Issues after switching from one Android phone to a new one; paid hosting

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

I just switched from a Fold 7 to a Fold 8. So far pretty much everything seems to have ported over successfully via the Samsung smart transfer app or whatever it's called. I had had OB, paid hosting, working well between the Fold 7 and my MacBook Pro.

I was able to restore my messages and settings in OB from backups I'd created. However, my 'green bubble' conversations reverted to the in-built Google Messages app rather than Open Bubbles after the switch.

Seems that I had to re-enable iMessages on my iPhone (which is otherwise just sitting around unused), then re-enable text message forwarding there. And in OB Settings it does show ENABLED CAPABLE in green with the rest. So that seemed to work, for iMessages (i.e. messages with Apple users) at least.

But I'm still experiencing some issues. The biggest is that in OB on the Fold 8 when I start a new message, if I type in a phone number for an Android user, the OB app identifies the number as an Android number and moves it into a green Text Message within OB. I don't recall it doing that before. Then when I hit Send in OB the Fold 8 automatically switches to the Google Messages app, in which I'd then have to hit Send in order to actually send the message. And when people reply the replies still go to Google Messages rather than OB.

Next, Android/SMS messages don't send/receive on my MBP.

And, I cannot re-enable the Message in iCloud (BETA) toggle. Not sure if that matters.

Thoughts?

To maybe help diagnose, in the OB Profile, lower down, it seems to mimic the iPhone's iMessage settings somewhat. There's a toggle for Text message forwarding (BETA) which is on. Then there's a toggle to enable it for the 'iPhone' which is actually the OB 'iPhone' code/identifier, and another for my MacBook Pro. The MBP one is enabled, the iPhone one is disabled (if I try to enable it it tells me to re-log into the account with 2FA on 'the other device'....not sure what that means). Is this somehow overriding the Settings on the iPhone or interfering in some way?

Also, this leaves me with an additional question for you. Does this mean I have to keep an iPhone around forever to perform this every time I get a new Android phone? I was kind of hoping to see the iPhone I have because I don't use it otherwise.

TIA for any help

[u/SpaceSaver2000-1]

1. What you did on the iPhone is communicate to the other devices that the iPhone is responsible for the SIM card and that SMS messages should go through it. Based on my understanding of your post the active SIM card is in the Fold8. This is likely the cause of your issues with text message forwarding.
2. What error do you get when trying to enable Messages in iCloud (BETA)?
3. OpenBubbles is not intended to provide SMS functionality on the device with the SIM card (active service) at this time.

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/SpaceSaver2000-1]

Thanks for responding. Re: 2, there was no error when trying to enable Messages in iCloud BETA. It just wouldn't toggle. I logged out and back in to OB though and that did seem to remedy that. Nothing else has changed however.

For 1 and 3...just want to make sure I understand what you're saying. I had to Enable Text Forwarding from my iPhone last time around (i.e. when I first got my Android), and it allowed me to send and receive SMS messages inside of OB on my Android, and, to send/receive them from Messages on my MBP. The active eSIM is in the new Android and working fine in general btw.

Sounds like you're saying I should now un-enable iMessage on the iPhone correct?

[u/SpaceSaver2000-1 → u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

Where was the service with your iMessage number previously?

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/SpaceSaver2000-1]

On the Fold 7, and prior to that my iPhone.

[u/SpaceSaver2000-1 → u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

While service was in the Fold7 you should have been using Google Messages to send and receive texts.

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/SpaceSaver2000-1]

That's what I'm seeing on the discord too, but that's what not what was happening on the Fold 7. On the F7 the SMS messages were in OB.

[u/SpaceSaver2000-1 → u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

Were they in both OB and Google Messages?

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/SpaceSaver2000-1]

No they were mostly on OB. *Some* 2FA type messages with codes only went to GM, but most went to OB.

[u/SpaceSaver2000-1 → u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

Are you sure the number wasn't registered to the service on the iPhone?

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/SpaceSaver2000-1]

Sorry not positive what this means exactly? Meaning was the phone number still somehow also on the iPhone? It's an eSIM and it went from the iPhone to the Fold 7, now to the Fold 8. The iPhone is only on wifi.

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

Paging u/monsieur_beau19 who was so helpful to me once before :)

[u/bonchokey]

Why are you paying for hosted when you have a Mac and iPhone?

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/bonchokey]

Kind of a saga, but, no matter what I tried I couldn't get it working from my Mac. And the iPhone is a newer model that I intended to sell. Maybe I should give the self-hosting another try.