Does iMessage work on the Light Phone III?
Not on the phone. Light asks you to turn iMessage off.
Ways to keep iMessage with this phone
Cheapest first. Checked October 2026.
Check in when you're homeFree
Your texts wait on your iPhone until you're back.
Needs: Nothing. Catch: Nothing reaches you while you're out.
Move your number, keep iMessage on a Mac or iPadFree
Turn iMessage off, then keep it on a Mac or iPad with your Apple Account email.
Needs: A Mac or iPad. Catch: People have to message your email, not your number, and group chats need to add you again.
bubble-lightFree
An unofficial tool that puts a BlueBubbles iMessage client on the Light Phone III.
Needs: A Mac that stays on. Catch: It's brand new, can't send photos, and gives no notifications while it's closed.
A forwarding app on your iPhoneFwrd: free for 15 texts a month, then $4.99 a month. PhoneLeash: from $8.99 a month.
Forwards your texts from the iPhone at home to your second phone, one way.
Needs: Your iPhone at home and on, and a second line. Catch: You can't reply from the other phone.
Decaf · Made by us$20 once
A Mac app that relays important texts from your Mac at home to your second phone. Your replies go out from your own number.
Needs: A Mac that stays awake and online, your iPhone at home with Text Message Forwarding on, and a second line for the other phone.. Catch: Only the texts it judges important are sent, and they all arrive in one thread.
Light Phone III
Touchscreen · Light's own tools, no app store
A thoughtfully designed phone with just the essentials: calls, texts, maps, music and a camera. No app store, no browser.
- Cost
- $899 unlocked, or $59/mo for 24 months (SIM-locked to Light)
- Availability
- Ships late Dec 2026
- Group chats
- Supports group texts; no RCS. Some owners report missed group texts (reported).
- Maps
- Directions for driving, walking, cycling and some transit; needs data. The first GPS fix can take up to 30 minutes.
- WhatsApp & Signal
- No. Light's Signal tool is in development.
- Typing
- On-screen keyboard; voice-to-text needs data.
- Camera & photos
- 12 MP camera with photo, video and selfie modes. Photos sent by text are compressed.
- Banking & payments
- No bank apps or tap to pay. Carry a contactless card.
- Music & podcasts
- Your own music files (20 GB, one playlist) and a podcasts tool. No Spotify.
- Tickets & QR codes
- No. Print tickets or use the box office.
- Uber / rideshare
- Rideshare tool for Uber or Lyft through Tremp, which adds a fee of about 10%.
- Sign-in codes (2FA)
- Codes by text, plus a built-in authenticator since July 2026. Banks that require their own app won't work.
- Voice notes
- Audio messages since February 2026.
- Video calls
- No.
- Work apps & email
- No. Light says email and a browser will never be added.
- Hotspot
- Yes, if your plan allows it; it drains the battery.
- Battery
- 1–3 days, says Light.
- Carriers
- Light, AT&T, T-Mobile, Mint, US Mobile; Verizon in progress.
- Returns
- Defects only, within a year; refund if unshipped or still sealed.
Checked October 2026 · Maker's page