iOS 5 and iOS have only recently been released, but there are already many questions being asked about the new iMessage app.
Common questions include “Why are there green bubbles and blue bubbles?” and “Why can’t I send an iMessage to a friend’s iPhone?”
These are all good questions and I hope to help you understand what’s going on in the iPhone messages app so you can save money on text messaging costs.
The first thing to keep in mind is that it is not an individual iMessage app, the standard Message app you know and love will automatically send messages as text or iMessage depending on the device your contact has.
Blue Bubble, Green Bubble – Text or iMessage
When you send a message in the Message app on your iPhone 4S or older iPhone with iOS 5, the app checks if your contact has an iPhone.
Blue Bubbles indicate an iMessage
If you are sending a message to an iPhone user or an iPad user’s Apple ID, you will see the name turn blue and your messages will be blue. The text input field also has an “iMessage” indicator. You can see this in the picture above.
Green Bubbles indicate a Text
If you’re texting someone with another phone or a Google Voice number, the name will appear in green. The text balloons will also be green, the indicator will also show “Text Message” where you are typing.
Why do you want iMessage?
Group iMessage with Picture in iOS 5
Besides saving the cost of sending text messages, you can easily send group messages via iMessage. Even better, you can add photos and videos to share with your friends. This is great for instant sharing and coordination. An iMessage brings the urgency of a text message, so you’ll still get a faster response than most of your friends.
Why can’t I iMessage a Friend’s iPhone?
If your friend has an iPhone and you can’t iMessage them, they don’t have iOS 5. If they have an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, they can upgrade to iOS 5 for free in about half an hour. In addition to iMessage, upgrading to iOS 5 has many benefits that you can share with them. One of my favorites is the new notification center.
Here are how to upgrade to iOS 5 and 5 Things to Do Before Upgrading to iOS 5.
For many more iOS 5 features, you can watch the iOS 5 overview video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LLJIef-e-7g
