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

[Anonymous]

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" 

[GJD]

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)

[Anonymous]

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?

JG

[MI5]

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...

[jonsie]

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