Why are my text messages being converted to MMS?

[Android Central Question]

Galaxy S6, using the built in message app. Android 7.0
I am being charged for MMS (picture) messages by my provider even when my messages are not all that long. I have googled and tried various settings on text.
here is an example:
"Hi Adey ... I've paid by transfer. Many thanks .. I have the smartest dormer ridge in Mercurington and no leaks! Very grateful. Is there somewhere you would like me to leave a review? Would it be possible please, to have a copy of that picture showing the gaping hole at the top of the valley as I am in dispute with the cowboy who supposedly fixed everything up there.
Email [redacted] Cheers
Phil"
That message is 402 characters long; if I cut off the second HALF of the message it reports that I have 1 character left in 3 messages (i.e. the 1/3 prompt), otherwise there is a little 1KB indicator to the lower left of the message. When I 'send' it converts to MMS .. I seem to have no control over this. In settings I have tried free, restricted, allow and in all cases i just get the 1KB indicator and then only when I send do I realise that it will convert to MMS. I never attach anything; there is no standard signature; where/how is all this extra memory being inserted into my message?! This is regularly happening with quite short messages with maybe one or two emoticons, yet they seem to occupy only 2 characters each when I insert one near the limit. The advantages of a good contract are being wiped out by having to pay all these extras - it's a real pain and a real issue. Any ideas anyone? I tried textra briefly but that doesn't seem to offer things like character count and warnings of MMS so it's of no use. Help please!!
e.e. free/restrict/allow .. it dpoesn;t seem to make any difference.
Kind

 

[anon(10614692)]

SMS has a limit of 160 characters and your phone is combining and sending as MMS. Go to messaging app, click more then settings and change set restrictions to either warning or restricted.

 

[VidJunky]

You should also have a setting that says something along the lines of, "combine messages and send as MMS" or "send all messages as SMS". Maybe this is one of the settings you eluded to in your opening. Also that sounds kind of businessy, are other contacts connected to these texts? Sending texts to multiple contacts can cause them to be sent as MMS. There should be a setting for, "split combined threads" or "send group messages as MMS".

One last thought is there may be a message limiting setting. It literally limits the size of messages and usually has several settings up to 1 or 2G. You could try to find this and set it below whatever you think is the high limit for SMS.

 

[mustang7757]

Hi, welcome to Android Forums

I'd like to recommend creating a account so me or other members can assist you, as guest have limitations in replying here and if we need further Information to communicate with you.

I'll provide a link to register, please come back to your post so we can further assist
https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

 

[yarnsrj]

I found that Samsung's Messages app was the only messaging app that wasn't converting my messages to MMS without my wanting it to. Google Messages and Chomp SMS apps both convert to MMS automatically if the text is too long or if I include a picture. I'm sticking with Samsung Messages. I'm on Verizon Network.

 

[Rukbat]

ALL SMS apps have the choice of converting long SMS to MMS, or not breaking SMS (which means converting them to MMS). If the app comes set to not break the SMS, it sends long ones as MMS, until YOU change that in the app;s settings.

 

[yarnsrj]

There are some apps that change the SMS to MMS whether you choose to or not. I emailed the Dev for my paid messaging app, CHOMP SMS and that was the issue. After troubleshooting why my SMS messages were switching over to MMS, he said if I add a picture to the SMS then it switches by default in their app. Samsung's stock Messaging app does not switch it over to MMS, so I wound up having to switch back to the stock messaging app because this is a deal breaker for me.