Hello All. I am a noob here but I have been referred to this site from members of the Android Central forum when I've had certain questions. I've also been a lurker for some time and have been directed to various threads on this forum when doing Google searches.
Anyway I've posted this question on AC as well as done my own testing with friends and family who have various phones on different networks and I still don't have a definitive answer so I thought this would be the place to get the correct answer. My question is:
Note - I have an HTC One w/ Sprint.
When sending someone a SMS text that exceeds 160 characters why is it that some people on the receiving end get it as one long single message and others receive it in broken-up blocks of 160 characters each? I have read this has to do with whether the network is CDMA or GSM but is that referring to the network the sender or receiver is on? If I send someone a text > 160 characters they receive it in split-up blocks of 160 characters each. This isn't a problem per se, however many times the messages get delivered untimely and out-of-sequence. I would prefer if the recipients of my text messages received them as one long single message. I can accomplish that by sending an MMS message but then I have to attach a pic and depending what phone and network the person on the receiving end has the pic either gets delivered first and separate from the text part or it gets delivered all in one single message with the pic at the end.
So what causes the split-up messages vs. the long single message and is there anything I can do so that if a text I am sending happens to exceed 160 characters the recipient receives it as one single (not split-up) message? Thanks.
I have found that this can be caused by a couple things- whether or not your sms app will convert to mms when exceeding 160 characters (sms stands for short message service,) and whether or not the recipient's phone is set up to convert multi-sms into one message or not. Again, this is what I have found through experiential knowledge, not through academic knowledge.
Sent from my Beige Box using XDA Premium 4 mobile app.
AaronM7 said:
I have found that this can be caused by a couple things- whether or not your sms app will convert to mms when exceeding 160 characters (sms stands for short message service,) and whether or not the recipient's phone is set up to convert multi-sms into one message or not. Again, this is what I have found through experiential knowledge, not through academic knowledge.
Sent from my Beige Box using XDA Premium 4 mobile app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks...I think you're experimental knowledge is spot on.
djd1520 said:
Thanks...I think you're experimental knowledge is spot on.
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Click to collapse
You can always use a third party sms app such as handcent. It should auto convert sms 160 chars to mms for you so no need to send a picture.
im0rtalz said:
You can always use a third party sms app such as handcent. It should auto convert sms 160 chars to mms for you so no need to send a picture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I have tried Handcent and it will automatically convert SMS texts to MMS messages w/o having to attach a picture after the SMS reaches 480 characters. I have also tested this with friends and family who have different phones on various networks and once the message is converted to a MMS message they all report receiving it as one single message.
So Handcent is an option and I know I may sound picky here but I just don't like the UI of the app. I suppose I could use the stock messaging app as my default for SMS texts that I know will be 160 characters or less and use Handcent only when I know the message is going to exceed 160 characters. I don't know if it's just me but Handcent seems very amateurish. I much prefer the minimalist look of the Sense 5 messaging app and the only 3rd party app that seems to have a nice, clean simple UI is Textra but it doesn't have the functionality I am looking for.
Any other ideas?
i berlieve it depends on what carrier and phone that is used but not positive on that.
djd1520 said:
Hello All. I am a noob here but I have been referred to this site from members of the Android Central forum when I've had certain questions. I've also been a lurker for some time and have been directed to various threads on this forum when doing Google searches.
Anyway I've posted this question on AC as well as done my own testing with friends and family who have various phones on different networks and I still don't have a definitive answer so I thought this would be the place to get the correct answer. My question is:
Note - I have an HTC One w/ Sprint.
When sending someone a SMS text that exceeds 160 characters why is it that some people on the receiving end get it as one long single message and others receive it in broken-up blocks of 160 characters each? I have read this has to do with whether the network is CDMA or GSM but is that referring to the network the sender or receiver is on? If I send someone a text > 160 characters they receive it in split-up blocks of 160 characters each. This isn't a problem per se, however many times the messages get delivered untimely and out-of-sequence. I would prefer if the recipients of my text messages received them as one long single message. I can accomplish that by sending an MMS message but then I have to attach a pic and depending what phone and network the person on the receiving end has the pic either gets delivered first and separate from the text part or it gets delivered all in one single message with the pic at the end.
So what causes the split-up messages vs. the long single message and is there anything I can do so that if a text I am sending happens to exceed 160 characters the recipient receives it as one single (not split-up) message? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
160 characters was a standard at one time. SMS uses the carrier channel (not data or voice), that is why you usually can send or receive a text during an emergency or in an area that has more people than tower capability.
Since it was a standard, anything greater than 160 characters had to be broke down to more than one text usually done by the SMS application. MMS is for multimedia, and when text is sent as MMS it uses "data" and not the carrier channel. That is how MMS is able to overcome 160 character limit of SMS...
There's always recompiling the mms.apk and see if you can find the part where it converts the sms to mms after a certain amount of characters and drop it down to say 160 or 161. Though that's just my thoughts I'm not sure if that can be accomplished since I've never decompiled the apk
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
luigi311 said:
There's always recompiling the mms.apk and see if you can find the part where it converts the sms to mms after a certain amount of characters and drop it down to say 160 or 161. Though that's just my thoughts I'm not sure if that can be accomplished since I've never decompiled the apk
Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
There is a TON of references to "160." LOL
Although, there is this: Message_K44\smali\com\android\mms\MmsConfig.smali
Code:
.method public static isSupportConvertLongSmsToMms()Z
.locals 1
.prologue
.line 4107
invoke-static {}, Lcom/htc/messaging/util/AccFlagUtils;->isCT()Z
move-result v0
if-nez v0, :cond_0
const/4 v0, 0x1
:goto_0
return v0
:cond_0
const/4 v0, 0x[COLOR="Red"]0[/COLOR]
goto :goto_0
.end method
I've never looked into this, but it bothers me too. I remember on an old HTC build on an old device I had, I had the option to make a SMS an MMS, which I would do for the same reason. I'm going to attempt to change the code to:
Code:
.method public static isSupportConvertLongSmsToMms()Z
.locals 1
.prologue
.line 4107
invoke-static {}, Lcom/htc/messaging/util/AccFlagUtils;->isCT()Z
move-result v0
if-nez v0, :cond_0
const/4 v0, 0x1
:goto_0
return v0
:cond_0
const/4 v0, 0x[COLOR="red"]1[/COLOR]
goto :goto_0
.end method
Maybe this will work...? I've gotten rusty on my smali editing, as life as a young adult got real. LOL. I'll update this post after the break...
EDIT:
NOPE... Now I'm curious...
I remember using a blacked out version of Hangouts at some point that made texting with more than 160 characters. I have changed from the default messaging app to Hangouts entirely. But I'll see if I can find the link somewhere...
Related
Does anybody know how to change/tweak the actual maximum size of a sms? I know that my network should be cabable of sending / receiving messages up to 750 characters... but the standard WM6 client only accepts 160 characters and would split additional chars into several sms.
Any ideas?
licht77 said:
Does anybody know how to change/tweak the actual maximum size of a sms? I know that my network should be cabable of sending / receiving messages up to 750 characters... but the standard WM6 client only accepts 160 characters and would split additional chars into several sms.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Network capapbilities have no bearing on SMS (Short Message Service), it is the SMS protocol itself that limits the message size.
"Transmission of short messages between the SMSC and the handset is done using the Mobile Application Part (MAP) of the SS7 protocol. Messages are sent with the MAP mo- and mt-ForwardSM operations, whose payload length is limited by the constraints of the signalling protocol to precisely 140 octets (140 octets = 140 * 8 bits = 1120 bits). Short messages can be encoded using a variety of alphabets: the default GSM 7-bit alphabet (shown below), the 8-bit data alphabet, and the 16-bit UTF-16/UCS-2 alphabet.[19] Depending on which alphabet the subscriber has configured in the handset, this leads to the maximum individual Short Message sizes of 160 7-bit characters, 140 8-bit characters, or 70 16-bit characters. Support of the GSM 7-bit alphabet is mandatory for GSM handsets and network elements,[19] but characters in languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Slavic languages (e.g. Russian) must be encoded using the 16-bit UCS-2 character encoding (see Unicode). Routing data and other metadata is additional to the payload size."
ah ok thx for the information...
in that case those long x-mas sms i received were simply concated
licht77 said:
ah ok thx for the information...
in that case those long x-mas sms i received were simply concated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps you know something that I don't. I was just trying to be helpful...
if a message is sent in multiple parts, if your handest supports it correctly it will join it back up when you receive it, for example WM6 supports it on Orange UK, and i've recevied a 4 page (160 * 4) character text all in one single message! the sender sent it in 4 parts
hope that clears it up a little
By the way, isn't it about time they adopt a new protocol? SMS made sense like 10 years ago, with those 1-line displays.
Smaniac said:
By the way, isn't it about time they adopt a new protocol? SMS made sense like 10 years ago, with those 1-line displays.
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Click to collapse
True.. but that is up to the service providers. you gotta realize they're out to make money off each message.. Kinda sucks if you accidentally type 161 chars..
What i noticed tho is that if someone sends our ppcs texts that are more than 1 message they still come as one message.
SH4YD33 said:
True.. but that is up to the service providers. you gotta realize they're out to make money off each message.. Kinda sucks if you accidentally type 161 chars..
What i noticed tho is that if someone sends our ppcs texts that are more than 1 message they still come as one message.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I think most phones today do that, at least my old Symbian one did and my current Linux one does too, they concatenate the multiple messages. What I'm worried about is exactly the price. Even though I never paid for an SMS in my life (my provider has SMS bonuses for pre-paid plans), some people do pay and they use it a lot.
Smaniac said:
Yep, I think most phones today do that, at least my old Symbian one did and my current Linux one does too, they concatenate the multiple messages. What I'm worried about is exactly the price. Even though I never paid for an SMS in my life (my provider has SMS bonuses for pre-paid plans), some people do pay and they use it a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WinMob phones Don't do that. My old Symbian one did it too. But, my old P910 did several things that my Tilt can't.
GilesTheAlmighty said:
if a message is sent in multiple parts, if your handest supports it correctly it will join it back up when you receive it, for example WM6 supports it on Orange UK, and i've recevied a 4 page (160 * 4) character text all in one single message! the sender sent it in 4 parts
hope that clears it up a little
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the clarification.
Seems SMS messages are restricted to 160 characters on my Diamond, anything over and it goes into a second SMS. Is there a way to extend this?
I've searched the forum, but I couldn't find a solution... either that or my searching skills are nil points
even if you changed it on your end. the received phone would still split the message.
You sure? I don't understand. I could type bigger texts than this on my old phones. Isn't there new versions of SMS that support more characters that have been out for a few years now? Or am I missing something?
hoolak said:
You sure? I don't understand. I could type bigger texts than this on my old phones. Isn't there new versions of SMS that support more characters that have been out for a few years now? Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is called email
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_message_service
SMS is restricted to 160 characters each message. That isn't something with the Diamond but a limitation of the protocol -always, on every phone-. that's why it is called SMS: "SHORT message service".
Most modern phones, including the Diamond, are sending multiple messages to overcome this limit. In most cases the receiving phones are able to combine those segmented messages.
So, perhaps some settings (on you Diamond, or more likely on the other end) are mixed up.
So I just ignore the fact I can type text messages over 160 characters on my old LG/Sony phones without having to send two messages and get used to the fact my futuristic Diamond can't?
aaah, maybe it's an optical illusion. I just feel I'm having to send shorter text since getting this phone. Maybe I should reduce my font text size to help me from feeling/seeing things lol. Excuse my loco'ness.
As I said, your Diamond will overcome this restriction by dividing your text in seperate messages, you have to do nothing, just type what you want to type. If you are not able to do so, search for any relevant settings. I guess your Diamond isn't much different from mine, and mine is intelligent enough to do the job on its own.
Yeah, it will go over 160. So, if I do, the recipient will receive two (or more) text messages?
hoolak said:
Yeah, it will go over 160. So, if I do, the recipient will receive two (or more) text messages?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Techically: yes. But he/she also did with messages send with your old phone. It all depends on the phone and settings used by the recipient if it actually shows up as seperate messages or if they will be combined again.
cheers. I shall put it to the test by text my girlfriends phone! Huzzah!
Succes! (and as this forum has a restriction of AT LEAST 10 characters, I type some nonsense as well )
Just send an MMS, its cheaper than two SMS (at least with my german contract) and you can send 300KB of text. That should cover even the longest short message ;-)
Well my phone contract allows me unlimited text messages (sms). I just didn't want to confuse ppl with my 2 part texts.
I did the test. Sent a text 180-odd characters long (Diamond said '2 messages').. received on a Sony Ericsson all contained in 1 text message. Damn you Diamond for making me flap.
You really don';t get it do you?
When you had to pay for your sms, you'd get really expensive.
Technically, in the 'mobile phone world', a SMS-message CAN NOT BE longer than 160 characters.
Not a single phone can do that.
So when your girls phone sais 1 message, it cleverly combines your 2 sent messages.
Send it to a ericsson t28
No, I really didn't get it, but now I do thanks to my thirst for knowledge and the helpful people of this forum.
Sorry if my lack of SMS protocol knowledge appauled you
With the new lineup of full keyboard phone, texting 160 characters if pretty easy to do, especially when your friends don't like to talk on the phone and strictly text. Has anybody found a registry hack to allow more than 160 characters? For instance, the woman has sent numerous texts to me and she has AT&T as do i, and there has been messages she sends that are well over 500 characters on her Pantech and it allows it.
phones already do this
you can send larger txts but your carrier charges you one text per 160 characters.
or you could use email
I have unlimited text so it really doesn't matter to me how many text messages I have in a month. Anybody?
bratch15 said:
I have unlimited text so it really doesn't matter to me how many text messages I have in a month. Anybody?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just keep typing then - the messages get sent in 160 character blocks, and re-assembled into one big message by the recipient's phone.
Cheers,
Steve.
I guess what I'm asking is that when you go over 160 characters the phone splits the messages into two or however many messages. I've seen my woman type in messages that are well over 500 characters and when sent it shows up as one long message on her phone and on mine. Is there a way to increase the 160 character cut off so I can keep typing and send to other phones and they will see one long message? I'm sure shes getting charged for a couple message but the actually reading the message shows up as one long message.
Alright, thanks. Did not know that it does that so I end up erasing sentences and sending multiple messages. Sucks especially when you're fighting and trying to get a point across but now I know.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/images/smilies/smile.gif Well if you send your message n the form of an MMS then you'll have 1000 letters you can use. And if there's no media n the message then' you might b able to send a longer message!!!!http://forum.xda-developers.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif Hope that's helps your problem.. That's how I send a long message so it doesn't get broken up n2 separate message's.
I think its built into threading
I've seen my woman type in messages that are well over 500 characters and when sent it shows up as one long message on her phone and on mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It happens when I text from my phone to anyone who has threading support for a windows mobile 6.1 phone
If you type above 160 characters in a regular SMS the person receiving it will get it as one message if they have a phone that supports it. If someone sends me a text with a Moto razr it will be split into 160 character messages instead of one long one
As Bajanman mms messages can hold more letters because it is data related unlike text messaging which rely on a back channel for cellular networks which costs the company 0 dollars to send as long as it is exactly 160 characters haha how ironic they charge us for something that was discovered to be free to the cell phone companies. Thank god for those unlimited texting plans that include the mms messages.
If the text message I send exceeds 160 characters, it throws "Your text message cannot be sent" and send only the first 160 characters. But I am able to receive text messages more than 160 characters.
I tried hard reset still the same. Please help !!!
An sms is by definition 160 characters or less
That rather abitrary number was decided on when that tech was new. They didn't see anyone needing more. That being said, I can still write a message that is longer, but it gets sent in multiples sms's. I'm with at&t and even when I had the stock rom, this was possible. The problem could be a restriction set in your ROM, or by your carrier.
Is this a new issue, or one that has always been there?
I started using this phone recently so I can't tell. But I understand that this is something to do with EMS changes in the registry.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa919404.aspx
jameybond said:
If the text message I send exceeds 160 characters, it throws "Your text message cannot be sent" and send only the first 160 characters. But I am able to receive text messages more than 160 characters.
I tried hard reset still the same. Please help !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try this:
in Messaging select TOOLS-->OPTIONS-->Tap text Messages.
uncheck the Use unicode when neccesary
thank you. you help me too
crissg said:
That rather abitrary number was decided on when that tech was new. They didn't see anyone needing more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That number was not aritrary. It was the amount of unused space that was available in the control channel packets. Someone decided that space could be used to send short messages in the control channel packets and would result in no extra overhead in the amount of data being sent and received. They may or may not have "saw" needing more but it didn't really matter since that's all that's available in each packet.
However, "concatinated SMS" does allow for a larger packet by sending multiple SMS messages, each with a sequence number. The phone receives each SMS message and put them back in the order according to the sequence number. Phones that don't handle concatinated SMS simply display the individual messages as seperate ones.
i still have the same problem, does any one know how to solve that problem ???
I recently was sent a text message that was over 160 characters from an iPhone to my HTC One, and I noticed that the iPhone doesn't separate the messages into 160 character msgs, or the HTC one - for one reason or another - didn't get the rest of the message as a second text.
Is there some setting within the phone to accept text messages greater than 160 (which would be an MMS, no?) or is it the iPhone that sucks balls here and isn't breaking them apart?
I only ask because texts from Mom are greater than 160 characters...
djuno said:
I recently was sent a text message that was over 160 characters from an iPhone to my HTC One, and I noticed that the iPhone doesn't separate the messages into 160 character msgs, or the HTC one - for one reason or another - didn't get the rest of the message as a second text.
Is there some setting within the phone to accept text messages greater than 160 (which would be an MMS, no?) or is it the iPhone that sucks balls here and isn't breaking them apart?
I only ask because texts from Mom are greater than 160 characters...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anytime the HTC ONE receives an SMS message that is multi part it holds the message back until it receives all parts then in case of receiving out of order it reassembles them in the correct order and gives it to you as ONE text message. This is true for SMS which goes up to 4 or 6 160 length messages before it can't do SMS and sends it as an MMS. I say 4 or 6 because I have seen phone models and carrier vary on this.
tws101 said:
Anytime the HTC ONE receives an SMS message that is multi part it holds the message back until it receives all parts then in case of receiving out of order it reassembles them in the correct order and gives it to you as ONE text message. This is true for SMS which goes up to 4 or 6 160 length messages before it can't do SMS and sends it as an MMS. I say 4 or 6 because I have seen phone models and carrier vary on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How sure are you on this? I just had a coworker send me a full text from an iPhone (when you send via iPhone it looks like one giant text > 160 characters) and I only received the first 160 characters. Couple minutes later and still no more of the text. Also, could this be dependent on your carrier?
djuno said:
How sure are you on this? I just had a coworker send me a full text from an iPhone (when you send via iPhone it looks like one giant text > 160 characters) and I only received the first 160 characters. Couple minutes later and still no more of the text. Also, could this be dependent on your carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't be 100% certain with regard to the carrier question. I am on Sprint
However I am relatively sure the phone is receiving the SMS not giving a notification waiting for the muti part SMS to all be delivered and then giving ONE notification for the entire thing. (Not one per part)
The reason I don't think this has anything to do with the carrier is the fact that this is the only Sprint Network phone I have ever used that did this. All others (phones same network) would deliver the SMS one part at a time a notification for each part and sometimes out of order.
I would ask you to retest and see if anything changes.