My Text Message Won't Send: What Blue and Green Bubbles Mean and How to Fix It

You type a message, press send, and instead of the usual whoosh, you get a red exclamation point or the word "Not Delivered." Or maybe your bubbles used to be blue and suddenly they're green, and you wonder if something is broken. Good news: in most cases, nothing is broken. Your phone just has more than one way to deliver a text, and it needs a little help choosing.

First, what do the colors actually mean?

On an iPhone, a blue bubble means the message traveled as an iMessage. That is Apple's own messaging service. It rides over the internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data) instead of your phone plan's texting service, and it only works between Apple devices. A green bubble means the message went through your phone carrier as a regular text, which works with any phone in the world.

There are three kinds of regular texts you may hear about. SMS is the old plain-text kind. MMS adds pictures and group chats. RCS is a newer upgrade that adds things like typing indicators and better photo quality, and it works between iPhones and Android phones when both carriers support it. A green bubble is not a sign you were blocked, and it is not a sign something is wrong. It simply means the message took the carrier route.

Why do texts fail or turn green?

The most common reasons are simple. The person you're texting uses an Android phone, so green is normal. Either of you has iMessage switched off. Your phone has a weak or no signal. Airplane mode is on. Or you recently set up a new phone and its messaging settings never got finished. In a group chat, a single person without an iPhone turns the whole group green.

Fixes for iPhone

1. Check your connection. Look for signal bars at the top of the screen and make sure Airplane Mode is off. If you have no bars, move to a different spot or try turning Airplane Mode on for ten seconds and then off again.

2. Tap the red exclamation point next to the message and choose "Try Again." If it fails again, tap it once more and choose "Send as Text Message." This hands the message to your carrier instead of iMessage. It will go through as a green bubble, may count against your text plan, and is not protected by the extra privacy that iMessage provides, so think twice before sending anything sensitive this way.

3. Open Settings, then Messages (on newer iPhones it's inside Apps), and make sure iMessage is on. Tap Send & Receive and confirm your phone number is checked. If it's already on, switch iMessage off, wait a few seconds, and switch it back on. This refreshes the connection and fixes a surprising number of stuck conversations.

4. In that same Messages screen, look for "Send as SMS" or "Send as Text Message" and turn it on. That lets your phone fall back to a regular text automatically when iMessage isn't available, so messages stop getting stuck.

5. Texting Android friends? In the same Messages settings, turn on RCS Messaging if it's offered. It needs a recent version of iOS and a carrier that supports it, but when it works, your conversations with Android users get far better than old-style texts.

6. Restart the phone and install any pending iOS update. It sounds too simple, but a restart clears many temporary glitches.

Fixes for Android

Google's own help page for its Messages app suggests working through these checks in order. Update the Google Messages app. Make sure the SIM card is seated properly. Set Google Messages as your default texting app. Confirm you have a signal and that Airplane Mode is off. Check that your phone plan allows texting, since some prepaid plans run out of credit. If you switched from an iPhone and friends say your texts never arrive, deactivate iMessage for your phone number, because Apple's system can keep trying to deliver to a phone that no longer uses it.

If picture messages are the problem, make sure mobile data is on, since pictures travel over data, not the plain texting channel. If the trouble is only with one person, check that you haven't blocked them, confirm the number is correct, and try deleting and re-adding the contact.

Common questions

Does a green bubble mean the person blocked me?

No. Green only tells you how the message traveled. Plenty of things turn bubbles green, including a bad connection on either end.

Can I make a green conversation blue?

Only if both people use Apple devices with iMessage turned on. Texts to an Android phone will always be green, but with RCS they can still be good quality.

Will sending as a regular text cost me money?

It uses your plan's texting allowance. Most modern plans include unlimited texts, but if you're on a limited or prepaid plan, check with your carrier.

When to call your carrier

If you've tried everything above and no texts will go to anyone, the problem may be your account or SIM card rather than your phone. A quick call or visit to your carrier can confirm your line is active and your texting service is turned on. If you're having a hard time with any of these steps, bring the phone to a local shop. They can usually sort it out in a few minutes.