Sending Text Messages- problems..........any help appreciated.

[Dave7]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Ace (android type thingy).
I am with Virgin, on contract so get gazillions of texts thrown in.
Problem is.....................
If I type maybe 5 lines then insert a smilie it automatically changes to MMS (multi-media-messaging)
It also happens it I send a lengthy text.........even with no smilie.

I don't seem to get charged for this but I have some contacts (not everyone) who tell me that when it happens they just cannot unscramble the text........so I have to re-send it in pieces.

I have had this phone12 months and I don't recall it happening with the old phone.

Anyone familiar with this problem ?
Is there a cause/solution ?

Thanks

 

[midlife]

Some phones treat smilies as pictures which may be part of your problem?

Shaun

 

[Dave7]

Some phones treat smilies as pictures which may be part of your problem?

Shaun

Which would make sense in that my previous phone didn't have this problem...........thanks.
Is there any way to over ride this function ?

 

[Cubist]

Which would make sense in that my previous phone didn't have this problem...........thanks.
Is there any way to over ride this function ?

Don't use the pictogram style smilies which pop up in the bottom of the keyboard. They aren't smilies as such, and the system treats them as picture messages. . If you know the typing method use that instead, so a semi colon and a bracket for a winky face etc.

 

[MossCommuter]

I remember when this phone and others like it came out there was a bit of a furore over unexpected bills.

I googled and came up with this piece: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ne...ou-could-get-charged-extra-for-sending-emojis

Turn off MMS: Samsung users can do the following to switch off MMS messaging: Go to Messaging > Settings > Text messages > Input mode and select 'UniCode' instead of 'automatic'.

Hope it helps

 

[Globalti]

Use Watsapp. it's free. Great for free phone calls.

 

[jonny jeez]

what happens if you type the text version of the emoticons...like etc

edit

bugger i meant ""
third attempt "SEMICOLON, CLOSED BRACKET"

 

[mjr]

Isn't the text version ☺? (produced by pressing Compose then colon then close round bracket on a laptop - not sure exactly what it is on a phone)

Another way to solve the problem is to upgrade the Samsung to something like Cyanogen Mod (I dislike Samsung's variant of Android), but you'd need to back everything up first and it might not be to everyone's taste.

 

[tyred]

I have had similar problems with my Galaxy Ace.

After much googling of the problem I installed a free third-party text message app called Handcent and it has worked a treat.

 

[TrishE]

Use Watsapp. it's free. Great for free phone calls.

It's much better than text messaging, free to send photos and voice messages unlike texts and I can message family in Spain for free whereas text messaging costs

 

[Shut Up Legs]

what happens if you type the text version of the emoticons...like etc

edit

bugger i meant ""
third attempt "SEMICOLON, CLOSED BRACKET"

You mean this? ; )

 

[midlife]

It's much better than text messaging, free to send photos and voice messages unlike texts and I can message family in Spain for free whereas text messaging costs

Doesn't WhatsApp need data or WiFi?

Shaun

 

[TrishE]

Doesn't WhatsApp need data or WiFi?

Shaun

It does need data I have 20gig a month on my phone don't use anywhere near that though. Only time I text is if I know the person I'm messaging doesn't have signal, like my son who works in the sticks

 

[jonny jeez]

You mean this? ; )

Yes...how did you do that?


: )

 

[Tim Hall]

Doesn't WhatsApp need data or WiFi?

Shaun

Yes, but MMS messages (text messages with pictures in them for example, or yellow face things) aren't generally included in your "free" text message allowance (leastways they aren't included in my (work phone) contract) so cost a few pence each). Data useage of plain text with a few small pictures doesn't amount to a hill of beans much in a 2GB data plan, and doesn't matter at all if you're connected via Wifi.