Seeing green bubbles instead of blue bubbles while texting an iMessage contact? Here’s what may have happened.
iMessages are texts and media sent between Apple devices over an internet connection. A successfully sent iMessage appears as a blue text bubble in your chat conversation.
However, you're probably here because you noticed your messages are sent as a green text bubble instead of blue or perhaps saw a "Sent as Text Message" note at the bottom of the bubble.
What does this mean? Have you been blocked? Below, we explain why you're probably not blocked, why your iMessage is sent as a text message, and how to actually test whether you're blocked or not.
The truth is that you can't tell if a person has blocked you based on the fact that your iMessage was sent as a text message alone. Regardless of whether you were blocked or not, you'll still hear the sound of the green bubble text being successfully sent as usual. The message doesn't bounce back. You can continue to send messages to the recipient.
Therefore, an iMessage sent as a text message on your iPhone does not immediately indicate that your number is blocked by the recipient. There are other reasons why your messages show up as green bubbles when you send them.
When your iMessage is sent as a text message, it's worth checking whether the root cause of the issue lies with your iPhone first.
iMessage texts sending in green instead of blue is a common problem when the service stops functioning as it should, so apply various troubleshooting methods to fix iMessage on your iPhone first.
But if you have gone through the fixes and your device appears to have no issues, the problem is likely on the recipient's end. However, it doesn't mean you're blocked either. There are a few simple reasons why your iMessage is sent as a text message to them.
For a text to be successfully sent as an iMessage, the recipient's Apple device must also be connected to the internet. Otherwise, the iMessage will be sent as a text message to their device, or you might see an "iMessage Not Delivered" error on your iPhone if it's not sent out.
Remember, iMessage only works between Apple devices. So, if your family or friend switches from an iPhone to an Android smartphone, for example, your iMessage will automatically be sent as a text message to them.
Your iPhone does not notify you that they have changed devices, even if your previous chat conversations were held using iMessage.
Another simple reason is that your contact may have turned off their iPhone, or their device had shut down because it ran out of battery. When this happens, you can still continue to message them. However, your iMessage will be sent as a text message or simply remain pending until the other party turns on their device again.
iMessage is a feature that can be enabled and disabled in the iPhone's Settings app. For whatever reason, your contact may have chosen to turn off iMessage.
If this happens, you'll be unable to send and receive iMessages from them. However, both of you can still reach each other with SMS text messages.
There are different ways to check if someone has blocked your phone number. In this case, the most effective method is to simply call your target recipient. An iPhone user can't choose to block you on iMessage without blocking you entirely. Therefore, if the call goes through, it confirms that you're not blocked.
If the call doesn't go through, you shouldn't immediately start panicking either. There are a variety of reasons why you're unable to make phone calls on your iPhone. Poor call signal in an area is one of the biggest culprits.
Therefore, you can also reach out to your recipient via third-party apps such as WhatsApp or Messenger. If you're still connected on those platforms, it's unlikely that the person had any intention to cut you off, and the issues of being unable to call them or send them an iMessage were likely minor technical hiccups.
Due to its dependence on an internet connection, it's common for an iMessage to fail and be sent as a text message when connectivity issues crop up.
If you've been worried that you were blocked because your iMessage was sent as a text message, we hope our explanation has helped reassure you that it's a very unlikely case.
Therefore, don't panic or jump to conclusions quickly. Reach out using other methods if you need to contact your recipient urgently.
Denise writes about Apple devices at MakeUseOf. Her first gadget was the iPhone 6. Since then, she has been an avid iPhone user for more than 7 years. She graduated with a Double Major in Marketing and Management and is currently working on her Master of English Studies thesis.

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