Reply With Message sends iMessage instead of SMS

jimrockford · Feb 9, 2013

I just did a fresh restore to 6.1 on my iPhone 4S.

First thing I did was rang my mobile with an Android to test "reply with message" and it sends the message by iMessage rather than SMS.

The only way I can get it to send it as an SMS is to disable iMessage altogether.

It's bizarre because that number has never been associated with iMessage. When I go to send a text to that number, the iPhone recognises it properly and sends it as an SMS.

I can't make sense of what is wrong. It is not jailbroken.

Any advise as to what I can do? I notice on twitter a couple people have this issue as well, but there seems to be no solution.

I tried to login to Apple Communities, but it is making me choose a new username, upon which it frustratingly informs me that the email address is already taken (no kidding!).

SnowLeopard2008 · Feb 9, 2013

It's not possible to send an iMessage from iPhone to any non-Apple devices barring any hacks and that kind of thing.

jimrockford · Feb 9, 2013

SnowLeopard2008 said:
It's not possible to send an iMessage from iPhone to any non-Apple devices barring any hacks and that kind of thing.

I know. That's the problem, the phone is *trying* to send an imessage to a non-apple device, when I want it to send an SMS.

When I use the "Reply With Message" feature in ios6, it seems to do it as an imessage regardless of whether it's being sent to a non-apple device or not. Each and every time. While it isn't possible for it to successfully send to a non-apple device, it definitely is trying and failing...meaning no message gets sent. This only seems to be the case when I use "Reply with Message"

So what ends up happening is i get a red ! indicating it hasn't sent, each and every time, *unless* I turn off iMessage in the settings, in which case it sends it as an SMS as normal (subsequently working properly)

SnowLeopard2008 · Feb 9, 2013

jimrockford said:
I know. That's the problem, the phone is *trying* to send an imessage to a non-apple device, when I want it to send an SMS.

When I use the "Reply With Message" feature in ios6, it seems to do it as an imessage regardless of whether it's being sent to a non-apple device or not. Each and every time. While it isn't possible for it to successfully send to a non-apple device, it definitely is trying and failing...meaning no message gets sent. This only seems to be the case when I use "Reply with Message"

So what ends up happening is i get a red ! indicating it hasn't sent, each and every time, *unless* I turn off iMessage in the settings, in which case it sends it as an SMS as normal (subsequently working properly)

I just tried this on my iPhone 5 and it sends SMS or iMessage depending on on the other end. I don't know if this is limited to iPhone 4S but I can't reproduce it on my 5. Have you tried setting up a Genius Bar appointment?

jimrockford · Feb 9, 2013

SnowLeopard2008 said:
I just tried this on my iPhone 5 and it sends SMS or iMessage depending on on the other end. I don't know if this is limited to iPhone 4S but I can't reproduce it on my 5. Have you tried setting up a Genius Bar appointment?

I'm in Ireland, we don't have Genius Bars.

It's bizarre, on twitter a few others have this problem, but it seems most do not. I tried a fresh restore, setting it up as a new phone and not using my backup. I'm not jailbroken. But it insists on sending all my "Reply With Messages" as imessages.

I don't know what else to do - as I can't get on the Apple Communities because even though I have an ID and know my password, it's making me choose a user ID when I try to log in, and then it subsequently says there's already an account with that email address.

SnowLeopard2008 · Feb 9, 2013

jimrockford said:
I'm in Ireland, we don't have Genius Bars.

It's bizarre, on twitter a few others have this problem, but it seems most do not. I tried a fresh restore, setting it up as a new phone and not using my backup. I'm not jailbroken. But it insists on sending all my "Reply With Messages" as imessages.

I don't know what else to do - as I can't get on the Apple Communities because even though I have an ID and know my password, it's making me choose a user ID when I try to log in, and then it subsequently says there's already an account with that email address.

I did not know. Can you link me to the tweets you mentioned? Did you try removing and re-inserting the SIM card?

As for the Apple Communities log in problem, that may because you previously created an Apple ID and tied that ID to your email. Now when you try logging using your email, it thinks you want to create a new ID. It's hard to explain but let me give you an example:

I created an Apple ID called "x". I then associated "x" with something@icloud.com. If I try logging in using something@icloud.com, it will do exactly as you have encountered. If I log in using "x", it will go through with no problems.

jimrockford · Feb 9, 2013

SnowLeopard2008 said:
I did not know. Can you link me to the tweets you mentioned? Did you try removing and re-inserting the SIM card?

As for the Apple Communities log in problem, that may because you previously created an Apple ID and tied that ID to your email. Now when you try logging using your email, it thinks you want to create a new ID. It's hard to explain but let me give you an example:

I created an Apple ID called "x". I then associated "x" with something@icloud.com. If I try logging in using something@icloud.com, it will do exactly as you have encountered. If I log in using "x", it will go through with no problems.

I thought that may be the case with the community thing, but the problem is I can't recall whatever ID I may have had and when I try to sign on with my email address, rather than use whatever ID was assigned to that email address, it's asking me to create a new one - but then when I do, it gives the error message. It's a strange loop. I've tried to "recover" it, but all it tells me is the email address, which I already know.

Re the twitter links: Not sure how to cut and paste the link itself, but one guy with the problem who posted about it in the past 24 hours was a @devuberoi

Cheers,

Defender2010 · Feb 9, 2013

jimrockford said:
I know. That's the problem, the phone is *trying* to send an imessage to a non-apple device, when I want it to send an SMS.

When I use the "Reply With Message" feature in ios6, it seems to do it as an imessage regardless of whether it's being sent to a non-apple device or not. Each and every time. While it isn't possible for it to successfully send to a non-apple device, it definitely is trying and failing...meaning no message gets sent. This only seems to be the case when I use "Reply with Message"

So what ends up happening is i get a red ! indicating it hasn't sent, each and every time, *unless* I turn off iMessage in the settings, in which case it sends it as an SMS as normal (subsequently working properly)

Have you the "send as SMS" turned on in settings? Or when it's trying to send hold on the text and press send as text message/SMS?

jimrockford · Feb 10, 2013

Defender2010 said:
Have you the "send as SMS" turned on in settings? Or when it's trying to send hold on the text and press send as text message/SMS?

I have the "send as SMS" bit off, because sometimes my coverage is bad and I don't want my legit imessages being sent as sms (the ones from Ireland to America or Ireland to Australia) as the usage fees are high. But these ones shouldn't be even attempting the imessage at all for those callers.

I just held down one of the red exclamation marks and said send as a text and of course that worked. Then I tried using the reply with message for that contact and, once again, it sent it as an imessage.

I then, as a test, turned on the send as sms if imessage fails option in settings and tried again. The red exclamation mark appeared for a second and then disappeared. So, it presumably tried sending an imessage to a non-apple device and then since that failed, sent it as a text. I don't like having this option on, however, and I am not sure that it is necessary. (I turned the option back off and it resorted to the same level of oddness.)

My question is, for those whose thing this works properly with, if you turn that send as an sms option off - will your reply with message work like mine in that it attempts to send an imessage to everyone regardless of whether its an apple device or not?

I'm not sure why it's even doing this though, as when sending a message through the message app, it never attempts to send non-apple devices an imessage.

Defender2010 · Feb 10, 2013

jimrockford said:
I have the "send as SMS" bit off, because sometimes my coverage is bad and I don't want my legit imessages being sent as sms (the ones from Ireland to America or Ireland to Australia) as the usage fees are high. But these ones shouldn't be even attempting the imessage at all for those callers.

I just held down one of the red exclamation marks and said send as a text and of course that worked. Then I tried using the reply with message for that contact and, once again, it sent it as an imessage.

I then, as a test, turned on the send as sms if imessage fails option in settings and tried again. The red exclamation mark appeared for a second and then disappeared. So, it presumably tried sending an imessage to a non-apple device and then since that failed, sent it as a text. I don't like having this option on, however, and I am not sure that it is necessary. (I turned the option back off and it resorted to the same level of oddness.)

My question is, for those whose thing this works properly with, if you turn that send as an sms option off - will your reply with message work like mine in that it attempts to send an imessage to everyone regardless of whether its an apple device or not?

I'm not sure why it's even doing this though, as when sending a message through the message app, it never attempts to send non-apple devices an imessage.

I think you should leave it on.

Ajones330 · Feb 10, 2013

You may have to set iMessage up using your Apple i.d. and use your number to send regular text messages. Go into settings and edit where you send and receive iMessage.

Bahroo · Feb 10, 2013

jimrockford said:
I just did a fresh restore to 6.1 on my iPhone 4S.

First thing I did was rang my mobile with an Android to test "reply with message" and it sends the message by iMessage rather than SMS.

The only way I can get it to send it as an SMS is to disable iMessage altogether.

It's bizarre because that number has never been associated with iMessage. When I go to send a text to that number, the iPhone recognises it properly and sends it as an SMS.

I can't make sense of what is wrong. It is not jailbroken.

Any advise as to what I can do? I notice on twitter a couple people have this issue as well, but there seems to be no solution.

I tried to login to Apple Communities, but it is making me choose a new username, upon which it frustratingly informs me that the email address is already taken (no kidding!).

Have you tried a simple soft/hard reset? That usually clears up alot of weird stuff sometimes

jlr5934 · May 15, 2013

Text Message to non iPhone is sending as iMessage and not SMS

I am having somewhat of the same issue. My friend use to have an iPhone 5 but no longer has this phone. The phone number that was associated with the phone and on his AT&T account has been changed 2 times since he switched to a new phone. Whenever I send a text message to his new number is sends it as an iMessage (blue text) but he never receives it. I can turn off the imessage and send a text as sms (green text) and he can receive the text message. I have removed his contact information from my address book, reset network settings but still nothing will work to allow me to send him normal text messages, at&t is wanting me to do a full restore to my phone which i should not have to do. This issue is happening with any of his friends that have an iPhone and trying to send him messages....any help on this is greatly appreciated

Ajones330 · May 15, 2013

jlr5934 said:
I am having somewhat of the same issue. My friend use to have an iPhone 5 but no longer has this phone. The phone number that was associated with the phone and on his AT&T account has been changed 2 times since he switched to a new phone. Whenever I send a text message to his new number is sends it as an iMessage (blue text) but he never receives it. I can turn off the imessage and send a text as sms (green text) and he can receive the text message. I have removed his contact information from my address book, reset network settings but still nothing will work to allow me to send him normal text messages, at&t is wanting me to do a full restore to my phone which i should not have to do. This issue is happening with any of his friends that have an iPhone and trying to send him messages....any help on this is greatly appreciated

Your iPhone isn't trying to send it to a Apple i.d. or anything like that. Also he needs to find his old iPhone to see if that old number he had is set up under iMessage still. I see that he has changed his number but I would still have your friend do that. Also have them change their sim card if possible.

jgalan14 · May 15, 2013

Yeah is annoying issue happened to me when I switch SIM cards with my nexus 4 :/ after a while I'm able to get messages tho, does he has his iPad set up? Cause that could be a problem he needs to take his phone number of the iMessage system

luzxkm · May 15, 2013

I just held down one of the red exclamation marks and said send as a text and of course that worked.

Amadeo · May 19, 2013

I understand what the OP is talking about, because I too have the problem on my up-to-date iPhone 4S. I think some of the earlier people who replied are misunderstanding.

What's basically happening is that iOS6 is, by default, attempting to send an iMessage whenever you use the Reply With Message feature — rather than first checking to see if it is an iOS device it is reply to in the first place. Because it immediately defaults to sending an iMessage, it will fail when it is sending the message to an Android phone — or any phone running something other than iOS for that matter.

Obviously, when you go back into the Messages app, and realize that it has failed, you can then resend it as an SMS. But then that kind of defeats the purpose for many use-cases, doesn't it? I'm sure we all have friends running Android, or some other OS.

Seems like less of a bug — and more of an oversight on Apple's part — given the fact that it is "remedied" by enabling the option to "Send as SMS" when iMessage is unavailable. That is, however, a feature I tend to keep turned off as well.

tonivteu · May 20, 2013

Go into settings and edit where you send and receive iMessage.

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Reply With Message sends iMessage instead of SMS

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