Limit on SMS text :(

[InGearX]

In my Sony Ericsson I could keep typing the SMS and it would just make new ones if I went over the limit 160 char limit - what was fine...

but in my BlackBerry 8703e (on Verizon) - I need to start a completely brand new SMS - very frustrating - so I keep it to just one and do not really express my self as I did on Ericsson :(

is there any way to remove the character limit and just have blackberry send it in many messages automatically? or like start a new one if I go over the limit? such a great device - but such a limitation :(

OR maybe I could use some external service - like email to SMS? but then my friends would not be able to see who it's from and/or reply :(
hmm but then I could include that info - but still not the same thing :(

Thank you all...

[penguin3107]

SMS = SHORT Message Service.
Keyword = SHORT ;)

No, you can't change the character limit for SMS messages on a BlackBerry.

[John Clark]

This is actually a network limitation, I believe. Some carriers allow that, some don't.

[BCollins521]

On T-Mobile I can just type and type and type up to three messages I think it will group together and such

[John Clark]

When I compose an sms on my TMo Pearl it says 160/ 1 of 6. I rarely ever send an sms and when I do I never get close to 160 characters, however, I should be able to send 6 sms messages at once. Again, it all depends on the carrier.

[pdone]

In my Sony Ericsson I could keep typing the SMS and it would just make new ones if I went over the limit...

but in my 8703e - I need to start a completely brand new one - very frustrating - so I keep it to just one and do not really express my self as I did on Ericsson :(

is there any way to remove the character limit and just have blackberry send it in many messages automatically?

OR maybe I could use some external service - like email to SMS?

Thank you all...


You could use teleflip (www.teleflip.com) which is a free email to sms service. Your messages would be then broken apart based on the destination carrier's limitations.

[jeremyckitching]

My BlackBerry 8700g actually did this same thing while on OS 4.1. Once I upgraded to OS v4.2 I could keep typing and typing (mine also says 1 of 6 like John).

[InGearX]

My BlackBerry 8700g actually did this same thing while on OS 4.1. Once I upgraded to OS v4.2 I could keep typing and typing (mine also says 1 of 6 like John).

Who is your provider? (I have Verizon - as some say it's a network thing 0 but I hope it's an OS thing)

wow that sounds great, maybe I should upgrade the OS (i have v4.1.0.377 (platform 2.2.0.176) )

[southwestcomm]

SMS on VZ is limited to 160.

[BryanHarig]

Send the message as an MMS, they allow 1000 characters.

[nuopus]

You can't chage the limit of SMS messages. Even if the carrier wanted to make the limit 300 characters they could not because the message changes hands several times along the way. And each of the services involved work on the 160 character protocol of current SMS.

The transactions go like this. Your SMS submitted to your carrier SMS center --> HLR (Home Location Register) --> MSC (Mobie Switching Center) --> Mobile Server --> Phone.

The ability to handle more than 160 characters is mainly phone dependent, not carrier dependent. Some phones will send very large messages in chunks of 160 characters, but it is still using the same 160 character limit. The BlackBerry actually breaks the message up like this also. On my Verizon Treo 650, it does the exact same thing. But my friend has another Verizon phone that sends only 160 characters and you will never see the rest.

So, you really can't do anything about that limit. You can try and try with expert programmers on your end of the line. Try till your blue in the face. When it boils down to it, the other services along the way will cap you.

[fordag]

OK I have an 8100 on AT&T, when I send/recieve an SMS over 160 characters to my friend who has a BB Curve on AT&T one of two things happen.

1. I get one long SMS text with all of it intact. 700 char in one recent SMS.
2. I get two or more short SMS (160 char) that end with [Some text missing] and then begin with [some text missing]

So far it seems random. I can't figure out why one overly long SMS comes through intact and the next gets chopped up. These are all between my friend and I so it's not like a different carrier or network or not a BB. Anyone have any ideas on this one?

Thanks,
David

[numetheus]

In my Sony Ericsson I could keep typing the SMS and it would just make new ones if I went over the limit 160 char limit - what was fine...

but in my BlackBerry 8703e (on Verizon) - I need to start a completely brand new SMS - very frustrating - so I keep it to just one and do not really express my self as I did on Ericsson :(

is there any way to remove the character limit and just have blackberry send it in many messages automatically? or like start a new one if I go over the limit? such a great device - but such a limitation :(

OR maybe I could use some external service - like email to SMS? but then my friends would not be able to see who it's from and/or reply :(
hmm but then I could include that info - but still not the same thing :(

Thank you all...

I have a blackberry 8310, and when I type over 160 characters, it will start counting down from 160 again, on the second SMS text. So, you can technically compose up to 960 characters, and it will separate it in 6 text messages.

There is absolutely no way to change the 160 character cap, it is a limitation set by the protocol itself. Google how sms works for an explanation. 160 is the max no matter what.

[ChesterJT]

Depends on your carrier, or maybe if you and the other person have matching carriers. I can send a 3 page SMS txt to another Cingular user and they get it as 1 long message, although yes it will still count as 3 messages as far as billing is concerned. But if I were to send that same text to a friend of mine on Verizon, he usually gets it in 3 separate messages, sometimes not in the right order either.

[numetheus]

Depends on your carrier, or maybe if you and the other person have matching carriers. I can send a 3 page SMS txt to another Cingular user and they get it as 1 long message, although yes it will still count as 3 messages as far as billing is concerned. But if I were to send that same text to a friend of mine on Verizon, he usually gets it in 3 separate messages, sometimes not in the right order either.

Regardless it is 160 characters. The phone may handle it different ways, but when it is actually being sent, the limitation is set by not only YOUR service centers, but also every other center along the way. If AT&T decides to use 500 character SMS, it would end up being cut off once it leaves the computers on the AT&T network and is handled by computers on the OTHER network, because THEY still do 160 characters. The message travels to several places along the way, and ALL of them have to work with the message. So there is no point in making it larger because "larger" doesnt cut it some of the way.

An SMS message goes through all this to finally make it to the other side:

1. The SMS message is sent to your carriers SMS center.

2. The SMS center sends a request to the HLR (Home Location Register) to get routing information.

3. Once routing information is received, it gets sent to the MSC (Mobile Switching Center).

4. The MSC forwards the message to a mobile server.

5. The mobile server sends the message to the SMS center on the other carriers side.

6. Message reaches phone.

Now, there are several in between there .... but there are LOTS of steps taken instead of ... message goes from point a to point b. And they ALL must speak the same language.

[fordag]

Still that does not explain why one long SMS message (over 160) from my friend comes through uncut and another long message is cut up.

See post above.

[numetheus]

Still that does not explain why one long SMS message (over 160) from my friend comes through uncut and another long message is cut up.

See post above.

I can totally see how long text messages can happen "in-carrier." But it is impossible across carriers because of how the message reaches users of the other carrier. They can do whatever they want in-house. It also has a lot to do with the phone.

All I know is ... greater than 160 characters is impossible cross-carrier.

[fordag]

I can totally see how long text messages can happen "in-carrier." But it is impossible across carriers because of how the message reaches users of the other carrier. They can do whatever they want in-house. It also has a lot to do with the phone.

All I know is ... greater than 160 characters is impossible cross-carrier.

Ok I get the cross carrier issue, my question is why do I randomly get long vs cut up SMS? From the same person. She has the same issue with my SMS, randomly long or cut up.

[numetheus]

Ok I get the cross carrier issue, my question is why do I randomly get long vs cut up SMS? From the same person. She has the same issue with my SMS, randomly long or cut up.

Is she sending one as SMS and other as MMS? I may be wrong, but can't MMS send longer messages than SMS? Someone correct me on this.

[fordag]

No we are both sending as SMS to each other

[Bluefairy]

I have a blackberry 8310, and when I type over 160 characters, it will start counting down from 160 again, on the second SMS text. So, you can technically compose up to 960 characters, and it will separate it in 6 text messages.

There is absolutely no way to change the 160 character cap, it is a limitation set by the protocol itself. Google how sms works for an explanation. 160 is the max no matter what.


Hi all, I have an 8310 curve and it says 70/1 of 6. Why only 70 characters for a text? Do you think I actually get charged the cost of a text every time I exceed the 70 characters? That would be annoing. I'm in Italy and using TIM as provider. Every mobile phone I ever had has the bottom limit of 160 characters. Can someone enlighten me about this weird thing? Thanks.

[rachamphetamine]

You already posted about this in another thread. Please don't post the same problem in multiple threads.

[Bluefairy]

You already posted about this in another thread. Please don't post the same problem in multiple threads.

sorry, won't happen again. :oops:

[StuartV]

Geez, people, nobody (well, almost nobody) cares what happens to the message after you hit send, as long as it gets where it's supposed to go. And mostly, we don't care if it arrives as one long message or multiple separate 160 character messages.

The OP wasn't asking if the network limitation could be changed. He's asking if there's a way to get his Blackberry to work like his previous phone did. I.e. automatically break up a long message for you, so you don't have to do it manually. Personally, I have the same issue. I wish my Pearl worked like some of my other friends' phones. It is (sadly) frequent that I run into the 160 character limit and have to terminate a message in a weird way, when I would be perfectly happy to have my phone let me type more and send it as 2 separate messages.

It is interesting to me that some people here are reporting that their BB's will do that. My Pearl is an 8130 on the latest available OS (4.5.0.89). But, it had 4.3 on it when I got it, and I've tried every version that has come out since and they've all had a hard limit at 160 characters.