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I've been using Signal as an SMS app replacement since it was called TextSecure, and it still works that way - if you send to a non-Signal-registered number, it sends over ordinary SMS (with a visual indicator to let you know), very similar to the way iMessage works.

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Difference being that Apple doesn't have a visual indicator before you send the message to let you know you're sending it to a non-iMessage device.

Edit: I was completely wrong, iMessage does do that, my apologies.

I haven't paid too much attention, but that hasn't been my experience. As recently as today when I type in a new number the text in the window defaults to green (a text message), after a brief lag it turns to blue when it validates it as an iMessage account. This all happens before you enter any text in the body.

Sure it does. Apple shows the phone number/contact name and the send arrow in green if it is being sent to a non-iMessage recipient.

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