SMS to MMS conversion costs

[Piecrust]

Hi Guys

This is my first post on here and I'm hoping someone can help me, I Have recently upgraded my mobile phone and contract.
My new mobile is the Google (LG) Nexus 4 running Android 4.2.2 I'm in the UK with the Three (3) network, my new contract has unlimited Text messages, unlimited internet access and talk minutes.
I'm very happy with my new mobile and I do quite a lot of text messaging, unfortunately I found the stock text app not great for group text messaging so after some research I downloaded Handcent. This seamed to be a much better and customisable text app than the Android stock one. Unfortunately when I checked my mobile account online I seamed to be racking up charges for no apparent reason, I called my network and the guy told me because I was sending group text messages they were being converted to MMS which was chargeable.
My network has re-credited the extra cost's because I was unaware of what was happening.
The question is, what can I do if I want to send group text messages without them being converted from SMS to MMS?
What is the point of having unlimited text messaging when the guy from my network tells me to only send five at a time.
My old mobile was a Samsung Galaxy Ace on the same network and I could send as many text messages as possible without extra cost, the nexus is a better phone and my tariff is much larger so what's going on?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

 

[SpookDroid]

I've heard GoSMS can do this... Also, have you checked the Handcent options? I'm sure there's an option somewhere to avoid this. If there isn't, MAYBE this is carrier-specific and when you send messages in bulk, THEY will convert to MMS, not the phone (my carrier, for instance, will convert MMS into e-mails if you request it)

 

[Tabs85]

Hi Guys

This is my first post on here and I'm hoping someone can help me, I Have recently upgraded my mobile phone and contract.
My new mobile is the Google (LG) Nexus 4 running Android 4.2.2 I'm in the UK with the Three (3) network, my new contract has unlimited Text messages, unlimited internet access and talk minutes.
I'm very happy with my new mobile and I do quite a lot of text messaging, unfortunately I found the stock text app not great for group text messaging so after some research I downloaded Handcent. This seamed to be a much better and customisable text app than the Android stock one. Unfortunately when I checked my mobile account online I seamed to be racking up charges for no apparent reason, I called my network and the guy told me because I was sending group text messages they were being converted to MMS which was chargeable.
My network has re-credited the extra cost's because I was unaware of what was happening.
The question is, what can I do if I want to send group text messages without them being converted from SMS to MMS?
What is the point of having unlimited text messaging when the guy from my network tells me to only send five at a time.
My old mobile was a Samsung Galaxy Ace on the same network and I could send as many text messages as possible without extra cost, the nexus is a better phone and my tariff is much larger so what's going on?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Open the stock app, go to settings, scroll down to Mutimedia messages and untick the"Use MMS to send message when there are multiple recipients" option.

If this doesnt solve the proboblem on the downloaded app, look for a similar setting in that app.

 

[Piecrust]

Hi SpookDroid
Yes it does have the option not to convert but it still does it, so maybe it is a network issue.
Tabs85
I don't dislike the stock text app but instead of being able to scroll through your list of contacts, you have to start typing the name of each contact for them to come up. Say you want to text to several people, it's much easier to just scroll through the list than type each name.
Also you can't select a group to text to, I have groups created in Google mail but can't enter them into the stock app.

 

[Tabs85]

Ah yes, you are right. I never really group message so I didnt really notice it . I also always know who I am texting so its faster for me to type their name.

So yeah, see if the settings option I mentioned above works. Do it in the main messaging app as well as the app you are using.

 

[Piecrust]

Thanks Tabs85

I have looked in the stock text app settings and there is no check box for this, I remember reading on another forum one guy had this setting and another did not. They were both using the Nexus 4 with the same OS which was very strange, in the end the guy started using Handcent with no problems but unfortunately it's converting my group SMS messages to MMS and my network is charging me extra for it.

 

[Tabs85]

Thanks Tabs85

I have looked in the stock text app settings and there is no check box for this, I remember reading on another forum one guy had this setting and another did not. They were both using the Nexus 4 with the same OS which was very strange, in the end the guy started using Handcent with no problems but unfortunately it's converting my group SMS messages to MMS and my network is charging me extra for it.

Okay, lets try this another way then...

Go to main settings for the phone. Select "More", then select Mobile networks -> access point names -> Select whatever access point you are currently on -> scroll down to MMSC and MMS proxy/Port (note it down somewhere safe) and then delete these.

Now save and exit.

Try a group message again. I'm wondering if the system will force it as a standard message.

 

[Piecrust]

Thanks for your help Tabs85,

I see where your coming from, by deleting these your thinking it wont be possible to send as MMS?

I must confess I have done a little more research, I sent a text message to 3 friends last night and I then checked my account online and my network charged me for them. Only 3 people!!! It was not a long text either, how good is that when your network give you unlimited text messages as part of your bundle. Something else I checked as well was with my old Galaxy Ace it only allowed you to select 10 contacts to text at a time, so there was a restriction on that mobile. I thought I may have had Handcent set up wrong so I uninstalled it and am now trying Go SMS Pro, I must say I have only sent a text to 3 people at once but have not been charged any extra for it.

OK i'll try deleting what you have advised above and if that doesn't work i'll replace them.

Thanks Pie

 

[Piecrust]

Tabs85

I have tried that and sent text messages to several contacts at once and it doesn't seem to be converting the messages to MMS, I'm not sure if it's because I have tried your method or because I'm now using Go SMS Pro?
I never send MMS messages because 1, I get charged for them and 2, if I want to send that sort of message I generally email them.
So as you advised I have made a note of the details so if I have any problems in the future I can re-install the details.
For now I'm happy to send SMS messages to 5 or 6 people at a time to be on the safe side, I don't want to rack up an unnecessary bill when I have unlimited SMS texts.

Once again thanks for your help
Piecrust

 

[Tabs85]

As long as its working I guess haha.

When I added multiple people it distinctly tells me "corverting to MMS". So I just had to dele the MMS settings in the menu itself. After that I could add multiple people without issues

 

[Piecrust]

Yeah that's one thing it has never done for me, tell me it is actually converting to MMS, it just sends the messages and then shows up on my account as MMS messages.
I can see this being a big issue in the UK because you don't get MMS messages included in tariffs, you only get SMS text messages in bundles so I can see lots of complaints from customers for being charged. I think in the US if you send a MMS message it just comes out of your Date allowance so it's no extra charge. The problem is you don't even know your doing it, I checked my account because I upgraded and saw I was getting charged extra for no apparent reason. I could have had a nasty surprise when I got my first monthly bill through. :'(

 

[Tabs85]

Yea I'm in the UK . Using virgin mobile cause I didn't want a 24 month contract lol. 30 day rolling contracts at very good prices.

Sent from my Nexus 4

 

[droiddeepak]

You can try :
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...details?id=com.loong.sms&hl=en&token=FzqNu8os or
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...id=com.loong.premium.sms&hl=en&token=LasgvY8t