How do I know if a text message was sent by text or email?

Regular Text Messages vs. iMessages:

• Regular Text Messages: These are messages sent through your phone carrier's network. They require both you and the recipient to have phone numbers. You can't send a text message directly to someone's email address because email and phone networks operate on different systems.
• iMessages (Apple): These are messages sent between Apple devices (iPhones, iPads, Macs) using Apple's servers. While iMessages can be linked to your email address for identification (Apple ID), the message itself doesn't travel through email. It stays within the iMessage app ecosystem. So, even though you might see the recipient's email address, the message isn't being delivered to their email inbox.

Here's an analogy:

Think of regular text messages as postcards. They have a specific address system (phone numbers) and can only be delivered to mailboxes designed for them (phones). On the other hand, iMessages are like internal company memos. They use a private network (Apple servers) and require everyone to be part of the same company (Apple devices) to receive them. While you might use an employee ID (email address) to send the memo, it wouldn't be sent to someone's external mailbox (email).

In short:

• Regular text messages use phone numbers, not email addresses.
• iMessages use Apple IDs (which can be linked to emails) but stay within the iMessage app and don't get delivered as emails.