Apple has released a new tool that prevents SMS messages from being caught in iMessage after users switch to an Android, Windows or Blackberry phone, reports ZDNet.

Many former iPhone users who switched from iOS to another smartphone have complained they are not receiving SMS or text messages sent by other Apple device users. The problem is their phone number is still registered with the iMessage service, and the messages are being routed to the iMessage server.

The Apple messaging service is great when you are on iOS and want to swap messages between Apple devices using WiFi rather than your data plan. The service transfers messages between Apple devices automatically, which is wonderful if you are an Apple user.

If you switch to a non-Apple device with your same phone number, however, Apple's system still continues to automatically route messages through iMessage.

The only solution for former iPhone users is to disable iMessage. Previously, that meant either having to fire up the old iPhone with SIM card re-inserted to deregister from their Apple accounts or, if the iPhone was not in their possession, enduring a lengthy process through Apple support.

Following a lawsuit filed by a former iPhone owner who said Apple had interfered with her mobile network provider contract, Apple has released a Deregister iMessage tool to fix the server-side iMessage glitch.

Two Simple Steps to Deregister iMessage

Apple has now made the process of disassociating your phone number from iMessage easy if you forgot to do it before you stopped using your iPhone. Here's how to deregister iMessage in two simple steps:

1. Consumers send Apple their current phone number using the tool.

2. The user will receive a six-digit confirmation code sent by SMS to that phone number. The user plugs the confirmation code into the tool.

To avoid this entire headache, the Washington Post recommends that anyone switching from iPhone to another smartphone simply switch "iMessage" off by going into the "Messages" section of your iPhone's settings before you ditch it.