Force iMessage to send an SMS?

Bebo Gordo wrote:

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

I'm not having a problem.

You have to turn data off on your iPhone as well as your wifi. If either one of these is on iMessages automatically tries to send the message as an iMessage when it recognizes the contact as an Apple ID contact. You could also try turning off iMessage in your settings and turing on "Send SMS". The problem later becomes if you want to send as an iMessage and Messages sends it as an SMS. At which point you need to create an entirely new text message thread. Which means you have delete the entire conversation. Or at the very least all the SMS texts in the conversation.

Thank you Megan, did the trick.

Both of you need to log out of iMessage in Settings/Messages. You must log out; turning it off is not sufficient.

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?

But the phone software has decided that's the only way some messages are to go and forces me to switch the imessage on, send the message and then tap on the imessage to force it to send as a text. This is clumsy and unusable and not what I expect from Apple.

Its poor software. I am the customer here, I should have the choice on what format my message is sent, and not be subservient to a phone.

hold down the send button to select "send as text message" doesn't appear any more on my iPhone SE, perhaps some "improvement" aka "upgrade" happened. This is just totally sucking my blood. I had to 1) erase our conversation with the recipient, 2) switch my phone off any data (wifi/mobile data) and of course allow "send as text message" (or disable iMessage). Without deleting the conversation, when I disabled iMessage, my phone was just cmplaining tha tit can't send an imessage to the recipient and to enable imessages; ri-di-cu-lous!!!!

Been noticing this issue too - just googled and found this thread!

I think it's compounded for me because my wife and I share an AppleID ... so even with both her iPhone and iPad off wifi I'll still get a 'Delivered' if I 'text' her!

That's really rubbish! Why has Apple apparently taken it upon itself to re-define what a 'telephone number' is, and conflate it with their Apple ID, and add another app, iMessage, that interferes with the action of the text message?

Fix this Apple! If I text my wife's mobile/cell number I really want the text to arrive on her 'phone, not on her iPad, or even worse, my iPad!

So I've gone into Settings and turned iMessage off (look for 'Messages').

Now when I go to send a text message to my wife Apple doesn't interfere with some new app I never asked for and I can actually send a **** text!

Apple, it's doing stuff like this that gets you a bad name!
Should not have been turned on by default!

The problem is that you share an Apple ID with your wife. This is NOT a recommended practice by Apple; if anything, it's an example of a worst practice rather than a best practice. Apple IDs are personal; if you share one, you share all messages, texts, contacts, calendars; essentially everything on your phone is shared. That's why Apple has Family Sharing, so family members don't have to share Apple IDs, but can still share music, videos, apps, select calendars.

Hmmmm.

Using a single AppleID has made a lot of stuff very easy but recent updates have screwed things up more and more!
The problem certainly relates to the AppleID, but I might argue where the fault now lies!

But OK, lets see how easily we can unravel this mess ...
So if I setup a new AppleID for my wife than add her to a new Family Share will she retain all her existing apps and their data?
Will she be able to download any Apps I have purchased too?
Will she retain all her existing calendars (possibly the most important for work reasons!)?

Will she retain her contacts, etc.

Thanks

A

I am so angry right now! That the only way I can send a text message instead of an iMessage to another iPhone is to turn the wifi and data off, AND I have to delete the entire chat and create a new one with ONLY "text messages" otherwise it won't send as a text message anymore, but only iMessage!

I am practically pulling my hair out right now at the stupidity of this! I have been an Apple customer for a long time now, but this is making me think to get an android phone.

My husband is out of town with no Sprint service (he is roaming). He is not receiving any of my messages from Messages whatsoever. We both reset our phones, did the ##update# to update to local towers, turned off iMessage, tried everything I know and found in this thread.

My son has an Android and receives my messages fine. Everything said, messages are just a bit delayed due to their remote location.

My resolution for now... I have to use Google Hangouts and force to send SMS messages to his iPhone number from my Google Voice number. All this is very frustrating. At least for now, we can communicate.

His messages are not getting to Android users either, they are on Sprint and other networks (they are at deer camp so there are many people there). Something is messed up when you can't send/receive a simple message, seriously.

MsDee wrote:

His messages are not getting to Android users either, they are on Sprint and other networks (they are at deer camp so there are many people there). Something is messed up when you can't send/receive a simple message, seriously.

That's a different issue than you first described. Did you follow my instructions and log out of iMessage (not just turn it off)?

As to his messages not going to you or Android phones, that's a carrier problem, probably an issue between Sprint and the roaming carrier. He needs to contact Sprint.

Yes to all of those. She (and you) can have both shared and private calendars. And can also have both shared and private photos. See: Family Sharing - Apple Support