Long text messages / SMS being received as multiple, not combined

**jeffreii** · 07-06-2012, 03:13 PM

When I receive long text messages they are not being combined into one if they are over the 160 character limit. Instead I receive multiple text messages. Is there a reason for this or is it a bug?

Example, assume the above paragraph is slightly over 160 characters - I get:

When I receive long text messages they are not being combined into one if they are over the 160 character limit. Instead I receive multiple text messages. Is there a reason for this or is it

a bug?

Thanks

EDIT: I'm using the stock messaging app.

EDIT 2: You know what - now that I am really looking closely and counting characters and such...I think maybe I just have a friend or two who are trigger happy with the send button and manually sending another text with the word they forgot lol

**Almeuit** · 07-06-2012, 03:39 PM

What carrier?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

**timberga** · 07-06-2012, 04:21 PM

This is pretty normal for most smartphones. It was like this on the iphone until iMessage, but iMessage isn't text messaging.

**dmoney17** · 07-06-2012, 04:30 PM

Any text message over 160 characters you will get two messages. That's a limitation of text messages, no matter the carrier. If you instant message with someone, there is no character limitation. That's an alternative route you may want to look at.

**Soundtrack to Chaos** · 07-06-2012, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by dmoney17

Any text message over 160 characters you will get two messages. That's a limitation of text messages, no matter the carrier. If you instant message with someone, there is no character limitation. That's an alternative route you may want to look at.

This

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Android Central Forums

**simba115** · 07-06-2012, 06:27 PM

I don't have this problem, with AT&T

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Android Central Forums

**Bbeelzebub** · 07-06-2012, 06:30 PM

Some phones switch to MMS rather than SMS when it's over 160. Going by what we've seen about how this phone handles MMS, perhaps it's best the way it is.

**firetruck41** · 07-06-2012, 06:43 PM

My DroidX has always done that, so not a bug. Though maybe some phones/carriers have a way around this. Maybe theres an app that can fix this, at least from the users point of view.

Sent from my A500 using Android Central Forums

**rage151** · 07-06-2012, 06:55 PM

Verizon has converted SMS >160 characters to MMS for years, even on "dumb" phones (E815 for example). I would assume other carriers have done the same. I haven't seen a phone in years that split them.

**jeffreii** · 07-06-2012, 08:26 PM

You know what - now that I am really looking closely and counting characters and such...I think maybe I just have a friend or two who are trigger happy with the send button and manually sending another text with the word they forgot lol

**firetruck41** · 07-06-2012, 09:34 PM

Originally Posted by rage151

Verizon has converted SMS >160 characters to MMS for years, even on "dumb" phones (E815 for example). I would assume other carriers have done the same. I haven't seen a phone in years that split them.

Interesting, my DX (obviously on VZW), still splits them.

Sent from my A500 using Android Central Forums

**rage151** · 07-06-2012, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by firetruck41

Interesting, my DX (obviously on VZW), still splits them.

Sent from my A500 using Android Central Forums

My wife just told me that her X does too. I know that my ooold 815 did..I must have gotten out of touch since then.

**GMJeff** · 07-08-2012, 06:40 PM

At&t still splits text messages over the 160 character limit.

It, as mentioned previously, is a issue with data packet size on the network.

Some messaging apps, if used by both users could merge multiple messages on the receiving end, so they look like one long message.