iOS 10 send sms after imessage

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Level 1

43 points

iOS 10 send sms after imessage

From my iPhone 5 (with iOS 10) I am communicating with someone who has an iPhone (iOS 9) with texting, but not cell data. They have iMessage turned on. I have a message thread with them that is all iMessages (blue text bubbles), which they received through wifi. When I know that they are not in wifi range, how can I force Messages to send them an SMS message instead of an iMessage, so that they will receive it.

(Notes:

* It is NOT a solution that they will eventually receive the message when they get to a wifi zone.

* I have read that in earlier iOS you could tap&hold on a message, but that seems to be gone in iOS 10.

* I do have "Send as SMS" turned on in Settings> Messages, but this has no effect. I assume it refers to when wifi & data are unavailable to me, and has nothing to do with the recipient.

iPhone 5, iOS 10, null

Posted on Sep 25, 2016 11:28 AM

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Answer 1

JamisonF

Level 1

15 points

Feb 21, 2017 7:27 AM in response to James6M

1) First make sure that under Settings for Messages you have Send as SMS turned on

2) Then make sure you are texting to your contacts phone number and not an email address registered with iMessage

Strangely enough if you select a phone number for a contact who also has an email registered with iMessage you may be taken to a message chat with that person that was sent to his/her registered iMessage email address. Don't worry, the phone actually knows you chose the phone number.

3) Then send your message (it will go as iMessage)

4) Immediately after sending the message and it really has to be immediately, press on the message you just sent. A menu should appear giving you three options : Copy, Send as Text Message, More...

Select Send as Text Message

Failure to press on the message immediately and get the three choice menu means you have to do steps 2 - 4 again. To be clear; If your contact has a registered iMessage email, you will actually have to leave the chat, reselect the phone number (not the email) and then do steps 3 and 4 again.

One more "interesting tidbit". The three choice menu only seems to appear if you manage to press and hold the iMessage you just sent before you get a "Delivered" notice. Once you get that "Delivered" notice it seems that you will not get the three choice menu.

All very annoying but usually doable and far better than turning off iMessage which can be a real problem to turn back on again quickly.

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