Why Your iMessages Sometimes Appear Green (And How to Fix It)

Download Article

Find out why your iMessages aren’t the usual blue

Explore this Article

IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Your recipient isn't using an Apple device.

2 iMessage is disabled.

3 Your recipient has iMessage disabled.

4 You or your recipient have poor service.

5 You recently set up a new Apple device.

6 Some other glitch is causing an issue.

+ Show 3 more...

- Show less...

Other Sections

Tips and Warnings

Related Articles

References

Co-authored by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: October 9, 2023 Fact Checked

Download Article

If you're an Apple user, you've probably noticed that some of your texts send with a blue background and some with a green background. The blue messages are iMessages, which can only be sent to other Apple users and don't use up texts on your mobile plan. Green messages, on the other hand, are normal SMS/MMS text messages that require a texting plan to send. While swapping between the two is usually no big deal, it can be problematic if you're on a mobile plan with a low monthly text message limit. In this article, we'll go over six reasons your texts are green when they should be blue and tips on how to fix it.

Steps

1

Your recipient isn't using an Apple device.

Download Article

1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/4f\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/4f\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-1.jpg\/v4-728px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
   iMessages can only be sent to Apple devices. If your recipient is on an Android phone (such as a Samsung or Google Pixel), the messages will be green because they have to be sent as MMS/SMS messages.

   • If your messages to this person used to be blue and are now green, you may want to confirm if they still have an iPhone. If they swapped to Android, you won't be able to send them messages via iMessage anymore.
Advertisement

2

iMessage is disabled.

Download Article

1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/15\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/15\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-2.jpg\/v4-728px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
   Check to see if your iMessage is turned off. Your texts will only send as iMessages if you have iMessage turned on; otherwise, they will send as green MMS/SMS text messages. To check your iMessage status, go to Settings > Messages and see if iMessage is toggled on. If not, toggle it on and try again.

3

Your recipient has iMessage disabled.

Download Article

1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/38\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/38\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-3.jpg\/v4-728px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
   Your recipient must also have iMessage enabled for your texts to be blue. If your recipient has disabled iMessage (intentionally or unintentionally) and yours is still enabled, your messages will still be sent as green texts.

   • Check in with your recipient to see if they turned off iMessage, and re-check your message color once they confirm it's back on.
Advertisement

4

You or your recipient have poor service.

Download Article

1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d8\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d8\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-4.jpg\/v4-728px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
   iMessage requires a strong Wi-Fi or cellular service to work. If you're in an area with weak or spotty service, your messages might be sent as green text messages instead of iMessages. If you're in an area with bad cellular service, check to see if there's a Wi-Fi network you can use instead.

   • Ensure your cellular data is on by going to Settings > Cellular and ensuring the Cellular Data option at the top of the screen is toggled on.
   • If you have good signal but your messages are still green, you might want to reset your network settings. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset [Device] > Reset > Reset Network Settings to do so, and see if your messages still send as green texts.
   • Note that if you do this, your Wi-Fi networks, passwords, cellular settings, and any VPN settings will be reset.

5

You recently set up a new Apple device.

Download Article

1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/c\/c4\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-5.jpg\/v4-460px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-5.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/c\/c4\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-5.jpg\/v4-728px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-5.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
   If you've recently gotten a new Apple device, iMessage can stop working. If you realize your texts aren't sending as iMessages when they should be, Apple says to try the following steps:

   • Update your device to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS
   • Ensure Turn On This Line is toggled on under Settings > Cellular
   • Go to Settings > Messages and turn iMessage off and then back on
   • In the Messages menu, tap Send & Receive and select the phone number you want to use with iMessage
Advertisement

6

Some other glitch is causing an issue.

Download Article

1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/38\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-6.jpg\/v4-460px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-6.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/38\/Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-6.jpg\/v4-728px-Why-Are-My-Messages-Green-when-They-Should-Be-Blue-Step-6.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>\u00a9 2024 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. This image is <b>not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.<br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"}
   If nothing else works, you can try a few basic troubleshooting steps. First, turn your device off and back on again. If that doesn't work, check to see if you've got a pending software update. If your device is up to date and nothing else is working, contact Apple Support or go to an Apple Store for help.

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

• A green text message is not an indicator if you've been blocked. If you've been blocked, there is no way of knowing via sending a message.
  Thanks

  Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement