HT201287: Use Messages on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Learn about Use Messages on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
ninaclock
Level 1 (4 points)
iPhone

Q: iMessage to text

Why do my iMessages convert to txt without me doing a thing?

iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 9.3.3

Posted on Jul 21, 2016 1:09 AM

by Meg St._Clair,Solvedanswer
Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair
Level 9 (58,434 points)
iPhone
A:

AntBee wrote:

iMessage does require both sender and recipient to be connected to a Wi-Fi source, so if one or both people are not, then the message(s) get converted to regular SMS messages, using your carrier's system

This is not correct. iMessage requires a data connection. However, it can be either WiFi or cellular data.

 

The "Send as SMS" only kicks in if you try to send an iMessage and, for whatever reason, it fails.

Posted on Jul 27, 2016 9:20 AM

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ninaclock

Q: iMessage to text

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  • Helpful answers

  • by deadman.walking,Helpful

    deadman.walking deadman.walking Jul 21, 2016 9:38 AM in response to ninaclock
    Level 2 (199 points)
    Jul 21, 2016 9:38 AM in response to ninaclock

    I had similar situation where i couldnt imessage my girlfriend but that message being important i didnot care just send it as text.

    Next thing i know my phone started sending all msgs as text and not imessage.

     

    To cut long story short the way you can go back from text to imessage is go open your conversation with that person, scroll all the way up in the conversatiion, click facetime and hangup (you do not have to facetime with the person its like a sec and hangup before they get an invite) this way your iphone tries to facetime and understands that the other user is an iphone user and changes from text message to imessage. Works for me let me know if it does for you tooo.

  • by ninaclock,

    ninaclock ninaclock Jul 21, 2016 9:43 AM in response to deadman.walking
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 21, 2016 9:43 AM in response to deadman.walking

    Thanks! As puzzling it is that it converted I to txt, it converted back to iMessag. I'm wondering if my message recipient was off wifi, thus she was sent a txt instead. Either way, we both have message plans. my concern is she didn't receive  my urgent message, so I shot her an email as backup.

  • by AntBee,

    AntBee AntBee Jul 27, 2016 6:31 AM in response to ninaclock
    Level 1 (20 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 27, 2016 6:31 AM in response to ninaclock

    It's a setting on your phone.  If you go to Settings>Messages, make sure that you both have iMessage turned on.  Scroll down, and there is another setting that says, "Send As SMS."  Make sure that is on, too, for both of you.

    iMessage does require both sender and recipient to be connected to a Wi-Fi source, so if one or both people are not, then the message(s) get converted to regular SMS messages, using your carriers' system.

     

    A friend asked me about the urgent message thing the other day, and I had no answer for him, as it does take a few minutes for the iMessages to be converted to SMS, thereby negating the urgency of the message.  Your e-mail backup was a great move. 

     

    I hope Apple is able to fix this flaw in iOS10.

  • by Meg St._Clair,Solvedanswer

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair Jul 27, 2016 9:20 AM in response to AntBee
    Level 9 (58,434 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 27, 2016 9:20 AM in response to AntBee

    AntBee wrote:

    iMessage does require both sender and recipient to be connected to a Wi-Fi source, so if one or both people are not, then the message(s) get converted to regular SMS messages, using your carrier's system

    This is not correct. iMessage requires a data connection. However, it can be either WiFi or cellular data.

     

    The "Send as SMS" only kicks in if you try to send an iMessage and, for whatever reason, it fails.