SMS or iMessage

Can SMS platforms send iMessages to iPhones?

Ben Francis avatar
Written by Ben Francis
Updated over a week ago

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With the rise of iMessage, let's dig into how SMS varies from SMS


Blue or Green messages?

As our customers are using iPhones to message back and forth with their family and friends, we'd like to utilize the same platform to manage our business messaging as well. Unfortunately, iMessages are not sent as SMS.

Apple's iMessage protocol does not send messages via the same protocol as the rest of the telecom industry uses for SMS by default. Only when interacting with other Apple devices within iMessage directly are your messages sent as 'blue'.

Given that iMessages are not sent the same way standard SMS texts are sent, iPhones can deliver read receipts, reactions, and external application support.

Why choose SMS?

In order to deliver a consistent experience for all device types, Salesmsg sends messages via SMS. SMS is a standard messaging protocol that ensures every customer sees the same message and media the same way, every time.

Every device type, such as iPhones, Samsungs, Nokias, Blackberrys, etc handles inbound messaging differently. By using SMS, your messages are delivered the same way to all devices.

What about read receipts?

iMessage's read receipts use the non-SMS protocol as sending and receiving messages. Although SMS platforms like Salesmsg cannot pull back read receipts, we have a variety of ways to measure your SMS campaign efficacy. πŸ‘‡

Salesmsg has great tools to measure your SMS campaign engagement including click tracking with our link shortener and even conversion tracking so your team is never guessing whether your texts are driving action.


Frequently Asked Questions

Apple Business Messaging Support?

At Salesmsg, we're always exploring how we can expand our ecosystem. We are actively reviewing how we can add Apple Business Messaging to our platform in the near future. You can help us prioritize this feature on our Feature Request Board by upvoting and commenting on how you'd like to use this tool.

What about iMessage reactions sent to Salesmsg numbers?

When an iMessage is sent to a non-iMessage number, the text is sent via SMS, including reactions to messages. If your customer sends back a reaction to your text, you'll receive a reply SMS for that reaction.

What kind of messages can I send?

We're glad you asked. Learn more here.

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