iMessage Question: How does it actually work?

[faqdroid]

Howdy.

New iPhone 6. Created an Apple ID...etc.

Now I've received a text from my friend, but instead of showing her number in my Messages App, it states her EMAIL address. I understand that it is because we are both using iPhones, but why didn't her name appear as her name as stored in my contacts list?

ALSO, what if I am outside or disabled my Wi-Fi/3G connection, if she texts me, will it then be sent to my phone number, and NOT my iMessage/Apple ID address?

Here are extra details.

Message settings:

iMessage: enabled
Send as SMS: enabled
Send & Receive: 2 addresses (phone and iMessage/ID)

So, say I'm not connected to the internet, if she continues her text thread from our previous conversation on iMessage, will I still receive the text on my phone, ie, it will be sent to my actual phone number instead? (Since I'm not connected via Wi-Fi).

Thank you!

 

[BrianBaughn]

Your friend may have her email address selected in Settings>Messages>Send & Receive>START NEW CONVERSATION FROM on the device she is sending from.

If your iPhone's data/wifi is off completely, you have NO other running devices or computers set up to receive your iMessages, and she has Settings>Messages>Send as SMS "On" then the iPhone will try to send the message as SMS.

At least that's the way I think it would work!