I can't receive messages from a specific iPhone user on my Wi-Fi iPad

Question

Level 1

4 points

I can't receive messages from a specific iPhone user on my Wi-Fi iPad

I have wifi IPAD IOS26 which s having issues with receiving IMSGS from a single IPHONE user. We can FACETIME video and audio.

I can send IMSG to the IPHONE user, they can read it, but when they try to respond it times out.

They have a cell #, me.com and Icloud.com accounts.

I do not have this problem with any other IPHONE contacts when communicating using my wifi only IPAD.

I have a PIXEL android phone.

All connections with other users work seamlessly between my android or Ipad and their IPHONE.

We have gone through literally hours of research, tried deleting all conversations between us and any group msgs we were both on - rebooting...still cannot receive a IMSG from this one IPHONE user.

Then reset all 3 devices, WIFI ipad, Pixel and their Iphone

I can see the IPHONE user trying to send message. but it times out.

I can see they read my IMSG to them and they can text me on their IPHONE to PIXEL to let me know they recieved and could read it.

OUT OF OPTIONS

BOTH ON IOS 26

The IPHONE user has IPHONE 15 and does not have this problem with any other contact.

Has a me.com and icloud.com address

ANY ONE ELSE dealt with this???

TIA

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: iPad

iPad, iPadOS 26

Posted on Dec 6, 2025 5:50 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Dec 7, 2025 2:19 AM in response to Lokikt

This is almost certainly an iMessage routing identity conflict, not a hardware issue.
Fix by checking your iPad’s reachable addresses, having the sender use your Apple ID email directly, and signing out/in of iMessage.
Clearing old contacts + threads on their iPhone is essential.
Disabling the me.com/iCloud.com secondary alias often resolves the stuck routing.

Reply