Force iMessage Instead of Regular Text on Your iPhone

[nerdslife_team]

Ever noticed your iPhone messages switching from blue to green? That means they’re going out as SMS texts, not iMessages. Let’s get that fixed and ensure you’re using iMessage whenever possible.

Method 1: Send iMessages to the recipient’s apple id

Sending iMessages directly to your contact’s Apple ID ensures they are sent as iMessage. SMS texts cannot be sent to email addresses, so using this method forces the message to be sent via iMessage.

1. Open the Messages app and tap the Compose button in the top-right corner.
   

   

2. In the To: field, enter your contact’s Apple ID email address. If iMessage is available, the email should appear in blue. Tap the email address to select it and then compose your message.
   

   

If you need to send an SMS in the future, simply start a new conversation and select their phone number, and make sure “Send as SMS” is enabled.

Method 2: use your apple id for iMessage

Using your Apple ID instead of your phone number for sending iMessages is another method to ensure your messages are sent as iMessages rather than SMS, since SMS messages can only be sent from phone numbers. This makes sure your messages get sent from your email.

1. Go to the Settings app and tap on Messages.
   

   

2. In the Messages settings, select Send & Receive.
   

   

3. Under Start New Conversations From, choose your Apple ID email address instead of your phone number.
   

   

4. If you’re not signed in with your Apple ID for iMessage, tap Use your Apple ID for iMessage and sign in. After signing in, select your Apple ID as the sender.
   

   

If you need to send SMS later, switch back to your phone number and enable “Send as SMS”.

Method 3: Disable ‘send as sms’

When the Send as SMS option is enabled, your iPhone may automatically send messages as regular text messages when iMessage is unavailable. Disabling this option ensures that messages are sent only as iMessages.

1. Open the Settings app, scroll down, and select Messages.
   

   

2. Scroll down to find Send as SMS and toggle it off.
   

   

With this disabled, messages will only send as iMessages. If iMessage isn’t available, the message won’t send until a connection is established. Keep in mind that you’ll have to enable this setting again to send texts in an emergency.

Method 4: Ensure imessage is enabled

Sometimes iMessage can get turned off accidentally, especially after an update or a settings reset. Checking if it’s enabled is a quick fix.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and scroll down to tap on Messages.
   

   

2. Make sure the toggle next to iMessage is turned on.
   

   

If iMessage is already enabled, check for activation errors like “Waiting for Activation”. If you see these messages, you may need to follow the steps in this guide to fix activation issues.

Verify iMessage Server Status

iMessage might not work due to server problems on Apple’s end. This is rare, but it’s good to check.

1. Go to Apple’s System Status page to see iMessage’s status. A green dot means it’s working correctly, while a red or yellow dot means there’s an issue.
   
   

If the servers are down, you will have to wait until Apple fixes the issue.

Determine If the Issue Is on Your End

The problem might be on the recipient’s side. They might have switched to a non-Apple device or disabled iMessage.

1. Open the Messages app and start a new conversation by tapping the Compose button.
   

   

2. Enter the contact’s name or number. If their name appears in blue, iMessage is available; if it’s green, the message will be sent as a text message.
   

   

3. In an existing conversation, check if the message input box says iMessage or Text Message.
   

   

4. You can also type a message to see if the send arrow is blue (iMessage) or green (SMS).
   

   

If multiple contacts are getting text messages, the issue might be with your device. If it’s just one contact, they might have disabled iMessage or switched to a non-Apple device. Ask them to enable iMessage or use another app like WhatsApp.

It’s also possible your contact is using iMessage with their Apple ID instead of their phone number, or the other way around. So ensure you’re messaging them using the correct contact info.

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Following these tips should get your iMessages flowing correctly again!