MSE News: Got a Samsung phone? You could get charged extra for sending emojis

snozdop

Deleted_User wrote: »

back in the day e.g 10 years ago everyone who sent MMS knew that if you added a pic/image then it would be an MMS..

Back in the day, e.g. 10 years ago, emojis did not exist (except in some Japanese handsets).

An emoji ISN'T a pic/image (a bitmap) - it is a character, part of an emoji font, the same as a letter A or a number 3 for example, represented by Unicode characters.

Decent handsets that understand emoji and Unicode just display these characters as they should and send them via SMS.

Obviously, Samsung couldn't be bothered to implement Emoji correctly, and instead programmed their phones to convert emoji characters into bitmap images, which of course, turns the SMS into an MMS.

Deleted_User wrote: »

Clearly user error here.

No, clearly someone who doesn't understand the issue at all here.

[Deleted User]

I've had a similar problem with my LG phone.

Can't remember the details because it was a while back, but I think I found out when I'd selected someone's name, I'd accidentally selected to send the message to their email address rather than their phone number (Don't think you can do this in most messaging apps but LG's thought this was fine) then my phone provider must have decided to accept the message and send it through some sms-to-email gateway that charged me money.

Lucky I caught the mistake or I could have been doing it constantly since once you start a conversation it's easy just to click reply.

Everyone should change to Google's own sms messenger app. Apart from being simpler, it just looks great.

System

You were sending MMS as these can be sent to a mobile number or an email address.

You can easily fix this problem - delete the MMS settings in APN settings. This will either be a separate entry or remove MMS as APN type on the main APN setting.

Remotely wrote: »

I've had a similar problem with my LG phone.

Can't remember the details because it was a while back, but I think I found out when I'd selected someone's name, I'd accidentally selected to send the message to their email address rather than their phone number (Don't think you can do this in most messaging apps but LG's thought this was fine) then my phone provider must have decided to accept the message and send it through some sms-to-email gateway that charged me money.

Lucky I caught the mistake or I could have been doing it constantly since once you start a conversation it's easy just to click reply.

Everyone should change to Google's own sms messenger app. Apart from being simpler, it just looks great.

MrChips

I had a similar issue where adding an additional recipient to a text message converted it from a SMS to a MMS. Very annoying, and counter intuitive.


Sending the same message twice = SMS, sending the same message to two people simultaneously = MMS...??


This wasn't on a Samsung, but a Nexus 5.

diamonds

This was a iPhone issue back in the day, I got a £200 bill wiped as I had no warning or way of knowing about the 'conversion'

chezza262

Really grateful for this article - my OH and I have just upgraded our phones and I hadn't noticed it was converting to MMS which is not included in our contract. The Emoji list is in the same place as the smiley list on previous handsets so there was no reason to assume they would be any different.

For anyone who hasn't spotted it you can revert to using smiley's by going to the menu in the top right corner when writing a msg and clicking insert smiley. It will bring up the list of good old fashioned smileys :T

Gizasmum

Chezza262 - I have an S4 mini but I don't have the menu you're talking about

d123

kteirvine wrote: »

Chezza262 - I have an S4 mini but I don't have the menu you're talking about

Just download an alternative messaging app from the Play Store and the problem is solved.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jb.gosms&hl=en_GB

Or

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.p1.chompsms&hl=en_GB

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

kteirvine wrote: »

Chezza262 - I have an S4 mini but I don't have the menu you're talking about

Can depend on what keyboard you have set on the phone.

Neederwedge

Hi All,

I just found this thread whilst waiting online at 02 to 'chat' to an advisor following checking of my bill and finding to my horror that all those silly emoticons ive sent have racked up by bill!! It's ridiculous and reading the posts it seems i have done just the same as others here on the false assumption they were just part of the texting symbols. I got nowhere with the online advisor so am about to call 02. this is some con!
Debs....i would put an angry face but im now emoticophobic!!