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I sent an SMS text instead of using iMessage to a family member when I had bad cell service about a week ago. I have FaceTime-d with them since and even deleted and recreated their contact info, but my iPhone and MacBook still keeps sending SMS texts to this one specific phone number. It is not doing this for anyone else that is sending my family member iMessages, so I know it's on my end.

I've tried logging out of iCloud on my phone and MacBook and turned "Send as SMS" on and off. I have even tried deleting the contact, and re-creating it.

What am I doing wrong?

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  • Maybe that particular contact has turned iMessage off?
    – Dan
    Apr 27, 2015 at 12:33
  • Incorrect Dan, because other people are able to send and receive iMessages with this contact.
    – user122552
    Apr 27, 2015 at 22:30
  • A fair enough. Hmm. Maybe you should try the Apple website support forums for this kind of question? You will probably get more responses.
    – Dan
    Apr 28, 2015 at 7:07
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    @Dan I wouldn't suggest Apple Forums - my experience is you get a lot of chit chat there and meandering questions.
    – bmike ♦
    Nov 6, 2015 at 22:06
  • This has happened to me on multiple occasions and I hate it. The fix seems to be turning off iMessage (completely, in Settings), waiting half an hour, and then turning it back on.
    – Wowfunhappy
    Jun 18, 2018 at 20:02

1 Answer 1

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The easy way to fix this is to look at the contact card. (Assuming the issue is on your side of the sending)

You could temporarily move the phone numbers to the notes section and delete them. Then sending a message has to go via iMessage if their email is registered for iMessage.

If not, just add back their mobile number and initiate an iMessage to them from the address book/contact card view. Tap the chat bubble next to their email or phone to initiate an iMessage transmission.

It's often required to start a new thread if you keep sending to the wrong email/mobile number since Messages wants to hold on to the way the last message was sent and not jump back to iMessage if the other person's AppleID hasn't claimed the mobile number, so keep in mind the problem might be on the other person's account - not your address book or contacts.

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