Force iMessage to send an SMS?

For the people replying can you please post your iOS version and carrier? The change in behavior is specifically with 8.x that has come out since iPhone 6 & Plus. I can confirm that when data is off on the recipient's phone it still shows as delivered on the sender's phone. The recipient NEVER receives the message. This behavior has been seen on iOS 8.x devices with Verizon as the carrier. The tests I did are specifically with iPhone 6 to 6 Plus.

My latest tests are with 8.1 (12B411) and Verizon as the Carrier. Verizon offers Delievery and Read Receipts for messages on their network but I don't see a way to turn this functionality on for iDevices. The other advantage of SMS is it will deliver and receive on 1X connections. iMessage will not.

Most US carriers bundle in unlimited SMS at this point so there really isn't an additional cost when you send iMessage for the data portion of the message.

FredLob wrote:

Most US carriers bundle in unlimited SMS at this point so there really isn't an additional cost when you send iMessage for the data portion of the message.

But iMessages are not sent as SMS or counted as part of any mesagging plan (unlimited or not).

iMessages will count against your data plan.

From iOS 5 to iOS 8.1.1 now, on my iPhone 6 plus, Apple stil hasn't fixed this "bug". I can conclude that Apple just don't want us to send SMS but bundle customers to use iMessage.

I apologize if this has been answered - but my problem is the same but a little different too. I have a full data plan on my iphone and my daughter has an ihpone as well - but no data. When she leaves a wifi area and texts me - I get her texts but when I reply it still sends as an imessage and she doesnt get it. If I change my settings to "Send as SMS" - when I text her when I know she is out of wifi - - no texts will send at all - imessage or txt message - to anyone!!! The status bar stops, my phone jams up and I have to restart it to get anything to work. The message still wont send then either!!! I am frustrated because I do not have this problme with any other of my contacts - whether they have iphones or not. Suggestions?

You should tap on your message and select "send it via SMS" or something like that.

I'm having the same problem. If my cellular data is turned off, and I am not on wi-fi, then any iPhone will not automatically send me a message as SMS, even if their "Send as SMS" is enabled. I have an old Nokia dumb phone, though, and this problem never occurs with it. I get every message sent from an iPhone, no matter what. So to me, the iPhone sending a message to my IPhone somehow sees it is sending to an iPhone and just refuses to believe someone with an iPhone would have their data / wi-fi / iMessage turned off for any reason. So it doesn't bother to convert the message to SMS.

Yes, if the person sending is hip to the fact that the message was never delivered, they can use the pop-up override to send as SMS, but in my experience, people don't check to see if their message was delivered; they just (reasonably) assume it was. So they never know their message went nowhere and I never know that I missed it.

The killer in all this is that it's easier to receive an SMS from an iPhone on a dumb phone or on a non-iPhone than it is to receive an SMS from another iPhone on an IPhone! In creating the iMessage app, Apple has crippled the SMS function between iPhones. So which one is the dumb phone?

I have spend a couple of hours on the phone with Apple Care the past couple of days troubleshooting this, and they can't figure it out. The Senior guy I'm dealing with seems genuinely never to have encountered this before. So I suppose the workaround that most people use is to never turn off their cell data.

carby1 wrote:

I also have this problem - on an Iphone 5s, running v9.1.

I don't want to send using Imessage, so have turned this feature off. What was wrong with SMS?

Nothing "wrong" with SMS.

You can send SMS only to other users with SMS capability.

Some people do not have unlimited text plans.

But the phone software has decided that's the only way some messages are to go and forces me to switch the imessage on,

Delete the threads which are iMessage and star a new thread with iMessage off.

The problem is with all carriers and all iPhone ever since apple came up with iMessages. The default for iPhone should be SMS, but it s not the default for all iPhonest is iMessages. And even if you shut off your data forcing your phone to send SMS, when you have a cell phone signal, the problem can still exists on the end of who you send your text message. The other problem is if you are in an area where you do not recieve cell phone service but have access to wifi then you are suck using iMessages and the only one who will be able able to to communicate with are people with Apple ID's or iPhones so long as there data is turned on and even then a lot of time you cannot get through to them and they cannot get through to you. I have used Apple products since 1980 and have excused a lot of there failings because they usually at some point do something to save face, but the way they have a strangle hold on iPhone's texting is makes me want to get rid of my iPhone and switch to an Android. Any of which handle texting better than Apples iPhones & iPads. You can send a text message from any brand of Android and it will get to any other brand Android without a problem even usually faster then iMessages. And if you don't have cell phone signal you can still send a receive messages so long as you have access to wifi. Unless you are sending a text message to someone who has an iPhone. Then you have to wait until that person has cell phone reception again for them to receive your text. iPhone are also horrible (cannot do it) at downloading messages to you phone when you do not have cell phone reception but still have access to wifi. iPhone messages will only download to your iphone with data turned on. So even if you are in a no cell coverage area but have access wifi you still won't know if someone has tried to call you unless you call from a land line (if available) to check your messages. Other than the few games I have paid for over the years, I am running out of reasons to stick with Apples iPhones which is very sad for me to admit.

The problem is with SMS instead of iMessages is with all carriers and all iPhones ever created since Apple came up with iMessages. The default for iPhone should be SMS, but it s not. The default for all iPhones is iMessages. And if you are like most customers you don't even know about it until you call your carrier to complain about text messages not being sent or received. And even if you shut off your data forcing your phone to send SMS, when you have a cell phone signal, which is what your phone carrier will tel you to do, the problem can still exists on the end of who you send your text message.

The other problem is if you are in an area where you do not recieve cell phone service but have access to wifi then you are suck using iMessages and the only one who will be able able to to communicate with are people with Apple ID's or iPhones so long as there data is turned on or they have access to wifi. And even then, a lot of the time you cannot get through to them and they cannot get through to you. I have used Apple products since 1980 and have excused a lot of there failings because they usually at some point do something to save face, but the way they have a strangle hold on iPhone's texting makes me want to get rid of my iPhone and switch to an Android. Any of which handle texting better than Apples iPhones & iPads. You can send a text message from any brand of Android and it will get to any other brand Android without a problem even usually faster then iMessages. And if you don't have cell phone signal you can still send a receive messages with an Android so long as you have access to wifi. Unless you are sending a text message to someone who has an iPhone using wifi. Then you have to wait until that person has cell phone reception again for them to receive your text.

iPhones are also horrible (cannot do it) at downloading voice messages to your phone when you do not have cell phone reception but still have access to wifi. iPhone messages will only download to your iPhone with data turned on. So even if you are in a no cell coverage area but have access wifi you still won't know if someone has tried to call you unless you call from a land line (if available) to check your voice messages. Other than the few games I have paid for over the years, I am running out of reasons to stick with Apples iPhones which is very sad for me to admit.

I use an iPhone 4s my wife uses an iPhone 5. Both run 9.1 and are with AT&T, who has the the worse data plan that I know of unless you were lucky enough to have unlimited data 10 years ago since they no longer offer it. In part iTunes was the only other reason I have stuck with my iPhone for so long and Apple is slowly destroying that last ray of hope too.

As much fun as it is to write these things down and complain you should also contact Apple since it is there product and specifically "software" that is the problem. http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

As much fun as it is to write these things down and complain we should also contact Apple since it is there product and specifically "software" that is the problem. http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

I submitted my feedback to three different departments since there is no option for iMessages, programs, or even OS. Hopefully enough people write, they might finally do something about it.

As much fun as it is to write these things down and complain you (everyone) should also contact Apple since it is there product and specifically "software" that is the problem. http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

And if Apple says anything about data cost to customer for text & data messages then tell them that should be addressed when the individual sets up their iPhone. The customer should have the option and not be forced by Apple to be stuck with a subpar texting program. Data cost are irrelevant when you have united text which as for as I know, every cell carrier offers to iPhone users. Data cost only become relavant with prepaid phones which I have yet to meet an iPhone owner with a prepaid phone plan that uses an iPhone.

I have submitted feed back to three different departments since there was no option for iMessages, programs, or OS.

The thread jumps from iMessage to SMS and back again. I have tried to use a contact with only a phone number and no email and it still uses iMessage and not SMS.