Should I use iMessage or SMS?

Which is better for you? Most iPhone users will want to use iMessages, so long as they have a good plan that can handle the data usage. The only reason to use SMS instead of iMessage is if you're chatting with people who don't have Apple devices, or if you don't have any data on your phone.

Why use iMessage instead of SMS?

You send iMessages through Apple's servers rather than regular cell towers. As a result, iMessages are end-to-end encrypted. This means that, unlike SMS messaging, where your cellular provider can read your messages, Apple cannot.

Is SMS more secure than iMessage?

Unlike SMS messaging, iMessage and other chatting apps have several security and privacy features that can prevent users' data from falling into the wrong hands.

What happens if I turn off SMS on iPhone?

When you disable SMS, the iMessage system automatically takes over, and sends and receives messages using your cellular or Wi-Fi data connection. To ensure you don't receive any text messages through SMS, you can also disable your cellular data connection to force your iPhone to use an available Wi-Fi network.

What are the benefits of using iMessage?

With iMessage, you can send texts, photos, videos, and emojis to other Apple devices with Wi-Fi or cellular-data networks. The messaging app on your iPhone allows you to create group chats, send multimedia files, and more to other iMessage users. iMessage has a benefit that stands above all: Apple Business Chat.

Why You Should Never Use SMS Messages

What is the downside of using iMessage?

Should send as SMS be on or off on iPhone?

Disable send as SMS

So when iMessage sends one of your messages as a text message, it can be frustrating and end up costing you some money. You can prevent this from happening by turning off the Send as SMS option in the Messages settings screen on your iOS device.

Why you should stop sending SMS messages?

When you send an SMS, the data is encrypted between your phone and the cell tower—it can't easily be intercepted over the air, as such. But that's simple network security. Once the SMS has disappeared into the network, it is open to interception.

What is the difference between a text message and a SMS message?

A text message of up to 160 characters without an attached file is known as an SMS, while a text that includes a file—like a picture, video, emoji, or a website link—becomes an MMS.

Does anyone still use SMS?

Text messages still play a big role in the daily lives of many, with almost one in three people sending and receiving SMS messages every day — 30 years after the first text was sent.

What is the safest messaging?

#1 Signal. Signal is the overall winner for both iOS and Android users. Signal created an encryption protocol that is now recognized as the most secure messaging app protocol out there. It offers everything most users need – SMS, video and voice calls, group chats, file sharing, disappearing messages, etc.

Is it better to use SMS?

Advantages to SMS

SMS messages are short and sweet. Because of the 160 character limit, they don't require a lot of time or energy. SMS messages are cheaper to send than MMS messages. Most carriers in the U.S. offer plans with unlimited texting, so there is likely no cost to your subscribers.

What happens if you send an iMessage as a text?

iMessage can only send encrypted messages to other Apple devices. So if the recipient is using an Android device, for example, you'll receive a “sent as text message” confirmation, and the message will appear in a green bubble as opposed to blue.

Why would someone disable iMessage?

Turning off iMessage is absolutely essential if you plan on using the same phone number and SIM card with an Android phone or another smartphone, even if the usage is just on a temporary basis to try out a new Nexus, otherwise you'll find that most inbound text messages, be it SMS or MMS, simply won't appear on the ...

Can I turn off iMessage and still get texts?

iMessages is an Apple app that works over WiFi. If you turn it off, you can't send or receive iMessages. You can send and receive standard SMS messages via your wireless cellular provider assuming that you have a plan that includes texting.

Why SMS is still widely used?

SMS is Everywhere

Every mobile phone has SMS built in, so the infrastructure for SMS delivery is already hard-wired into handsets worldwide. With 5.1 billion people around the world subscribed to mobile services – 67% of the global population – SMS is one of the most powerful ways to reach your customers.

Why is SMS so popular?

The mobile phone is a bit like God – it's omnipresent.

SMS also has the highest engagement rate of any marketing channel. The open rate is 98% and the response rate to SMS is 6-8 times higher than email.

Do you get charged for SMS text messages?

You can send and receive text (SMS) and multimedia (MMS) messages through the Messages app . Messages are considered texts and don't count toward your data usage. Your data usage is also free when you turn on chat features.

What is the disadvantage of text or SMS messages?

Socially Disruptive

It's incredibly easy to become engrossed in a conversation, and before you know it, your day is gone. Even if you're trying to ignore messages, the constant flash, buzzing, or notification tone can be incredibly annoying and distracting to even the most disciplined person.

Should my messages be SMS or MMS?

The biggest difference between SMS and MMS is that SMS is only capable of sending plain text —meaning messages can only contain alphanumeric characters (i.e. numbers and letters). MMS on the other hand supports multimedia content (i.e. image, video and audio files) in addition to alphanumeric characters.

Do SMS texts always get delivered?

Usually, SMS messages are sent directly to a specific phone number. However, this isn't always the case. The SMS message may be sent to a network provider that won't allow the message to be delivered. If there is no automatic rerouting, the message can fail to deliver.

Is iMessage a security risk?

iMessage has been central to Apple's wider security challenges over the last year. Sophisticated (read national security level) cyber attacks have been found exploiting its architecture, and Apple has hardened the platform as a result.

Is iMessage private or secure?

iMessage is tailor-made for iPhone: texts between two Apple devices with iMessage enabled are always end-to-end encrypted. However, there will be no encryption if an iMessage user sends a text to an Android device.

Can anyone see your iMessages?

End-to-end encryption

With watchOS, iOS, and iPadOS, your messages are encrypted on your device so they can't be accessed without your passcode. iMessage and FaceTime are designed so that there's no way for Apple to read your messages when they're in transit between devices.