What Does “Send as a Text Message” Mean on iPhone?

When your iPhone says “Send as Text Message,” your message is sent using the SMS (Short Message Service) system instead of iMessage. Typically, iMessages are delivered over the internet and appear in blue bubbles, but when iMessage is unavailable, the message defaults to SMS and appears in green bubbles. It ensures your message still reaches the recipient, even when iMessage becomes temporarily unavailable due to connectivity issues or the recipient's lack of an Apple device.

The main difference between iMessage and SMS (text message) is that iMessages work over the Internet, whereas SMS works over cellular networks.
 

iMessage: Apple’s messaging service, IMessage, works exclusively with Apple devices. It uses internet data (Wi-Fi or cellular) to send messages appearing in blue bubbles and includes features like message status receipts, typing indicators, and the ability to send larger files.

Text Message (SMS): SMS is the traditional way of sending messages via the cellular network. It doesn’t require an internet connection and works across all mobile phones. These messages appear in green bubbles on iPhones. SMS has limited features and may incur charges depending on your phone plan.

Your iPhone automatically chooses the best option based on the recipient’s device and network conditions. So, if iMessage isn’t available (either because the recipient doesn’t have an Apple device or the internet connection is weak), your iPhone automatically sends the message as a text. It switches to SMS to ensure the message is delivered.

Being blocked is a common concern, but “Sent as a Text Message” doesn’t automatically mean you are blocked. If your iMessages consistently fail to go through, it’s possible that the recipient doesn’t have an Apple device or their iMessage is turned off.

If you are blocked, iMessage won’t work, and your messages will always go through as SMS without any delivery confirmation.

iMessage being disabled and the recipient not having an Apple device are a few reasons your messages are “sent as a text message. Moreover, switching to a new device could cause your message to be sent as an SMS instead of an iMessage.

If the person you’re messaging has switched from an iPhone to another Android cell phone, iMessage won’t work anymore. It will automatically send the message as an SMS.

The recipient may have turned off iMessage. If this is the case, all messages you send will default to SMS, as their phone cannot receive iMessages.

iMessage can be temporarily unavailable due to network issues or Apple server outages. During this time, messages will be sent as SMS to ensure they are delivered.

When switching to a new iPhone, iMessage settings may take some time to sync. During this period, messages might be sent as SMS until iMessage is fully functional.

• Make sure your iPhone has a strong Wi-Fi or cellular data connection.
• Check if the iMessage option is enabled on both your device and the recipient’s.
• Ask the recipient if they have switched devices or disabled iMessage.

Sent as a text message means the message goes through the SMS system but doesn’t guarantee delivery. Unlike iMessage, SMS doesn’t always provide a “Delivered” or “Read” receipt. You can’t confirm if the recipient received the text unless they respond.
 

When you see a green bubble, it means the message went via SMS, not iMessage. This could be due to the recipient not using an Apple device, turning off their iMessage, or lacking internet connectivity. Blue bubbles represent iMessages, which works using data or any Internet connectivity.

There is a clear distinction between “Sent as a Text Message” and “Delivered”
 

• Sent as a Text Message: It Indicates that you’re sending the message via SMS.
• Delivered: This status confirms that the message has reached the recipient’s device. It is more common with iMessage, which offers delivery and sent labels.

Note: You will only see a delivery confirmation for SMS if your carrier supports it.

On Android devices, all messages are sent via SMS or MMS, as no iMessage service is available. When an iPhone user sends a message to an Android phone, it will automatically be sent as an SMS (green bubble). Hence, Android and iPhone users communicate via SMS.

Rich Communication Services (RCS) is the next generation of SMS that is used mainly on Android devices. RCS offers advanced features like iMessage, such as higher-quality media sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators. However, RCS needs both the sender and recipient to have compatible devices and carriers supporting the service.

Sent as a text message means your iPhone uses SMS instead of iMessage to send the message. While SMS lacks some of the more advanced features of iMessage, it ensures your message gets through, even when iMessage isn’t available. Understanding these distinctions helps troubleshoot messaging issues and ensures your communications are delivered smoothly.

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Sent as a text message means the message went through via SMS. Unlike iMessage “Delivered” or “Read” receipts, SMS doesn’t guarantee delivery confirmation.

Being blocked is one reason your messages might be sent as SMS, but other factors like network issues or the recipient switching to a non-Apple device could also cause this.

Your iPhone sends a message as SMS when iMessage isn’t available, typically due to network problems or the recipient not using an Apple device.

Green means the message was sent as SMS, while blue indicates it went via iMessage. Blue messages use internet data, while green messages use your cellular network.