Messaging Questions

[Knowgood]

Ok, just purchased my Icon within the last week. AMAZING phone and loving it! I'm coming from an iPhone 4S on AT&T and have had other iPhones over the last 4 years or so. Just went through the headache of figuring out I had to turn off iMessaging on my iPhone and unregister it from my Apple ID on their site so that I can actually receive messages from all my iPhone friends.

Anyway, the SMS 160 character limit is new for me and quite annoying when coming from iMessaging. Not used to my texts or texts from others being broken up into several chunks. So, I understand that MMS has a much greater character limit but don't see anyway to send all messages as MMS unless I insert pictures/video. Is there anyway to do this?

Checked out Whatsapp and signed up but can't see it replacing SMS/MMS for me since so many friends aren't on Whatsapp. Can totally see the use for this internationally.

Am I just stuck with all texts over 160 characters being broken up or is there any way around it? The pros still far outweigh this con, by the way.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I recommend giving this a read. There's also many other topics to check out if you want to know more.

Send a text or chat | Windows Phone How-to (United States)

 

[Knowgood]

Read this and understand that I can use other messaging services. Guess I'm just wondering if I'm using traditional text with either SMS or MMS, is there any way to not have my messages and messages from others broken up into several messages? That is without having to insert pictures or video each time.

 

[Knowgood]

Again, not a big deal just a little frustration. Definitely pleased overall with the phone but would be nice to see a Microsoft version of iMessage to not have to deal with texts being broken up. I would guess many people frequently go a little over 160 characters even if not writing a novel.

 

[user928]

...a Microsoft version of iMessage...

It's called email. You can make it any length you want.

 

[Knowgood]

Oh yeah, that ancient form of communication... I remember. Doesn't change the fact that most people are going to be texting and frequently sending text messages that are unfortunately broken into chunks on Verizon non-iPhones.

 

[Chrono803]

Honestly, though, if this is your only issue, I say that's pretty dang good for the phone.

...a Microsoft version of iMessage.

Maybe this is one reason Microsoft bought Skype?

 

[anon(515154)]

I don't think there is anything like iMessaging on WP. It's like asking for something like BBMessaging on WP.
If most of your friends are iPhone users maybe you should've taken that into consideration before making a WP your main smartphone.
As others already mentioned, Whatsapp and other similar crossplatforms apps are the alternative.

 

[kb4000]

This problem is Apple's fault. iMessage is proprietary. There isn't even an official Android app. Microsoft can't make one. I think it's stupid that people use messaging apps that are brand specific.

 

[DaT Franchise]

You can make a text message any length you want, just know at some point it will get sent as an mms and not SMS, at least that how android would do it.

Anyways I've never understood why people want to have another app running to do what the stock sms/mms app does pretty damn good

 

[Knowgood]

Honestly, though, if this is your only issue, I say that's pretty dang good for the phone.



Maybe this is one reason Microsoft bought Skype?

Yes, it is pretty much my only issue and a very small one which makes me very happy with this phone. I love it! Other people seemed to make my small question a big deal. All I'm saying is I like the way the way iPhone (via iMessage) keeps the texts from being broken up and was curious if there was any way to do this on WP. This thread has apparently answered that question. No. So, I'll go on enjoying the numerous other things I absolutely love about the phone.

 

[Knowgood]

I don't think there is anything like iMessaging on WP. It's like asking for something like BBMessaging on WP.
If most of your friends are iPhone users maybe you should've taken that into consideration before making a WP your main smartphone.
As others already mentioned, Whatsapp and other similar crossplatforms apps are the alternative.

They are mostly iPhone users and it was definitely something I thought about it. The main thing I didn't realize was the way CDMA vs. GSM handle texts and the 160 char limit when I switched from AT&T to Verizon. Still, not anywhere close to a deal breaker for me. There are WAY to many things I love about this phone to go back to iPhone.

 

[kb4000]

I'm kind of irritated about the way that people jumped on you about this. You had a legitimate question. I will however say that I have a Lumia 928 on Verizon and most of the time my messages get put back together so that they don't come as separate messages.

 

[kb4000]

Ok so I did some research. I have Verizon and messages from other Verizon people with smart or dumb phones are always one message. My sister has a Lumia 920 on at&t and messages from them are broken up but if I text her a long message it is one message. So for me across the board it appears that messages from att phones are broken up while messages from Verizon stay together. I'm not sure about other carriers or if that's the case on other phones on Verizon.

 

[Knowgood]

Interesting, kb4000. My sister-in-law has Verizon. I'll have to test longer messages with her. Most friends and family have AT&T.

Thanks guys. Appreciate your help.

 

[anon(515154)]

They are mostly iPhone users and it was definitely something I thought about it. The main thing I didn't realize was the way CDMA vs. GSM handle texts and the 160 char limit when I switched from AT&T to Verizon. Still, not anywhere close to a deal breaker for me. There are WAY to many things I love about this phone to go back to iPhone.

Well, I actually have the same char limitations. Only mine is 180. If my friends have a smartphone, I try to avoid texts as much as possible by recurring to the alternative apps.
But when they don't have one, I'm stuck with texts.
In all dumbphones I had, they all had those limitations so I'm used to it. I've found that smartphones are a way to avoid texts at all costs.
When I write a long text or when my friends send me long texts, it comes like an MMS so I find it weird that yours come broken. It can be the carrier. Before the L920, when my messages were being delivered in pieces it was always the carrier's fault.

Everyone is saying that people here are being harsh but I don't think so. At least I didn't try to. Maybe it was the way I wrote. Anyway, sorry if you thought that.

 

[kb4000]

Interesting, kb4000. My sister-in-law has Verizon. I'll have to test longer messages with her. Most friends and family have AT&T.

Thanks guys. Appreciate your help.

Please post back what you find out as I am curious.

 

[Knowgood]

Everyone is saying that people here are being harsh but I don't think so. At least I didn't try to. Maybe it was the way I wrote. Anyway, sorry if you thought that.

No, I didn't. It's all good.

 

[Knowgood]

Please post back what you find out as I am curious.

Yes, I confirmed it is the same as you said. My sister-in-law has an iPhone with Verizon. Her message of around 300 characters came through as one text to me on my Icon. My text which was a little over 300 characters shows up as one message to her. When I get texts from AT&T iPhones or dumbphones, it is broken up into several texts. Interesting that Verizon puts it together (from other Verizon phones) even though it's supposedly CDMA that limits to 160 characters.

 

[kb4000]

Yes, I confirmed it is the same as you said. My sister-in-law has an iPhone with Verizon. Her message of around 300 characters came through as one text to me on my Icon. My text which was a little over 300 characters shows up as one message to her. When I get texts from AT&T iPhones or dumbphones, it is broken up into several texts. Interesting that Verizon puts it together (from other Verizon phones) even though it's supposedly CDMA that limits to 160 characters.

That's really strange. Haha. Well now I can tell my AT&T iPhone owning friends that it's not a windows phone problem.