Apple just fixed the issue that made it a nightmare to switch to Android by Kim Kon

There are plenty of reasons why even diehard iPhone users might want to switch to Android. Maybe you're fed up with Apple's iCloud privacy leaks. Maybe you don't want to pay so much money for the Apple logo and brand. Or you could just be attracted to Android's unique features and wide variety of phone choices.

Whatever your reasons, one big reason to stick with iPhone was a bug that could stop you from receiving text messages on your new phone from other iPhone users. Apple's known about this problem for years, but it's only fixed it now.

Whether it's because of legal pressure, consumer outcry or a new-found conscience, Apple's finally (and very quietly) released a new tool that can de-register your phone number from iMessage. I'll explain: When you use an iPhone, all your text messages are automatically routed through iMessage, which is Apple's proprietary text message program.

Apple has never played nice with other platforms. Whether you have a Mac, an iPad, and iPhone or any other Apple gadget, it's designed not to communicate well with PCs, Androids, Linux systems and the rest of them. It's all thanks to proprietary software; that's software that only Apple uses. Apple wants to lock you into its ecosystem, and that means only using Apple devices. So as long as you use Apple gadgets, the system works great. But step out from under Apple's umbrella and take your chances.

If you've switched to Android and kept the same SIM card or the same number, you can now de-register from iMessage even if you don't still have your old iPhone. In the past, you'd have to swap your SIM card back to the iPhone, disable iMessage and then swap it back.

Now you can just enter your phone number into this website, then enter the confirmation code you receive in a text message. It's so simple that it's ridiculous Apple has taken this long to implement it. We know why: Obviously Apple doesn't want you to switch. But that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do to make it so inconvenient to switch.

Switching from Android to iPhone or from iPhone to Android can be rough either way. Click here to read some really handy guides to making it painless.