Apple has released a new Web service that allows you to deregister a phone number from iMessage, on the chance you have switched to using a non-Apple device and wish to continue using your existing phone number for text messaging and other services with your new device.

When you set up an iPhone, Apple’s iMessage service is the default text messaging service, and will bind your email address as well as your phone number so messages sent to these can be accepted by any of your devices that use iMessage.

This has its arguable conveniences; however, because it does register your phone number for use with this service, if you move to another platform then this service may still capture and store text messages sent to it, in an attempt to serve them to you on a device that supports iMessage. Unfortunately Apple’s iMessage service is proprietary and exclusive to iOS and Mac OS devices, meaning that if you have switched to an Android or Windows phone, then you may not receive your text messages after having used an iPhone.

Even though you can use your iOS devices to disable iMessage for your SIM card before transferring your SIM to your new device, if you do not have your iPhone then you cannot do this, and will need to use Apple’s new online service to manage your phone number’s iMessage registration.

To do this, go to Apple’s Deregister iMessage Web page, where you will see two options. The first simply tells you how to go to the Messages settings on your iPhone and turn off iMessage, and the second has a field to enter your number. When you do so, Apple will send you a confirmation code that you enter on the site, and when done your phone number will be deregistered.