iMessage-SMS question

[TechDumDum]

Hello - I'm new so please go easy... I have an issue that I couldn't find addressed in one thread that contained all the conditions I have noticed.

I'm using an iPhone 4S w/ 7.1.2 OS. The other day I sent an iMessage to someone who has always used iMessage - when I sent, it started as a blue bubble, then flickered and turned green before the progress bar completed. The progress bar didn't stop or get stuck beyond the flicker and I did not get a 'delivered' after the message. HOWEVER! I have noticed I don't always get that 'delivered' notification, even though recipients have replied to me.

I understand that when a message starts as green one of us could have iMessage off, be in a weak signal area, or the message was not delivered. But I also see suggestions that would indicate one has been blocked by the recipient - which I doubt, (but if I had I wouldn't want to keep bugging that person).

I did not get a reply, but my friend may already be out of the country and not able to receive messages... I couldn't find any threads about the message starting blue but turning green mid 'send' - any ideas?

 

[joshkhaos1]

It SOUNDS like the other person is in a weak signal area. I've had that happen before where my SMS would start out blue and then deliver as green, and then a few minutes later the texts would start going as blue again.

Hello - I'm new so please go easy... I have an issue that I couldn't find addressed in one thread that contained all the conditions I have noticed.

I'm using an iPhone 4S w/ 7.1.2 OS. The other day I sent an iMessage to someone who has always used iMessage - when I sent, it started as a blue bubble, then flickered and turned green before the progress bar completed. The progress bar didn't stop or get stuck beyond the flicker and I did not get a 'delivered' after the message. HOWEVER! I have noticed I don't always get that 'delivered' notification, even though recipients have replied to me.

I understand that when a message starts as green one of us could have iMessage off, be in a weak signal area, or the message was not delivered. But I also see suggestions that would indicate one has been blocked by the recipient - which I doubt, (but if I had I wouldn't want to keep bugging that person).

I did not get a reply, but my friend may already be out of the country and not able to receive messages... I couldn't find any threads about the message starting blue but turning green mid 'send' - any ideas?

 

[chupachup]

Hello - I'm new so please go easy... I have an issue that I couldn't find addressed in one thread that contained all the conditions I have noticed.

I'm using an iPhone 4S w/ 7.1.2 OS. The other day I sent an iMessage to someone who has always used iMessage - when I sent, it started as a blue bubble, then flickered and turned green before the progress bar completed. The progress bar didn't stop or get stuck beyond the flicker and I did not get a 'delivered' after the message. HOWEVER! I have noticed I don't always get that 'delivered' notification, even though recipients have replied to me.

I understand that when a message starts as green one of us could have iMessage off, be in a weak signal area, or the message was not delivered. But I also see suggestions that would indicate one has been blocked by the recipient - which I doubt, (but if I had I wouldn't want to keep bugging that person).

I did not get a reply, but my friend may already be out of the country and not able to receive messages... I couldn't find any threads about the message starting blue but turning green mid 'send' - any ideas?

The iMessages service crashes all the time. I was out of iMessages for days once. Some sort of outage.

 

[TechDumDum]

Thanks chupachup & joshkhaos1. SO I guess there is no real consistency with iMessage then - as some say delivered even though someone may not respond or they don't get the message, and others don't say delivered but the conversation continues.

If she's already out of the country, or not in a good area - will the iMessage deliver once they get back to a better signal area, or do the undelivered messages/texts just vanish after a certain point? I mean, that green bubble is never gonna turn blue... right?

Thanks again!!

 

[jr866gooner]

iMessage-SMS question

It gets tricky when you know someone with an iphone (being fixed but you've messaged before) who temporarily using an android and they also own am iPad. You text them and it defaults to an iMessage! It goes to their iPad instead of to their phone as a regular SMS(android) . In this instance the only way to actually send as an SMS is to switch off iMessage... Unless I'm missing something obvious...

 

[C DM]

There typically won't be any delivered or read notification for green (regular text/SMS/MMS) messages, while there typically will be such notifications for blue (iMessages) messages.

 

[cynics]

Thanks chupachup & joshkhaos1. SO I guess there is no real consistency with iMessage then - as some say delivered even though someone may not respond or they don't get the message, and others don't say delivered but the conversation continues.

If she's already out of the country, or not in a good area - will the iMessage deliver once they get back to a better signal area, or do the undelivered messages/texts just vanish after a certain point? I mean, that green bubble is never gonna turn blue... right?

Thanks again!!

Generally you get delivered/read (read if the other person has read receipts turned on in settings) for all one on one conversations aka not iMessage group conversation. You'll see bugs from time to time, like you'll send a picture and it will say not delivered but the other person will get it. An SMS (green) is like mailing a normal letter, its one way and you don't really know if it made it but generally it does, an iMessage is like mailing a letter with signature required.

Once the iMessage defaults to SMS (blue to green) it won't go back. Now thats not saying the iMessage didn't slip through with the SMS but its not going to try again.

All that said I find iMessage about 99% reliable. I haven't had a problem with it in a very long time. You can always check here to check the status of the iMessage and other Apple service servers.

https://www.apple.com/support/systemstatus/

If you feel like there is a problem I found sometimes logging out and back in has solved issues.

Settings > Messages > Toggle iMessage off, wait a seconds, back on. You'll see it say activating. Have your friend do that too...but generally it sorts itself out.

 

[TechDumDum]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate it. I guess there simply is no definitive solution as to why that happens on occasion. I read some of the other threads and got worried that I may have been blocked by 20% of the people I know or text/imessage with - I'm normally not that paranoid but I was a little concerned I may be a real A$$ if in fact those suggestions were correct....I guess I won't seek counseling after all - I'll just presume it's an issue with the system (unless they NEVER reply back)... THX all

 

[afsnyder]

Thanks chupachup & joshkhaos1. SO I guess there is no real consistency with iMessage then - as some say delivered even though someone may not respond or they don't get the message, and others don't say delivered but the conversation continues.

If she's already out of the country, or not in a good area - will the iMessage deliver once they get back to a better signal area, or do the undelivered messages/texts just vanish after a certain point? I mean, that green bubble is never gonna turn blue... right?

Thanks again!!

I don't believe text messages get the "delivered" text. They just show as bubbles. That is exclusive to iMessage.

 

[C DM]

I don't believe text messages get the "delivered" text. They just show as bubbles. That is exclusive to iMessage.

Thats correct. At least some providers support things like that for regular text messages, but Apple doesn't support it so it doesn't show up.

 

[techspin]

Green SMS text won't turn blue. I have seen iMessages get lost but it's generally reliable. So maybe they didn't feel like responding. Maybe send them the alphabet to test.