Apple's proprietary iMessage service allows iPhone owners to enjoy free texting between one another, but those conversations could evaporate if you make the switch to an Android phone or other non-Apple device.

Former Lifehacker Editor-in-Chief Adam Pash wrote a personal blog post about the issue, noting that he stopped receiving text messages from iMessage users after switching from iPhone to Android. According to Pash, messages sent from iMessage users to former iMessage users will be marked as delivered, but the non-iOS recipient will never actually get them.

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While he was able to dissasociate his phone number with his Apple ID, Pash still wasn't receiving texts from anyone on iPhone. Pash spoke with an Apple tech support agent, who noted that lots of users are experiencing this problem and that Apple doesn't have a set solution at the moment. Keep in mind that Apple charges $20 for over-the-phone tech support unless you have a supported device.

Apple's iMessage isn't limited to the iPhone, as anyone with a Wi-Fi connection can use the service on an iPad, iPod Touch or Mac device. However, until Apple provides a solid fix for those who switch away from iPhone, former iOS users could have tons of incoming text messages lost in a digital limbo.

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