SMS/MMS storage by thread can vary by platform or operating system. Apple devices, such as iPhones, handle SMS and iMessages differently compared to Samsung and other Android devices.
One key distinction is how Apple merges iMessages with SMS messages in a single thread.
- iMessages (messages sent over Apple's iMessage service) and SMS/MMS (traditional text messages) are usually combined into a single thread if they are between iPhone users. The Messages app will switch between iMessage and SMS/MMS automatically based on whether the recipient is on iOS or not.
- For Android users (or any non-iPhone users), messages sent to or received from them are stored in a separate thread. Even though the content might be the same (SMS), it is handled as a distinct conversation to differentiate from iMessages.
So, in short, iMessage and SMS are often combined in one thread for iPhone-to-iPhone communication but appear in separate threads when communicating with Android or other non-iPhone users.
