How to Turn On/Off "Retry as Text Message" on iPhone, by LaunchTimeMedia - Apple Tech on YouTube. 1 min 45 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 45 s
- Time to do it
- 3 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Open the Settings app on your iPhone home screen or from the search bar. This is where all message behaviour is controlled.
Scroll down and tap Apps, then tap Messages in the list. On older iOS versions the Messages option sits directly in Settings.
Scroll to the SMS section and find the Send as Text Message switch. Some iOS builds label it Retry as Text Message.
Turn the switch off to stop failed iMessages from being resent as unencrypted SMS. Turn it on if you prefer the automatic fallback.
Check the iMessage switch on the same screen is on, so your messages try the encrypted route first.
If your carrier supports it, turn on RCS Messaging on the same screen for richer, more secure texts to Android phones.
Send a test message to a contact without iMessage. With the switch off, a failed send shows Not Delivered instead of silently becoming an SMS.
Tips and common mistakes
With the fallback off, tap the red exclamation mark next to a failed message to send that one message as text manually.
Standard SMS can cost money on some plans, so switching the fallback off also avoids surprise carrier charges.
Turning off Send as Text Message does not disable iMessage or RCS, it only blocks the automatic downgrade.
Group chats behave differently, so check whether a thread is blue or green before assuming it is encrypted.
Questions
Where exactly is the Retry as Text Message setting?
It lives in Settings, then Apps, then Messages, in the SMS section near the bottom of the screen. Look for Send as Text Message on newer iOS versions.
What happens if I turn it off?
A failed iMessage stays failed and shows Not Delivered, so you decide whether to resend it as a text. Nothing is sent over unencrypted SMS without your action.
Does this affect messages to Android phones?
No. Messages to non-Apple phones already go by SMS or RCS. The switch only controls what happens when an iMessage cannot be delivered.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
