What Sent As SMS Via Server On Android Means (And Why It's No Big Deal)
In the digital age, text messaging has become the preferred method of communication for many. That's in no small part due to the ease with which a text can be sent. However, ease of use aside, navigating the myriad intricacies of texting can be tricky. That's particularly true when users experience an unexpected turn in the process, such as a "Sent as SMS via server" message that has become common for some Android phones.
Many Android users have no doubt been alarmed at receiving that message after pressing the Send button amid a text conversation. If you're among them and are still unsure what "Sent as SMS via server" means, you should know it's not an error message. The tagalong notification arrives as a means of explaining that the text was not sent in a typical fashion for Android's RCS (Rich Communication Service) platform, which routes messages through a server connected to various cellular networks and SMS (Short Message Service) systems to get them where they need to go.
As efficient as the RCS platform can be, it is currently only utilized by Android devices, and since it's a relatively recent innovation, some older Android phones are not equipped with it. That being the case, when an RCS device sends a text to a phone that doesn't use the system, it does so through SMS instead and notifies the sender of the change.
Your message was still sent in its entirety even if it was delivered via SMS
As far as the "Sent as SMS via server" message goes, you should know it's commonly received when the recipient has an iOS device that does not yet support RCS or an older Android phone. In some cases, the message may also be sent if the recipient has disabled RCS on their device. Whatever the case, there's no reason to worry if you do receive a "Sent as SMS via server" notification since it merely serves as confirmation that your message was, in fact, sent, just in a different way. Likewise, there's no reason to believe the message or media sent was altered in any way.
Since the notification is not an error message or a sign of some system failure, there's no real reason to take action upon receiving one. However, if you'd rather not receive them, you can turn off the notifications on your Android device. You can also turn RCS off altogether if you so desire. However, turning RCS off is not generally recommended since the text messages you send may not be end-to-end encrypted without it. On top of that, any multimedia accompaniments you send will consume more mobile data.
By most estimations, the "Sent as SMS via server" discourse is a case of much ado about nothing. Still, it may comfort Android users to know the messages are no big deal and that they can opt out of receiving them if they like.