sms – Why would a message despatched from Messages on the desktop be Not Delivered to a Google Voice quantity?

There are two networks the Messages app on iPhone work on:

1. Your mobile suppliers community (utilizing SMS / MMS or RCS).
2. Apple’s personal iMessage community (utilizing an web connection, by way of Wifi or information).

Whenever you ship a message by way of the Message app in your iPhone, your iPhone first checks if the particular person you’re sending the message to can also be an Apple consumer on the iMessage community, utilizing your Wifi or information web connection. If the recipient is an Apple consumer registered with iMessage, then Apple sends the message to them by way of its iMessage community (which requires wifi or information). If there isn’t any wifi or information, or the particular person shouldn’t be an Apple consumer, then iPhone sends the message by way of your mobile supplier’s community (as an SMS / MMS or RCS).

Be aware {that a} inexperienced colored bubble signifies the message is an SMS / MMS / RCS (despatched / acquired on the mobile service supplier community) the place as a blue colored bubble signifies it’s a message despatched / acquired by way of Apple iMessage community.)

Nevertheless, the Messages app on macOS solely works on Apple’s personal iMessage community.

This is the reason you (often) can not ship any message to Google Voice (or any non-iPhone cell quantity) from Messages on macOS, as Google Voice shouldn’t be a part of Apple’s iMessage community. As for the way you’ll be able to obtain message from a Google Voice quantity in your Messages app on macOS, that occurs as a result of when an iPhone receives a messages from a non-Apple consumer (within the type of SMS / MMS or RCS, it additionally copies it to Apple’s iMessage community (by way of iCloud) in order that Messages on different units can obtain it too. (You may confirm this by turning AirPlane mode on in your iPhone, and sending a message to your iPhone quantity from the Google Voice quantity – you’ll not obtain the message on the Message app in your Desktop; however when you flip off AirPlane mode in your iPhone and get the message on it, it’ll additionally seem on the Desktop).

(So it is not simply Google Voice numbers – if any of your buddy has an Android cellphone too, you can’t message them solely from the Message app on Desktop, as Android telephones too aren’t a part of Apple’s iMessage community).

Apparently, if Messages on iCloud is enabled, you must be capable of ship SMS / MMS / RCS by way of Messages on Desktop too. However since you are not in a position to, you might have to particularly allow Textual content Message Forwarding on the iPhone:

1. In your iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Messages.
2. Faucet Textual content Message Forwarding.
3. Faucet to activate every system that you just wish to permit to ship and obtain messages from this iPhone.
4. If you choose a tool that is not utilizing two-factor authentication to your Apple Account, a verification code seems on every of your different units: enter that code in your iPhone.

References:

1. What’s the distinction between iMessage, RCS, and SMS/MMS?
2. The way to Ship SMS Messages on Your Mac
3. Ahead textual content messages out of your iPhone to different units