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Apple iPhone - Manage Messages

2026-10-22 16:04:13.677

Apple iPhone - Manage Messages

Here's how to ensure MMS messaging for your iPhone is turned on if you're unable to send / receive picture messages.
  • Apple uses different colored message bubbles to indicate whether a message is sent via iMessage® (blue) or standard SMS / MMS (green).
  • By default, Apple® iPhone® sends messages addressed to multiple recipients as MMS messages. When a message is addressed to multiple recipients, the message is sent via MMS and iPhone header displays "New Group MMS".
  • If you switched to a non-Apple phone and aren't getting SMS / MMS messages, refer to Apple's Deregister iMessage FAQs.
  • Advanced troubleshooting and configuration should be handled by Apple.
  1. From a Home screen, navigate:
    Settings Settings icon
    Messages Messages icon
    .
    If an app isn't available on your Home screen, swipe left to access the App Library.
  2. Tap from the following Messages settings to turn on Switch On or off Switch Off:
    If you can’t turn on or sign in to iMessage, restart your iPhone.
    1. Tap the
      iMessages switch
       to turn on or off.
      iMessages can be sent between all Apple devices.
    2. Tap the
      Send as SMS switch
       to turn on or off.
      Send as SMS when iMessages is unavailable.
    3. Tap the
      MMS Messaging switch
       to turn on  or off.
    4. Tap the
      Group Messaging switch
       to turn on or off.
      Group messages sent as MMS use data.
      Doesn't apply to iOS 17 and newer
      When turned on:
      • messages sent to multiple recipients are are converted to MMS messages.
      • recipients of group messages, with capable devices, can see everyone who received the message and reply to all in the group thread.
      When turned off:
      • messages sent to multiple recipients are sent as individual messages.
      • message recipients can only reply to the sender; they can't reply to the group or see the other message recipients.
    5. Tap the
      Filter Unknown Senders
       switch to turn on or off.
      Sort Messages from people who are not in your contacts into a separate list.