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Sending Text to person with non-iPhone but with iMac

Whenever I send a text to my friend who doesn't have an iPhone but has an iMac, the text automatically sends as an iMessage to her computer (which doesn't reach her phone). I don't want to have to turn off iMessages every time I text her just so the text sends to her phone. Is there are fix for this?

iPhone 11, iOS 13

Posted on Oct 25, 2020 11:19 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Oct 25, 2020 11:50 AM

When she sends me a text from her phone and I reply, it sends to her computer. When I reply to her text after having turned off iMessages--so I think it sends MMS or SMS?--the text fails.


I just deleted her email from my contacts and it worked! She received my text on her phone. Thank you!

6 replies

Oct 25, 2020 11:49 AM in response to amandakgarty

There really is no issue and therefore there is no fix. The reason I state that is because the issue is clearly at your friend's side. What is happening is that your friend does not have an iPhone to receive iMessages. You are sending iMessages to your friend by using your friend's email address vs the phone number. When you send your friend an iMessage, then it rightfully goes to your friend's iMac and when you send your friend a SMS text, then it rightfully goes to your friend's phone. How do you fix this?


  1. Delete the entire thread that you have showing in your Messages app.
  2. Ensure that your friend's phone number is listed in your friend's contact information.
  3. YOU start a fresh text by send a text to your friend's phone number (rather than the email address). This will go out as a SMS message (Green color).
  4. Your friend will then respond to the new thread and then just ask your friend to use only the new thread when responding.


Axel F.

Oct 25, 2020 11:41 AM in response to amandakgarty

If you have her email address, which is the only thing you could be sending to her Mac in her contact card, then it would show that when you select her phone number. That is one of the problems that occurs when you have individuals that split the usage. What happens if she send you a text and you reply to her SMS from the phone. Does it also automatically send to the email and Mac?

Sending Text to person with non-iPhone but with iMac

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