When you send a text message and it turns green, it indicates that the message was sent as an SMS (Short Message Service) instead of an iMessage. The color of the message bubble denotes the type of message sent: blue for iMessages and green for SMS.
There are several reasons why a message might be sent as an SMS instead of an iMessage. One of the most common reasons is that the recipient does not use an iPhone or iPad. iMessage is exclusive to Apple devices, so messaging someone who uses a different device would automatically send the message as an SMS.
Another reason could be that the recipient has not enabled iMessage, which might be due to turning off iMessage in their settings or being in an area with poor internet connectivity. Additionally, if the sender has no active internet connection or is in a region with poor internet connectivity, the message will also be sent as an SMS. Sometimes, iMessage may also be temporarily unavailable, which can result in the message being sent as an SMS.
When a message is sent as an SMS, it is sent via the cellular network, as opposed to the internet. This means that the message is sent as a conventional text message, and it is subject to the limitations of SMS.
For instance, SMS messages are restricted to 160 characters, and if the message exceeds this limit, it will be split into several messages. Each message will be sent as a separate SMS and charged as such by the cellular provider. SMS messages are also not encrypted, which makes them less secure than iMessages. iMessages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning that only the sender and recipient can access them. In contrast, SMS messages can potentially be intercepted and read by third parties.
Another limitation of SMS messages is that they do not support rich media such as photos or videos. If you want to send these types of media, you will need to use a messaging app that supports them.
However, one significant advantage of SMS messages is that they are more reliable than iMessages. Since SMS messages are sent through the cellular network, they are not dependent on internet connectivity. This means that even if you are in an area with poor internet connectivity, your SMS message will still be delivered.
In conclusion, a green message bubble indicates that a message was sent as an SMS instead of an iMessage. This could be due to several reasons, such as the recipient not using an Apple device or not having iMessage enabled, or the sender having no active internet connection. While SMS messages have some limitations, they are more reliable than iMessages and can serve as a useful fallback option when iMessage is unavailable.