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

Find out why your iMessages aren’t the usual blue

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: October 9, 2023

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.^{[1]
X
Research source} 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.

1

Your recipient isn't using an Apple device.

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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.^{[2]
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- 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.

2

iMessage is disabled.

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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.

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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.

4

You or your recipient have poor service.

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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.^{[3]
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- 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.

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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:^{[4]
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- 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

6

Some other glitch is causing an issue.

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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.

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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.^{[5]
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