You know a text was received (delivered) when you see a "Delivered" status or checkmarks (one for sent/delivered, two for read/seen) next to the message, depending on your app, but to confirm it was read, the recipient must have "Read Receipts" enabled, changing the status to "Read" or turning checkmarks blue; for standard SMS, delivery confirmation is less certain, but apps like iMessage and RCS (Google Messages, newer iPhones) offer these cues, while WhatsApp uses distinct checkmark colors.
Summary
“Delivered” means it arrived. “Read”? That's when the other person actually opened it. If your message is not delivered and just stays stuck on “sent,” that's a sign something's off, maybe a bad signal, a switched-off phone, or even a blocked number.
If the status shows delivered, it confirms that your message has reached your recipient's device. However, standard SMS does not always show delivery status, but some messaging apps like Google Messages with RCS enabled can confirm when your SMS is delivered.
If your texts consistently show no delivery, it may be a sign you've been blocked. If your message goes through, you'll see Delivered beneath it. If it hasn't been delivered — whether due to being blocked or simply because of issues like poor reception — it will show Not Delivered.
Text messages may not be delivered for several reasons: Carrier filtering – Wireless carriers use automated filters to block messages they think could be spam, scams, or non-compliant marketing. Invalid numbers – If the phone number is disconnected, typed incorrectly, or a landline, the message cannot be delivered.
If you see a green message bubble instead of a blue one, then that message was sent using RCS or MMS/SMS instead of iMessage. There are several possible reasons for this: The person that you sent the message to doesn't have an Apple device. iMessage is turned off on your device or on your recipient's device.
Two other ways to check if someone blocked you: Call to see if you go directly to voicemail or if it rings. If you're not blocked, the phone should ring anywhere from three to twelve times before going to voicemail. A blocked number may ring only once and then go to voicemail.
Here's a quick legend detailing what the various icons next to the text messages on Android mean: Timer/Stopwatch: The message is currently being sent. Single check: The message has been sent from your end. Double check: The message has been delivered to the recipient.
However, with iOS 18.4. 1, there's no official change in how blocked messages are handled—Apple doesn't notify you if you're blocked, and messages still should not show “Delivered” if you are. If you're seeing "Delivered" under your message, it usually means the message did reach their device.
If you text someone and the bubble that shows up is green instead of blue, you are using SMS or MMS messages. These kinds of text messages stand for “Short Messaging Service” and “Multimedia Messaging Service,” respectively.
If you see green bubbles, this means that your text messages are being sent through SMS, and they might have blocked you on iMessage. For example, if you send me a message and I receive it with a green bubble, this means that the message was sent through SMS rather than iMessage.
Turning off read receipts is an easy way to avoid both social faux pas and being targeted by scammers and other bad actors. Apple has good guides for turning them off on iPhones, iPads, and Macs, which include instructions for turning them off system-wide as well as for specific people.
Your text message may not say 'delivered' due to several reasons. The recipient's phone might be switched off or out of service range. The recipient might have blocked your number. Or the carrier might be experiencing technical difficulties.
Not Delivered message, it won't send unless you manually resend it.
If they have it on, it will say “delivered” until they open the message, then it will switch say “read” if they've opened the message. If they have this setting turned off, it will always say delivered.
Texting a Blocked Number: What Will Happen? If you text someone who blocked you, you won't see an alert that you've been blocked, but they won't get your text. If you usually see "Delivered" when you text them but don't see it now, or their message bubbles are suddenly green instead of blue, you may be blocked.
When you text someone who blocked you, the message generally sends from your end but is blocked from reaching the recipient; you typically won't get an error message, but you won't see a "Delivered" notification (on iPhones, it might stay blue but lack delivery confirmation, while on Android, it might show "Not Delivered" or just hang, but you can't know for sure without them telling you or trying other methods like calls to voicemail or different apps).
One of the quickest ways to know if someone has blocked your number is to call them. If your call goes to voicemail after one ring, this could be a sign that your number has been blocked. But, no need to panic just yet. It's also possible that the recipient's phone is just turned off or in airplane mode.
Your text messages don't deliver
If your text messages aren't going through, it could mean the intended recipient has blocked your number. Most devices and messaging platforms indicate undelivered messages with a “Not Delivered” status message or a symbol, like a red exclamation point.