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Are iPhone message icon reactions a feature on MMS/SMS?

OK, so I am unsure if the other person has iMessage on or not (I do), but you know how when you hold on a message, image, or video it shows you the icons you can select to kind of “react” to them? Is that a feature on MMS/SMS? Because whenever it happens on either end it seems to come out as this:

Basically for any reaction it sends it as a text, is this normal, a bug?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 13 Pro Max

Posted on Sep 8, 2022 4:47 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 8, 2022 5:58 AM

The recipient does not have Apple Messages active or is not using a genuine iPhone.

6 replies

Sep 16, 2022 5:56 PM in response to Axtrecius

SMS/MMS supports none of the advanced features of internet messaging services like iMessage. SMS uses a small slice of unused bandwidth in the cellular telephone voice spectrum to send text only. MMS adds the ability to send simple features like a photo or image along with the SMS text part but using the cellular data spectrum.


SMS is old tech - it predates the very existence of the internet so does not support any of the features of internet messaging services like iMessage, WhatsApp and other internet services.

Sep 18, 2022 5:11 PM in response to Axtrecius

iMessage is only available with people who own an Apple device and have set up an iMessage account. When you send to someone who does not meet those conditions, your message is sent as SMS.


iMessage is a proprietary internet message service and only works between fellow Apple device users with active Apple iMessage accounts. The iOS messaging app handles both iMessages and SMS texts and how yours get sent is dependent on what the recipient is using. Apple’s iMessage service cannot send a text to someone not using iMessage, so if the receipt’s address does not resolve to an Apple iMessage address, your message goes as SMS via your cellular telephone carrier’s text system.

Are iPhone message icon reactions a feature on MMS/SMS?

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