Android still hears from you, on the same number
Every message tries iMessage first. When a contact can't receive it, the same line sends it over RCS, then SMS, and the reply lands in the same thread with the channel recorded.
Included on every line, at no extra cost.
Jordan Miles
Text message, RCS
iMessage · Today
Quote attached, valid through Friday.
Got it. Sharing with our ops lead now.
Want me to add them here so they can ask directly?
Delivered via RCS
Yes please.
Same line, same thread. The channel is recorded on every message.
The ladder runs per message
The channel is decided at send time, contact by contact, so nobody on your list is out of reach.
iMessage first, every time
Each send checks iMessage first and steps down only when the contact can't receive it. A contact who switches phones gets blue bubbles again on the next send.
The channel on every message
Every message records whether it went over iMessage, RCS or SMS, so a thread shows what each contact actually received.
POST /v1/messages
{ "to": "+15125550142", "content": "..." }
webhook message.received
{ "service_type": "iMessage", "content": "Yes, Thursday" }
Replies tell your CRM the rail
Replies arrive as a signed message.received event with phone_number, content and service_type, so automations can branch on the channel.
Reports split the mix
Campaign reports break results out by channel, so you see what blue bubbles produce on their own and what fallback adds.
Choose how deep the ladder goes
Fallback depth is a setting per line and per campaign: iMessage only, iMessage plus RCS, or the full ladder. Many teams run iMessage only on cold outbound and the full ladder on reminders.
What carries across and what doesn't
Text, replies, delivery status and your line number carry on every channel. Read receipts and typing work on iMessage and RCS, not SMS, and media arrives compressed over SMS.
What is automatic RCS and SMS fallback?
Fallback is the channel ladder Blue Reacher runs for every message and every contact: iMessage first, then RCS, then SMS, all from your dedicated line. One campaign reaches every valid mobile number on your list, the conversation stays in one thread, and each message records the channel that carried it.
Questions about RCS and SMS fallback
The questions buyers ask before they start. Anything not here is answered in the answers library.
Does every contact get an iMessage?+
No. iMessage reaches the contacts who use it. Every other valid mobile number gets RCS or SMS from the same line, in the same campaign, with the channel recorded. An availability check tells you the split before you send.
What happens when someone replies from Android?+
The reply lands in the same thread, because it went to the same dedicated number. It reaches your CRM and webhook as a signed message.received event, and service_type tells you whether it came back over RCS or SMS.
Can I run iMessage only and turn fallback off?+
Yes. Fallback depth is a setting on the line and on each campaign: iMessage only, iMessage plus RCS, or the full ladder. Running iMessage only on cold outbound keeps that channel clean.
Do I need A2P registration?+
Not for iMessage. A2P registration is a carrier requirement for SMS routes, and iMessage is not carrier SMS. If you turn on the SMS rung, white-glove activation walks you through carrier registration during onboarding.
Does fallback cost extra?+
No. Fallback comes with every line at $249 a month with no per-message fees, so your cost does not move with the device mix on your list.
Reach the whole list, not half of it
Book your Blue Funnel Map and we check a sample of your list on the call, so you see how it splits across iMessage, RCS and SMS.
Most teams are live within a week.