topic Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters in Android

Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 13:00:40 GMT

I just got a new Samsung Galaxy S4 mini. I have had the S2 for years and so know the product line well. I was getting really frustrated as the phone kept turning SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters.

I don't know if I changed something in the settings at the start, maybe because I don't like the qwerty keyboard when in portrait mode, but the solution to over ride the 160 character limit (and I took from dannylau via Virgin Media forum) worked instantly:

On your home screen, tap "Messaging".

♦ Open SMS, tap "Menu button"

♦ Tap "Settings"

♦ Scroll down and select Select "Input Mode"

♦ Make sure it's set to "GSM alphabet"

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

perksie — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 13:09:43 GMT

This might help to give you an idea of what's happening:

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=498,E=0000000008497177947,K=7865,Sxi=8,T=guruCase,VARSET_COBJID=52283,Problem=Obj%2852283%29

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 12:15:37 GMT

I to have this issue. I have not had the phone for long and do not know its settings well. But i just queried my bills as although i am on unlimited text messaging (which i believed i had been sending all text no pictures) i have been charged to mms and couldn't understand why. However i have gone thought the suggestion below and i was already set to "gms alphabet" so why would it be happening, and how can i stop my phone from doing it?

i have looked on the internet for other suggestions but nothing seems to be working 😞

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

jonsie — Tue, 18 Mar 2014 12:34:29 GMT

In message settings, scroll down to MMS Alert and tick the box so that the phone alerts you when the sms changes mode to mms.

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 18:27:14 GMT

The answer is most likely in your contact list. If you have have linked contacts and they don't all have a mobile number but do have an email address the phone may well send an MMS there instead. Normally you get a choice of SMS to a mobile number or email when things work properly.

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 18:48:36 GMT

I would venture to suggest the issue lies in the little yellow emoticons similar to that you used in this thread @Smeek.

On the S3 and S4 (but interestingly no longer on the Note 3 since a recent update" when adding these little yellow emoticons to your text messages they convert to mms and thus you are charged.

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

MI5 — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 19:17:58 GMT

There is a little guide here I wrote recently that may help explain a few things http://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Products-Services/Accidental-MMS-Sending-and-How-to-Avoid-it/td-p/689503

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 22:54:54 GMT

When you add a new contact with a number and email address the first time you send a message to it with the standard app a box will ask number or email. There is also a set as default box and if you tick it your choice seems set for ever more. I can find no way to change it. So if you picked email all your messages will be converted and sent there. Even "R U Awake ?".

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 19:07:19 GMT

Get this on my s5mini as well and online help was useless. They said go to an O2 shop.

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

jonsie — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 19:10:59 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Get this on my s5mini as well and online help was useless. They said go to an O2 shop.

see your other thread....

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

GJD — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 21:45:56 GMT

For the annoyance (in my case) of a Samsung S3 converting to MMS after going beyond three text messages' worth of characters, I found that this very simple and completely unintrusive app (no ads, no snooping around your phone) was the easiest solution.

When I'm not using it to write long text messages it doubles quite usefully as a sort of temporary notepad:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=skezza.main

App is called BigSMS

PS I just saw that it doesn't work with more recent versions of Android, although the developer is working on compatibility (it works on mine running 4.3 but that's pretty old, I realise)

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:40:50 GMT

I have a new Samsung A3 which sends all texts as MMS instead of SMS, by default. These are only short messages of two or three words.

Anyone have any ideas why this is or what to do about it?

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

MI5 — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:47:13 GMT

It must be something in your settings.
Open the messaging app then settings and look for something obvious.
Other possibilities are too many smilies etc......
https://community.o2.co.uk/t5/Other-Products-and-Services/Accidental-MMS-Sending-and-How-to-Avoid-it/ba-p/1014132

Re: Samsung Galaxy S4 mini converting SMS text messages to MMS after 160 characters

jonsie — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:06:42 GMT

You can switch off mms in the phone settings. Open messages and then the soft key for settings.