Tell a text from an app message
Say which kind of message you are sending, and why it matters where you are.
A text goes over the phone network, using your number. An app message — WhatsApp, Messenger, iMessage — goes over the internet instead.
That is why one sends from a country road with no Wi-Fi, and the other sits there waiting.
Key points
- A text travels over the phone network, using your number
- An app message travels over the internet, and needs a connection
What to remember
- The line under the box you type in names the route.
- A text uses the phone network. An app message uses the internet.
Try this
Open a conversation on your own phone and read the small words under the box you type in.
Practice: Tell a text from an app message. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.