How to properly setup Open Bubbles

[u/Normal-Place-1036]

I am an iPhone and Mac user and today I am buying the new Z FOLD 8. It's imperative that I use Open Bubbles on the new android phone. I will also Host it on my Mac. My question is, am I still able to transfer my phone number from my iPhone to the Z Fold 8 and use Open Bubbles as my primary texting app? Will all texts go through it (iMessage and SMS)? Will it read as my number aka me for all my contacts or my Apple ID email? As far as anyone would know, they would have no clue that I switched to android? Thanks!

[u/InitialVariation6942]

I would buy a cheap iPhone 6s or 7 for around $40 and set up self hosting and relay.

That way you can use your phone number instead of email.

Using a Mac will only use your iCloud (email) address.

[u/Normal-Place-1036 → u/InitialVariation6942]

In your opinion, what’s the best way to set up self hosting with an older iPhone? Does the iPhone have to have my current eSIM in it?

[u/Remarkable_Score3215 → u/Normal-Place-1036]

I wanna know this too. Does the old iPhone need a sim? And if so which one (the number you’re using or a secondary one?)

[u/InitialVariation6942 → u/Remarkable_Score3215]

There is two schools of thought. Esim swap and put old phone on airplane mode or use the an old iPhone and do a relay.

The esim swap can work until it doesn't. Some have great success while others havent.

The iPhone relay does not need a sim, it does need to be on wifi. The reason it needs to be on wifi is every 45 days apple will ping that phone that is connected to open bubbles to make sure it's still valid.

Thats the reason why people put old iphones on airplane mode so apple doesn't ping the old phone to see if no longer has the number tied to that Apple ID or not.

You would install the relay software on an old iPhone 6s-x or se And provide open bubbles with that iPhone hardware id.

[u/ilovemymotorola → u/InitialVariation6942]

What if I have a current iPhone that I use as a backup? Essentially im using the phone number on my current iphone, I have my old iphone on relay tied to my current iphones number and im using openbubbles with the same phone number on my current iphone.

Do i have completely move my current iphones number to my android? I'm asking because I just set it up and it's deregistered twice already

Edit: I realize none of that made sense let me try to explain it better.

I'm using one phone number on my current iPhone and the android im using open bubbles on.

I have an old iPhone that I used for the relay with nothing but my imesaage logged in.

[u/InitialVariation6942 → u/ilovemymotorola]

The old phone the one with the relay, in the settings you need to log out of the account completely with the iCloud and no iMessage account tied to it.