Messages sending as SMS rather than iMessage since update?

[sim667]

Is anyone else finding this? I’m messaging people who I know are on iOS but not 26, and it’s sending as RCS over iMessage everytime, unless I turn “send as text message” off….. in which case it sends as iMessage.

Any suggestions?

 

[sk8mash]

Same! And I can’t add my phone number as send/receive in iMessage. I changed from sim to eSIM so I’m wondering if it’s that. Did you also?

 

[azhava]

I sent 4 messages this morning to people with iPhones, every one of them was sent as an iMessage. I don't know for 100% sure, but considering who they are it's very doubtful that they're on iOS 26 yet.

 

[coolfactor]

Just a note ... SMS and RCS are not the same thing, different protocols.

I've found that toggling Airplane mode can force Messages to re-check which protocol is best to use.

Prior to iOS 26, if RCS was temporarily unavailable for a recipient, it would stay stuck in SMS mode at my end, yet they could send to me in RCS. Frustrating until I tried the Airplane mode hack.