Confirmed: iMessage works for free on Harmony!

[Host Jacquelyn]

I have heard varying accounts of whether or not iMessage works on board. I wanted to confirm, that iMessage works for free on Harmony! Both to people on the ship and to your friends back home. This is all without an internet package. You just need to connect to the Royal Wi-Fi, and iMessage works for people who have IOS. You cannot text anyone on Android, nor can anyone on Android text you. However iPhone to iPhone ( or iPad, ipod Touch) works.

 

I was able to keep in touch with my daughter via iMessage, and the group of teens that met on board we're all using iMessage to have a group chat and coordinate their activities.

 

On Android, without a package, you were able to get notifications from your apps but were not able to open the apps and check. For example, I would get Facebook or Instagram notifications, but could not check without actually purchasing a Wi-Fi package.

 

Maybe someone else can comment for other ships?

[Ourusualbeach]

I have heard varying accounts of whether or not iMessage works on board. I wanted to confirm, that iMessage works for free on Harmony! Both to people on the ship and to your friends back home. This is all without an internet package. You just need to connect to the Royal Wi-Fi, and iMessage works for people who have IOS. You cannot text anyone on Android, nor can anyone on Android text you. However iPhone to iPhone ( or iPad, ipod Touch) works.

 

I was able to keep in touch with my daughter via iMessage, and the group of teens that met on board we're all using iMessage to have a group chat and coordinate their activities.

 

On Android, without a package, you were able to get notifications from your apps but were not able to open the apps and check. For example, I would get Facebook or Instagram notifications, but could not check without actually purchasing a Wi-Fi package.

 

Maybe someone else can comment for other ships?

 

It only seems to work with the ships that are using Royal IQ which is Harmony and Quantum class.

[Host Jacquelyn]

It only seems to work with the ships that are using Royal IQ which is Harmony and Quantum class.

 

That makes complete sense! Royal IQ was great

[Ourusualbeach]

That makes complete sense! Royal IQ was great

 

With all the money and effort going into the new app it would not surprise me to see Roysl IQ replaced with the new app sometime soon. Hopefully they add the texting feature to the new app.

[Clarea]

With all the money and effort going into the new app it would not surprise me to see Roysl IQ replaced with the new app sometime soon. Hopefully they add the texting feature to the new app.

That could be what is taking so long. They have to either get Apple to change their messaging service enough so that simple firewalls can block iMessage and pass Royal messages, or they have to run their own texting service.

[Host Jacquelyn]

That could be what is taking so long. They have to either get Apple to change their messaging service enough so that simple firewalls can block iMessage and pass Royal messages, or they have to run their own texting service.

 

I think whatever mechanism is allowing app notifications to come through is what allows iMessage to work as well

[Biker19]

You cannot text anyone on Android, nor can anyone on Android text you.

While it may not work directly to Android, we have had reports of Hangouts (which can be used for texting) on Android working.

[Host Jacquelyn]

While it may not work directly to Android, we have had reports of Hangouts (which can be used for texting) on Android working.

 

No way!! I can't believe I didn't try that! Half my family is on iOS and the other half Android

[bobmacliberty]

When you say that you cannot text anyone using an Android device, was this tried using WhatsApp?

[Clarea]

When you say that you cannot text anyone using an Android device, was this tried using WhatsApp?

I believe it's been reported that WhatsApp requires VOOM to work onboard.

[Nashna]

This is great news. We will have 17 people onboard and have been looking for ways to communicate without using zoom.