The iPhone automatically detects if the recipient of your messages uses iMessage; if they do, then your texts will be sent in blue. If your recipients don’t have the iMessage app, then your messages will be sent via the regular SMS app and appear in the color green.
But what if you had to switch from iMessage to text messages in case one of your friends recently swapped their iPhone for an Android device? Or do you have to switch from text message to iMessage because one of your friends started using an iPhone? There are easy ways around these. Keep reading this post to find out more.
How to switch from text message to iMessage on iPhone
You’ve been convinced and want to switch from text message to iMessage but don’t know how. It’s pretty simple, so you don’t have to worry. Just follow these steps:
1. Check internet connectivity
The first step to switching from text message to iMessage is for you to check whether both you and your contacts are connected to the internet. This is because internet connectivity is a prerequisite for both sender and receiver for iMessage to work correctly.
So either WiFi or Cellular Data must be turned ON and within range for it to work. To check your internet connection, go to Settings, open WiFi, and turn it ON. Or, in the Settings menu, open Mobile Data and turn it ON.
2. Configure your message settings on your iPhone
This is another simple way to switch from text message to iMessage. You have to turn ON iMessages and turn OFF SMS for you to be able to send and receive messages using iMessage.
Head to Settings >> Messages >> Turn ON iMessage. Tap OK to confirm. Next, toggle the Send As SMS switch OFF.
You’ll still be able to receive text messages, but all messages you send will be sent as iMessages.
3. Manage send & receive
For the next step, you should revisit your settings to ensure you can send and receive messages.
Head to Settings >> Messages >> Select Send & Receive. Under You can receive messages to and reply from, ensure all your email addresses are ticked.
4. Test if it’s working by sending a message
Now that you’re all set, check if your iMessage app works by following these steps.
On your iPad or iPhone, head to your Messages app and start a new message to send to another iOS user.
The new message would be sent as an iMessage and appear in a blue bubble once delivered.
Read also: How to Change Green Messages to Blue on iPhones
How to switch a group message from iMessage to text
Your iPhone, by default, sends messages addressed to multiple recipients as group MMS messages. This means that when you send a message to multiple recipients, the message is sent via MMS, and the iPhone header displays “New Group MMS.” Turning this OFF and using standard SMS, your messages are sent as individual texts, and people do not see responses from the group. Here’s how you can do this:
- Step 1: From your Home screen, navigate to Settings >>Messages.
- Step 2: Tap the Send as SMS switch to turn it on.
- Step 3: Tap the Group Messaging switch to turn it off.
Now that it’s turned ON, here are a couple of things you should know:
- Messages directly sent to multiple recipients are sent as individual messages.
- Your message recipients can only reply to the sender; they cannot reply to the group or see the other recipients.
How to switch a contact from iMessage to text message
Unfortunately, while you can switch from text message to iMessage, you cannot just turn off your iMessage for just one contact; the iPhone doesn’t work like that. But the good news is that you can still switch from iMessage to text message for your Contacts. Here are some ways to do this:
Instead of going through hoops, you can have the receiver turn off their iMessage app. First, they must go to Settings >> Messages >> Toggle OFF the app. It’s as simple as that. And if the receiver has entirely switched from iOS to Android, they would have to deregister from the iMessage app.
For this to work, you must enable the Send As SMS option on your device. Go to Settings >> Messages >> Toggle on “Send As SMS.” Then turn OFF your internet connection and send a message to the contact. If your message wasn’t sent, you will see an exclamation mark icon beneath the text bubble. Tap on it and select the “Send As Text Message” option.
John follows everything happening in the tech industry, from the latest gadget launches to some of the big-name moves in the industry. He covers opinionated pieces and writes on some of the biggest names in the industry. John is also a freelance writer, so he shares articles on freelancing every now and then. email: john@tekpip.com Learn more about tekpip and the team here on our about us page.