Send iMessage as SMS under iOS 8 - Here's how

If you want to send a message as SMS instead of iMessage, this works under iOS 7 and 8 with a slightly hidden function. We'll show you how it's done.

iOS 8: send iMessage as SMS

If the recipient of your message is not connected to the Internet, a message is not initially delivered via iMessage. You can then send the message by SMS in two ways:

• Send a message via iMessage, then hold your finger on the message and select the "Send as SMS" option.
• Open the "Messages" category in the "Settings" app. If you activate the "Send as SMS" option, your message will be sent automatically via SMS if the contact is not currently connected to the Internet.