Text messages changed colour ? text with SMS/MMS

[Deleted User]

Normally my my texts are in black on a grey background.  I don't know what I have done but they have turned black on a pale blue backgrount "Texting (SMS/MMS)"

I don't know what it means or how I have managed to change it.  Can anyone help me to know how to change back to the way it was before - just ordinary text messages black print on a grey background, please?

My mobile 'phone is Moto G7 Power.  Thank you for any help.

PHK

And which app do you use for texting? 

[Deleted User]

Thank you for replying PHK.  I am sorry to be so vague but I am not sure.  There is a blue (bubble like) icon in a white circle on my opening page next to the blue telephone icon which is also in a white circle.  At the top of my list of text messages there is the "G" icon G   Messages.

It is only the last two text messages I sent which have changed colour so I must have done something but I cannot think of anything i have done to intentionally change anything.  

My package is with EE for unlimited texts and 'phone calls.  I do not use my mobile 'phone data (just 1 GB data for emergencies) for websites as I always use my laptop at home. Thank you very much for any help. 

mebu60

Have you got any symbols under the blue background texts like ticks and/or padlocks? 

It's probably RCS that has been enabled (Rich Communication Services) most likely by your service provider as it's 'better'.

Message settings > RCS chats > turn off if you don't want RCS (assuming that's what it is). 

[Deleted User]

Yes,thanks mebu60.  Not inside the blue box there is the time and two joining circles with two ticks inside.

Re:  "Message settings > RCS chats > turn off if you don't want RCS (assuming that's what it is)."  I'll try to reverse it as I really prefer it the way it was before.  It is reassuring that I probably have not done anything myself. 

In settings under RCS I changed the blue button to black to turn it off.  Shortly after, when checking to see that the blue button was still black, indicating off, there is this message under it:

"You can't send or receive in group RCS chats right now.  You will be removed from RCS group chats after 30 days."  All the boxes under it have become muted.  Does that sound O.K?  I'm really just hoping to get back to they way things were before.

PHK

The G is the Google logo. You are using Google Messages. 

The colour is used to distinguish between SMS and RCS. 

RCS is the replacement for SMS, developed in about 2010. If both sides support it then it's more secure and more reliable. 

[Deleted User]

That's really good to know, thanks PHK.  I thought I would be better keeping with what I know.  Will it cause me any problems if I keep it without the RCS?  I only use texts for short messages.

I know it does not matter but is it usual for providers (with me it would be EE) to change things without any warning or information?

Neil_Jones

[Deleted User] said:

That's really good to know, thanks PHK.  I thought I would be better keeping with what I know.  Will it cause me any problems if I keep it without the RCS?  I only use texts for short messages.

I know it does not matter but is it usual for providers (with me it would be EE) to change things without any warning or information?

This is not a provider thing.  Its a device thing.

RCS is enabled by default if both your and the other device supports it (or not you/them drop back to standard SMS by going into the options).

Messages may drop back to SMS if the other device doesn't support RCS or if there is no/poor connection.

[Deleted User]

That is helpful to know, thank you Neil_Jones.  I really appreciate all the information given here.  I was concerned in case I had, in error, done something to bring about this change.

km1500

go to settings (cog) 

go to apps 

scroll down until you come to messages you may have more than one message app 

disable any message apps other than the one which looks like a blue square with a white circle and in the white circle are three blue dots - that is the standard SMS app 

click on this and set it to default to handle messages. also click on messaging app section and check that this app is the default for handling messages

[Deleted User]

Thanks very much KM500.  I'll do that.