Looking at the question we have here what’s the difference between sent and delivered text messages, I have already attain this is a typical newbie question and I will explain all that to you in a lay man’s understanding.
While using your smartphone to send a text message, there are two things you will see and they are sent and delivered.
It came to my notice that quite number of persons do think or believe the two terms are the same, but I’m telling you that they are completely different irrespective of the fact that they are involved in sending a message on a mobile phone.
Now let’s jump into the answer.
What’s the difference between sent and delivered text messages?
Sent in a text message means the message has been forwarded to the recipient phone number, while delivered means the recipient has received the sent text message on it’s mobile phone.
When you send a text message to a number or contact on your mobile phone, it will first say sent and later delivered.
If after you sent a text message and it only shows sent but you didn’t see delivered, it simply means the recipient haven’t received the text message on it’s mobile phone maybe due to poor connection or the recipient phone is switched off.
Read also Why do some text messages say delivered and some say read?
Only when you see delivered after sending a text message should you know that the recipient has indeed received your text message. So the delivered here means the text message has been delivered to the recipient.
Let me give you an example using the online shopping;
If you bought a product from aliexpress or Amazon, it will show shipped or dispatched along with other informations like product in transit. Then if the product gets to the local post office or the delivery personnel, you will see this item is out for delivery on your tracking information.
Then if the product or the item is delivered to you, on your tracking information you will see item delivered.
This is sending a text message works.
If you enter your text in the text box, and hit on the sent button the message will first show sent and this means the text message has been forwarded to the recipient.
If everything being equal which includes good network reception, the recipient phone being active, etc the text message will be delivered to the recipient.
Kindly note that for you to see delivery report after sending a text message on your mobile phone, you will first enable it on your mobile phone. Some phones do enable delivery report on default, while some don’t.
Based on my experience using a Samsung phone, you will have to enable delivery report else you won’t see delivered or get a delivery report after sending a text message.
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How to enable delivery report
This differs from android to ios, and I will explain both operating systems to you.
On Android
Android phones offers the option to enable delivery report and some phones like the Huawei, Xiaomi do enable it by default.
Now if you don’t see delivery report on your mobile phone after sending a text message, it is likely delivery report is not enabled on your android phone.
To do so;
Open your message app and tap on the hamburger menu. Select advanced depending on your phone (I’m using Google messages app), and right inside advanced you will see Get sms delivery report.
Make sure you enabled the ” Get sms delivery reports” by sliding on the button just like on the above picture.
After you have enabled the delivery report on your android phone, send a text message and you will see sent, after a few seconds you will see delivered below or beside the sent text message.
Just like on tracking information, you will see the date and time the text message was delivered to the recipient.
On iPhone
Delivery report on iphone is very different from android, and talking about sms, you won’t see delivered if you send a text message on your iPhone.
Mind you I’m talking about the green text message or probably the sms text message.
Remember, on iphone you have the imessage and send as sms, and for this question of what’s the difference between sent and delivered text messages, I’m talking about the the sms.
The only way you will know if a text message was not delivered on iPhone is when the sent text message shows not delivered.
However, if the sent text message was delivered to the recipient you won’t see not delivered below the sent message just like on the above picture.
Moving onto the imessage which is an instant service to explain more on what’s the difference between sent and delivered text messages.
On imessage, after sending a message to the recipient you will see sent and after few seconds you will see delivered depending on the situation or all things being equal.
If you see delivered after sending an imessage, it simply means the recipient has received the sent message. It is left for the recipient to open and read the message and this is where imessage plays a good role just like other instant messaging apps like whatsapp, telegram, crs chat feature for android.
If the recipient opens and read the sent message, you will see read below the sent message unless the recipient turned off the read receipts on it’s message app.
All these are the difference between sent and delivered text messages on both android and iPhone.
On iMessage, if the after sending a text message and it didn’t show delivered then there is a reason for that.
Maybe because the person has blocked you on imessage, the phone is switched off or no active internet connection. Below are the reasons why a text message never say or show delivered after sending.
When a sent text message doesn’t show delivered
Now if you have enabled the delivery report on your message app and sent a text message or imessage to a person or number on your mobile phone but it didn’t show delivered, there are certain things involved.
1. The recipient may have blocked your number: This is usually the case when a sent text message wasn’t delivered even after several days, the recipient may have blocked your number or blocked your contact on iMessage.
2. The recipient phone is offline or switched off: This is the second reason that will make a sent text message not get delivered, the person you are texting to is not available or offline.
However, most cases the text message will be delivered later on but only if the recipient phone is active within three days of sending the text message.
3. The recipient number is disconnected: This is the third reason though not very common or doesn’t happen very often.
Talking about the difference between sent and delivered text messages, you should know that sent in a message means the message has been forwarded to the recipient number, while delivered means the recipient have received the sent text message on it’s mobile phone (number).
Difference between sent and delivered on whatsapp
The difference between sent and delivered on whatsapp is that sent simply means you have sent the text message, while delivered means the sent text message has been received on the recipient phone.
When you send a text message on whatsapp, it will indicate a single check ☑ icon. Now if the text message has been received on the recipient phone, it will indicate two checks icon which will be grey in color.
If the recipient opened and read the whatsapp message, it will immediately turn blue in color.
Just like any other instant messaging app, once it says sent kindly note that you have sent the text message, then when it says delivered it means the recipient has received the sent text message on it’s mobile phone.
The difference between sent and delivered on imessage
The difference between sent and delivered on iMessage is that when iMessage says sent, it simply means you sent a text message. Then if iMessage says delivered below the sent text message, it simply means the text message has been received on the recipient iMessage.
If the person goes ahead to open the text message, it will show read below the sent text message and this is how the iMessage works very similar to whatsapp as they are both instant messaging apps and services.
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Conclusion
I do hope to have given you the best explanation on what’s the difference between sent and delivered text messages as I try to explain it in a lay man’s understanding. If you are still confused anywhere, I’m open to your question.
