative to this to continue using your US number, even though the US sim may no longer be in your phone.

Are you sure about this one? I thought the only way to get iMessages to your US number (not email) is if you have your US SIM active.

To the OPs question, I've always just used our associated email/iCloud account to send imessages when out of the country. On my various group iMessages, I've just added my email as another contact in the group before we left the states so we're still getting the messages after switching to our eSIMs. Either that or just start using your French number to send messages to your contacts. I prefer the iClould/email option.

Posted by
2274 posts

Are you sure about this one? I thought the only way to get iMessages to your US number (not email) is if you have your US SIM active

When I have switched out SIM cards to use an in-country SIM card - the ONLY iMessages I receive are the ones sent to my email address ... no others.