Blue vs green bubbles, explained

The color of a sent bubble tells you how the message traveled. It is one of the small details that makes an iPhone screenshot read as real.

Blue means iMessage

Blue bubbles are iMessage, sent over the internet between Apple devices. They support read receipts, typing indicators, and full-quality photos.

Green means SMS

Green bubbles are SMS or RCS, sent through the carrier. You see green when you text an Android phone, or when iMessage is off or has no connection.

Setting them

In the editor, any sent message can be flipped between blue iMessage and green SMS. Received messages stay gray, which matches how a real iPhone shows incoming texts.