iMessage vs. SMS (Text) Messaging
iMessage and SMS are two very different ways of communicating via texting.
iMessage is Apple's means of "free" text communication that uses Wi-Fi or your data plan (3G) to send both text and picture messages. iMessages can be sent between any Apple devices that have the iMessage app and they are indicated by a blue text bubble (see Example 1). iMessage provides a few conveniences that SMS messaging does not:
- messages are sent to all of the recipient's iMessage accounts to ensure delivery
- you can message within a group of people (provided they all have iMessage)
- you can see when other members of the conversation are typing via a '...' bubble (see Example 2).
- you have the option to let your friends know when you've read their messages (see Example 3).
SMS messaging is the typical form of text messaging that uses your phone's text plan to send messages to other phone numbers. This will be indicated by a green text bubble (see Example 4). Your iDevice will default to SMS messages when iMessage is not available or when you're texting someone without an Apple device.
