How do I send a text message from my Androin smartphone

[AC Question]

The Android smartphone has just updated to version 4.4.2

 

[belodion]

Welcome.

What texting app do you have?

 

[BEDOab]

Thank you for your reply. The only app I can see is a green SMS button on the home page, I use gmail and that offers you Compose, on my PC and tablet but not on the Alba Smartphone running Android,, although I have gmail on my Android with all my mail showing properly I cannot find a button to press for texting.

 

[belodion]

Welcome as a new member.

I may have misunderstood you, but Gmail, or indeed any type of email app, is for emails only. To send texts, you need to use an SMS messaging-type app, and the one you describe is just such an app.

 

[BEDOab]

Thank you belodion, I will have to persevere with it now I know it's the right app. So far in spite of enabling the T Mobile on my Android and sending a message using that green messaging app it never gets to my phone..... sorry I have just found the one I sent myself, Trouble is smartphones are new to me, it's a different bag of tricks to PC computing. I promise I'll do better.
Many thanks to both of you.

 

[BEDOab]

Sorry Belodion, I meant to say many thanks to both your posts, and I couldn't find an edit to correct it. Getting old, although at 89 I suppose I am old.

 

[belodion]

Sorry Belodion, I meant to say many thanks to both your posts, and I couldn't find an edit to correct it. Getting old, although at 89 I suppose I am old.

It's okay. I actually thought you were referring to the two beings from whom my username is derived - myself and my cat - and that you somehow knew that fact.

 

[BEDOab]

That made me smile, I think if I was that good a mind reader I would be a rich man
Give puss a stroke for me.

 

[anon8380037]

That made me smile, I think if I was that good a mind reader I would be a rich man
Give puss a stroke for me.

Welcome from me. Does the green icon look like mine next to the phone icon.
If so, they (Google) don't make it easy on their bare system but if you open it you need the envelope / typed page looking icon (I don't know what it's supposed to be) with a plus sign to compose a new message.
It will display future texts in a conversation view, unlike old phones. So all texts to one contact / person will be on one page.

Let us know when you need more help and thanks for registering - which is more than a lot of people can manage

Also if you use the Android Central app you can't enlarge these screenshots, which is a crying shame. You can see them better on a pc or with your Android Central account on the Tapatalk or "AC Forums" app.

 

[BEDOab]

Hi Madd54,
yes it is similar to yours but in the form of a smiley with two dots for eyes, and if you open it it does have the envelope looking icon with a + sign and on opening that you are offered a page to send your message with To: at the top, and at the bottom type: your message with the paper airplane arrow to send. It also has the list of messages sent and received.
Thank you for your offer to help. I always use the PC if possible (creature of old habits) and thanks again for the offer, talk about where angels fear to tread!!!!!

 

[anon8380037]

I may have misunderstood, or you édited your 3rd post. It sounds like you got it working.

When I had Samsung phones I found their texting app better.

You can search for alternative free SMS apps on the Play Store, but I don't know which to recommend.

 

[BEDOab]

It does seem to be working I did a couple sent to my self and both arrived . I found if you require a Subject Line you click on the menu (3 dots top right).
I think for the moment I'll stick with the app I've got unless someone can suggest a better replacement. Thanks for your help M54

 

[anon8380037]

Be aware if you use a subject line it converts from an SMS message to an MMS message as if you added a photo or attachment, and as it uses data you might want to check with your carrier about the cost or your allowance of MMS (multimedia messages).

 

[anon8380037]

I also thank you for the nudge to look at other SMS apps.
Android version 5.0 + has a white background theme and I have just tried the "Textra" app which has a dark mode and other useful features so it's easier on my 56 year old eyes and has nice features.

You probably have the Google Hangouts app which does messaging and other things, but I have never experimented with it.

Also recommend the SMS Backup + app which saves and can restore your texts to your Gmail account on a pc if you use it with your Gmail address, and your call logs as well. Been using that 4 years.
I'm on a lunch break and needed someone to annoy so your it.

If you get to like Android there are very good value phones to recommend now at great prices if you feel like moving up to a newer model.

No more replies needed unless you have questions.
Enjoy the forums!

Say hi in the Android Central Community section - Introductions forum, or have a look.
There are also Ambassadors guides to things stuck to the "General Help and How To" section, which itself is a better questions forum for members as you get more responses from regular users.

 

[BEDOab]

Thanks for the heads up regarding the subject line, glad I mentioned that, you learn something every day.
Actually I joined Android Central in 2013 when I got my Nexus 7, and found the forum members very helpful, so when my wife bought me the Alba smartphone running android I thought I would try the Android forums again and just chose the first one I came across, and thanks to you and Belodiom I am much wiser, and able to send and receive SMS messages.
Thanks for the help.