Hello everyone! Despite the fact that the world of text messages has been tightly taken over by all kinds of messengers, in some cases it is impossible to do without “regular” SMS - not all people use smartphones. Unfortunately. Yesterday I needed to do a basic thing - send an SMS. One simple but very important SMS. And what do you think? I fought with her for about 15 minutes, but she still didn’t “go away.”
No, in the end I found the reason for the failed shipments (my own fault) and “defeated” it, but I wasted my nerves... And since I always care about your health, dear readers, here are instructions for you on what to do in this case case when your iPhone suddenly stops sending messages. Are you ready? One two Three. Go!
So, in the standard Messages app on iPhone, you can send your text in two ways:
- As an iMessage.
- Just like a regular SMS.
What do they have in common? Correct - identification of unsuccessful sending.
Exclamation mark on the message icon - what is it and how to remove it?
Has a red circle with an exclamation mark inside suddenly appeared on the message app icon? Congratulations, one of your messages was not sent.
Do you want to remove this reminder? First, go to the Messages application, look for the unsent SMS and... we have two ways:
- Delete it.
- Try sending again.
When deleting Exclamation point will disappear immediately, and in the second case everything will depend on the result of resending:
- If everything is “OK”, then you can close the article and enjoy life.
- If the sending was unsuccessful, then read on and understand the reasons for this disgrace.
iPhone stopped sending iMessage – what should I do?
So, here's what to do if iMessages don't go away. First thing…
Look, is it turned on at all? Open “Settings – Messages” - check the activation of iMessage and the addresses for sending/receiving (you must be logged in with an Apple ID, and your phone number must also be specified).
“Yes, everything was activated for me a long time ago and everything was sent before that! What else could be the reason? - you ask. Here's what:
However, even with such global breakdowns on Apple servers, there is a way out of the situation. After all, you can always send iMessage as a simple message. To do this, simply tap on the unsent message and select “Send as SMS” (the option must be enabled in iMessage settings - be sure to check!).
Although, failure may await us in this case too...
iPhone does not send SMS - what is the reason?
Yes Yes. It turns out that in order to send SMS you need a positive balance on your MTS SIM card account. Without money, they say, it’s impossible.
Okay, actually that was sarcasm. But still, such a banal thing as the presence of money in the account still needs to be checked. I didn’t pay attention to this and suffered. Maybe not for long, but still.
However, not negative balance problems with sending SMS are explained in one way. Here are some more reasons and methods to eliminate them:
- Turn Airplane Mode on and off - this way we “reboot” the network for the iPhone.
- Again, reset the network settings “Settings – General reset – Reset network settings”. Yes, this also works for SMS messages.
- Try inserting another SIM, sending a message and returning your card to its place.
- Replace the SIM card (fortunately, the procedure is free).
Nothing helped? There is one more very important point. To send messages, you may need the so-called SMS center number of your mobile operator. In many phones it is written in the settings as a separate line. But we have an iPhone! So, everything is not so simple :)
First, let's check if it is listed on your phone.
To do this, enter the command (as if we were just dialing a regular number to call) * #5005*7672# and click on the green tube.
There are two possible scenarios:
Perhaps this is the reason why SMS are not sent from iPhone. What to do in this case? Please provide the correct address.
To do this we will use the command *5005*7672*SMS center number#. Be sure to enter the number via +7!
Attention! If after entering the command you see an error, do not pay attention to it. Most likely the number was successfully installed anyway. Check this fact using the first combination.
So, where can I get this number?
You can call and ask the operator - this is far from secret information and they will provide it to you without any problems. Or search on the Internet. I would be happy to do this for you and post the entire list here, but these numbers may differ for each region (and, as we understand, there are not so few of them in Russia) - the article would turn out to be almost endless.
However, if your independent searches are not successful or you still have some other questions, feel free to write in the comments - I will try to help!
Allows you to send messages to various Apple devices, and completely free. This is very convenient because it bypasses mobile tariffs. But what if you want to forward a text message? The displayed form does not provide such an option. Let's consider how to send SMS, notiMessage.
Forwarding SMS rather than iMessage
The main option is to make a long tap on the text field and select the appropriate item. This makes it easier to send a regular SMS, rather than a free one through the service. But there is another way, which is done from the device parameters.
Go to iOS settings, section "Messages". Here you will find the option “Send as SMS”. All that remains is to activate it, and then reboot. But keep in mind that now all SMS will be paid until you disable the corresponding option. 
In some cases, you will need to unbind and re-bind toApple IDto regain access to free text communication.
What's the difference between iMessage and SMS
Everything is clear with the settings, and now let’s briefly talk about how iMessage differs from SMS. In the second case, the person responsible for sending the message is mobile operator. And the fee is charged from the SIM card balance in accordance with the selected tariff. Or their number decreases if such a plan is connected.
Mobile iOS platforms and Android differ in that the Google product provides much more free stuff than the Apple product. So - good news for owners of iPhones and iPads, from now on you get the opportunity to send SMS for free. In the article you will find out all the details, how to change iMessage to SMS and stop paying for text messages.
The trick is that iOS users don’t even have to download and install an additional messenger. This is what happens with WhatsApp and other communication apps.
Everything is already provided for by Apple developments and you only need to switch from the SMS sending service from mobile operator to the Internet communication service iMessage.
How to replace iMessage SMS and vice versa
Apple devices come pre-installed with the Messages software package, which hides iMessage inside. Why did you hide? Because by default, the iPhone or iPad is configured to work with standard SMS and MMS. To discover the limitless possibilities of communication within the system, you just need to go to the settings interface and turn on the iMessage service. 
Why are the possibilities endless? Free, it captivates no worse than sweet buns - the more they give, the more you want. Knowing that you will no longer have to spend money for messages, who can resist the temptation to send SMS and MMS to everyone continuously?
Moreover, the package of services includes, among other things, the possibility of mass distribution of messages into groups.
- Go to settings, select the message section and enable the service.
- After this, you need to log in to Apple services using your account.
- Note - if multiple devices and computers are configured on your Apple ID, synchronization occurs. And on all devices you can read all correspondence.
- Now wait until the service is activated and you can start communicating.
From now on, by default, the smartphone will always try to send a free iMessage instead of SMS. If your subscriber does not have the ability to receive iMessage, then the system will automatically try to send a classic paid SMS. 
You can control the process. If an iMessage is being sent, the message will be highlighted in blue. And if it comes as an SMS, then the message balloon will be green.
How to change iMessage to SMS forced? If you absolutely need to send an SMS, just go to Settings and temporarily disable the application. In general, almost complete automation.
The iMessage SMS messaging service allows you to send messages from one Apple device to another for free. To send SMS through this service, you must have Internet access. If the service does not work for the recipient, then instead of iMessage you can configure sending a regular SMS.
iMessage Features
The client is installed by default on all Apple devices, from iPhone to Mac computer. Essentially, this is a built-in messenger that independently determines whether another subscriber has a similar service and Internet access. If the recipient has iMessage running, the message will be sent to him for free. If his service is disabled, he does not have access to the Internet or does not have an Android smartphone at all, he will receive a regular SMS.
Starting with iOS 8, iMessage introduced new opportunity– sending audio and video messages. To send an audio recording, press and hold the microphone in a conversation. The same goes for video messages: to send a short message, click on the icon and cameras and do not release it until you have said everything you wanted.
Enabling and setting up iMessage
To figure out how to send a message via iMessage, just enable the service in the settings.
- Open standard application"Settings" on an iPhone or other Apple device.
- Go to the "Messages" section.
- Move the iMessage switch to the On position.
The service is activated, now you have the opportunity to configure how it works. You can specify the interval after which the history will be cleared. Dialogues may contain pictures, videos and audio that take up a lot of memory space, so it is recommended to clear your history as often as possible - at least once a month.
In addition, you can enable the display of the subject and the number of characters, as well as block unwanted contacts. To add a subscriber to the black list:
- Select correspondence.
- Click the "Details" button.
- Select the "i" icon.
- Tap on the “Block subscriber” item at the very bottom of the menu.
To view the blacklist, you need to go to the “Messages” section in the settings and open the “Blocked” tab. Here you can not only study the list of banned contacts, but also unblock individual subscribers.
Switch between iMessage and SMS
iMessage sends SMS through a special service if several conditions are met:
- You and the recipient have an Internet connection.
- The other caller also has an Apple device with iMessage enabled.
If at least one condition is not met, the system will automatically change the built-in messenger to the SMS sending service. To understand what sending technologies are used in this moment, pay attention to the color of the “Submit” button in the dialog. If the button is blue, the message will be sent via iMessage. Green color indicates that the SMS service from the mobile operator is being used.
Instead of SMS on iPhone and iPad. For which you will not be charged, they are the same as a regular SMS message. Thus giving you free text messages whenever you have access to the internet.
Still don't know the difference between SMS (text messages) and iMessage? Don't worry, we'll tell you the differences between them and the setting that will allow you to send SMS rather than iMessage.
What's the difference between iMessage and SMS on iPhone and iPad?
Before you send via iMessage, you should know the difference. Text messages (SMS) are sent through the operator cellular communications(Beeline, MTS, Megafon, etc.). But iMessage automatically sends messages through Apple's servers (if you're within range of the Internet), saving you money.
1. If you are not connected to the Internet, messages will be charged or counted towards your monthly data plan. But if you are connected to the Internet, iMessage will send free messages.
2. Also, you can use iMessage from all devices including iPad and Mac.
3. You can visually recognize the difference between SMS (text messages) and iMessage by the color of the message. Free messages are sent as blue and SMS messages as green.
Important: To send iMessage online, you must have an Apple device. If you have any other message, the message will be sent as a text message (SMS).
How to send iMessage instead of SMS on iPhone and iPad?
Since iMessages can be sent over the Internet, they can be sent from an iPad, iPod touch or a Mac computer that doesn't have cellular service.
1. Go to your settings. 
2. Go to messages.
3. Find iMessage and enable the feature. After this it should be activated. If you have an error, see the reasons and how to fix it.
5. To send SMS rather than iMessage, simply disable the feature you just enabled. Remember that for the send and receive message feature to work, you must have an iPhone or other compatible Apple device that supports this feature.
Now you know how to send iMessage, you just need an internet connection to send your messages.
You may notice that some of your text messages are blue and others are green. This is no coincidence, as the colors of the messages are meaningful. If your messages are blue, it means you're using iMessage, and green means you're using text message (SMS).
How to send SMS, not iMessage on iPhone and iPad
You can set up the iMessage app to automatically send messages as SMS text messages. This is necessary when the device does not have an Internet connection.
Open the Settings app and select iMessage. You will see the "Send as SMS" option. Set the slider to OFF if you do not want messages to be automatically sent as regular text messages when an Internet connection is not available.
Set Send as SMS to OFF. This does not completely disable all text SMS messages. You will still be able to send text messages to anyone from your device.
If you disable this option, the device will not automatically send regular SMS messages when an Internet connection is unavailable. You can force underloaded messages to be sent as plain SMS text regardless of the Send as SMS setting.