4 ms·

If I want to use the iOS messaging app to send an SMS message (not an iMessage) to another iOS user, how do I do that?

by rahimnathwani 5y ago

frosted-flakes 5y ago
I think you can disable the IMessage service. It's buried somewhere in the global Settings tool.
- rahimnathwani 5y ago
  That choice is global (affecting all messages, and all contacts). At the time I send a message to an iOS user (who has iMessage enabled), there's no way (AFAICT) for me to choose whether that message is sent via SMS or via iMessage. (Perhaps if I turn off my data connections, iOS will eventually send the message via SMS?)
  - amrangaye 5y ago
    What is your use case here? Why would you want to send an SMS to another user who also has iMessage? Or do you mean you think that should just be a capability of any messaging service?
    - frosted-flakes 5y ago
      Why not? Maybe someone doesn't want to reveal what phone they're using at the moment, or maybe they just prefer plain-ol SMS.
    - lurker_primo 5y ago
      I don't have an iphone, but I saw a similar issue with Signal. My wife and I use Signal to message each other and we have Signal as sms handler on our android phones. For some reason, she had to use a dumb phone with no Signal app for a couple of weeks. After a few days, she was suspicious that she is not getting some sms'es. I wanted to test if this was true, but I couldn't. Any message I sent to her number through Signal would be sent as a Signal message which wouldn't be delivered and I couldn't figure out how to send as sms. I had to change my sms app to another app, and then send using that app. Now, the new sms app couldn't read all older sms because Signal removes all sms from android sms database into Signal. So, now I use separate apps for Signal and sms.
quickthrowman 5y ago
https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/ https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/
- rahimnathwani 5y ago
  That choice is global (affecting all messages, and all contacts).
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
dev_tty01 5y ago
In the Messages app preferences, you turn off the big switch that enables iMessage. No need to deregister or anything. Just flip the switch. The deregister process mentioned here is intended for leaving the iOS ecosystem so that messages will find you properly.
- rahimnathwani 5y ago
  So, any time I want to send an SMS message to an iOS user, I need to turn off iMessage globally (affecting all message to/from all contacts). This isn't a practical option. I think that's why GGP's comment ("Apple's approach is they have essentially hijacked the SMS protocol") is justified. If you want to use any iMessage functionality, you surrender your ability to send SMS to iOS users.
  - thirdsun 5y ago
    I'm pretty sure that the number of users actually wanting to send an SMS rather than an iMessage to their fellow iOS-equipped friends is very, very small. I can't even think of a fitting use case. It surely doesn't warrant a per-message-toggle and a global setting seems reasonable in my opinion.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

If I want to use the iOS messaging app to send an SMS message (not an iMessage) to another iOS user, how do I do that?

frosted-flakes 5y ago

I think you can disable the IMessage service. It's buried somewhere in the global Settings tool.

rahimnathwani 5y ago
That choice is global (affecting all messages, and all contacts). At the time I send a message to an iOS user (who has iMessage enabled), there's no way (AFAICT) for me to choose whether that message is sent via SMS or via iMessage. (Perhaps if I turn off my data connections, iOS will eventually send the message via SMS?)
- amrangaye 5y ago
  What is your use case here? Why would you want to send an SMS to another user who also has iMessage? Or do you mean you think that should just be a capability of any messaging service?
  - frosted-flakes 5y ago
    Why not? Maybe someone doesn't want to reveal what phone they're using at the moment, or maybe they just prefer plain-ol SMS.
  - lurker_primo 5y ago
    I don't have an iphone, but I saw a similar issue with Signal. My wife and I use Signal to message each other and we have Signal as sms handler on our android phones. For some reason, she had to use a dumb phone with no Signal app for a couple of weeks. After a few days, she was suspicious that she is not getting some sms'es. I wanted to test if this was true, but I couldn't. Any message I sent to her number through Signal would be sent as a Signal message which wouldn't be delivered and I couldn't figure out how to send as sms. I had to change my sms app to another app, and then send using that app. Now, the new sms app couldn't read all older sms because Signal removes all sms from android sms database into Signal. So, now I use separate apps for Signal and sms.

quickthrowman 5y ago

https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/ https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/

rahimnathwani 5y ago
That choice is global (affecting all messages, and all contacts).

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

dev_tty01 5y ago

In the Messages app preferences, you turn off the big switch that enables iMessage. No need to deregister or anything. Just flip the switch. The deregister process mentioned here is intended for leaving the iOS ecosystem so that messages will find you properly.

rahimnathwani 5y ago
So, any time I want to send an SMS message to an iOS user, I need to turn off iMessage globally (affecting all message to/from all contacts). This isn't a practical option. I think that's why GGP's comment ("Apple's approach is they have essentially hijacked the SMS protocol") is justified. If you want to use any iMessage functionality, you surrender your ability to send SMS to iOS users.
- thirdsun 5y ago
  I'm pretty sure that the number of users actually wanting to send an SMS rather than an iMessage to their fellow iOS-equipped friends is very, very small. I can't even think of a fitting use case. It surely doesn't warrant a per-message-toggle and a global setting seems reasonable in my opinion.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]