You’re in airplane mode, roaming, or your data just died — and your iPhone keeps stubbornly trying to send iMessages that can’t go through. When there is no internet connection, iMessage simply cannot work; the reliable fallback is a plain old SMS. Here is how to force one, fix the automatic fallback, and what to do when the phone refuses to cooperate.
Why your iPhone keeps trying iMessage
iMessage needs the internet — Wi-Fi or mobile data — while SMS travels over the cellular voice network instead. So when your data connection drops, blue iMessage bubbles stall, but your regular cellular plan can usually still send a green SMS. A few caveats before we start: SMS needs an active cellular plan, your carrier may charge for each text, and SMS fallback only works for phone numbers, not Apple ID email addresses.
Method 1: Resend a single message as SMS
- Open Messages and find the stuck blue bubble — it will show “Not Delivered” or just sit there unsent.
- Press and hold the message bubble.
- Tap “Send as Text Message.” The bubble turns green and goes out over the cellular network.
Method 2: Fix the automatic SMS fallback
Normally the iPhone switches to SMS on its own when iMessage fails. If it doesn’t, check the toggle:
- Open Settings → Messages and make sure “Send as SMS” is ON.
- If it is already on, toggle it OFF, wait a few seconds, toggle it back ON, and restart the iPhone. The restart lets the modem re-register properly.
Apple’s iPhone support pages explain how iMessage and SMS handoff is supposed to work, and MacRumors has covered the common cases where the fallback silently breaks.
Method 3: Turn off Text Message Forwarding
If the message keeps trying to route through your Mac or iPad instead of sending as SMS:
- Go to Settings → Messages → Text Message Forwarding.
- Disable every device listed there.
- Restart the iPhone and try sending again.
Method 4: Reset network settings (last resort)
If nothing else helps: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings. Warning: this wipes all saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth pairings, and VPN settings — treat it strictly as the last resort. If your Messages setup spans several devices, our guide on setting up message sync between iPhone and Mac explains the sync side; and if old threads are piling up, see how to permanently delete text messages from iPhone and iCloud.
If it still doesn’t work
Check that you have cellular signal at all — SMS needs it, no bars means no texts. If messages won’t send even with full signal, contact your carrier: there may be a plan or provisioning issue on their side.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my message turn green?
Green means SMS/MMS — the message went over the cellular network instead of Apple’s servers. That’s normal when the other person isn’t on an Apple device, when you forced the fallback, or when there’s no internet for iMessage.
Does “Send as Text Message” cost extra?
It uses your carrier’s SMS allowance, so it depends on your plan. Some carriers charge per text, especially while roaming — worth checking before you fire off a long thread.
Conclusion
Start with the long-press resend — it fixes most cases in seconds. If the phone keeps defaulting to iMessage with no connection, the Send as SMS toggle and Text Message Forwarding are the next stops, with a network reset as the final option.
[…] spammy messenger calls? Block the contact on your iPhone entirely, or send an SMS instead of iMessage and skip the call log […]