Reply With QuoteHave you tried Textra? It is no-nonsense and just works. I was feeling especially generous and got the paid version, and it's a lot better than Google's house of confusion.
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I've climbed a cellphone tower
I just checked my text balance on my Alcatel Zip and it shows I've lost a huge number of texts from my balance that I haven't used. I included two screenshots of the two most recent times I've checked my usage.
The difference is like 71 texts. No way have i used anywhere near that many in a few days.
I sent two MMS texts today and maybe 3 SMS. I received 3 MMS yesterday but due to issues with my text app, Messaging Classic, I couldn't receive those til today after i switched apps from Classic to Google's app. Then they came through.
I was trying different text apps from Google Play. Because Messaging Classic didn't work right, I switched to the most recent Google messaging app but it didn't have features i wanted so i switched back to the messaging app that came on this phone. I don't like that one either, it's pretty basic, but i have to have a text app for some purposes.
After the loss of so many texts from my balance, maybe I should go back to just using Google Hangouts over WiFi.
My current APN on my TF is AT&T. Before my recent switch from my Samsung Luna Pro to this Alcatel Zip my APN was Verizon.
I didn't have losses like this with my Samsung/TF-VZ service.
I like the Zip but if it loses more texts or anything else I didn't use, I will swap back to the Samsung.
Sent from my A576BL using HoFo mobile app
I've got more phones than fingers
Have you tried Textra? It is no-nonsense and just works. I was feeling especially generous and got the paid version, and it's a lot better than Google's house of confusion.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
I've tried Textra too and felt it was more than I needed, but I might try it again. For now I'm going to use Hangouts with WiFi until i can figure out the problem with the Zip's messaging issues.
The Google text messaging app worked ok on my other phones that had it but for some reason the texting apps I've tried on the Alcatel Zip don't work right. It hints that it could be the phone. Its settings most likely.
Sent from my LGL84VL using HoFo mobile appOriginally Posted by Lisme
I have a blue tooth
I've always liked that it's not overly complicated or trying to be more than a messaging app.
Sure, lots of customizations if you want, but easy to not use them either. But to each their own
The Google app may just demand more resources than the phone can offer.
Either way, I doubt the app has anything to do with TFs message count, but it is odd that the app didn't download the MMS messages.
I have a blue tooth
Do you have any text-senders blocked? A blocked text won't show up in your texting app nor notification, but you still get charged for the text.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
No, i thankfully haven't needed to block anyone. Telephone spammers, yes i block robocallers but luckily haven't had many text spammers. I usually just delete those without opening them.
I have one main person i text with and it was their texts that didn't come through until i switched texting apps. The text alert showed up but when i opened the text app, nothing was there.
I use MMS format to write long concatenated messages rather than go to email because my friend prefers texting to email. If i would have sent multiple sms texts, it saves on the messaging costs if one MMS is deducted as one text.
My friend wrote to say one of my MMS messages came through, followed by another copy of it as a string of 35 texts (!!) The MMS message was actually 15 texts long not 35, so i don't know why it broke into 35. So that accounts for half the texts that disappeared from my messaging balance. It doesn't explain why it happened, but now I'm going to check my usage every time i send an MMS or text.
Sent from my LGL84VL using HoFo mobile app
I've climbed a cellphone tower
I text so few people that i don't need a messaging app with lots of customizing features. I do like being able to choose the bubble colors and backdrop like Textra. Some older phones i had let me choose photos for backdrop as well as colors for the bubble. The TF Alcatel Pixi Unite and my TF ZTE Cymbal T had that included in the stock messaging app.I've always liked that it's not overly complicated or trying to be more than a messaging app.
Sure, lots of customizations if you want, but easy to not use them either. But to each their own
The Google app may just demand more resources than the phone can offer.
Either way, I doubt the app has anything to do with TFs message count, but it is odd that the app didn't download the MMS messages.
I don't like texting apps with white backdrop, it glares. The dark mode works better for me, the Google messaging app has that but that's the one that tried to send an MMS as a huge string of texts. I canceled the message so it wouldn't send, traded messaging apps to the one that came with the phone, tried again to send but it arrived as 35 texts instead of one long MMS. (It indicated it would send as an MMS).
Usually if I'm writing and the message exceeds 6 sms, it converts to a long MMS. That didn't happen with the Google app and I've had it installed on other phones and it did automatically convert to MMS on those phones.
On some texting apps it allows a subject line to be added which automatically converts an sms to an MMS message. I was looking for an app that allowed me to do that and Message Classic had that option, but the app didn't work reliably on the Zip. Most texting apps don't offer a subject line option. My Alcatel Pixi Unite and my Cymbal T had that on their texting apps but unfortunately I've been unable to locate the older messaging apps that offer that on Google Play.
Sent from my LGL84VL using HoFo mobile app
I have a blue tooth
Textra has a dark mode (I use it) and setting to convert long SMS to MMS (see mine set to 3 pages)
Again, most of the customizations I don't use.
a few custom colors for specific users (used custom notification colors til Google banned that).
And it's only 30 MB vs Google at 87.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
I installed Textra but didn't see the settings for converting several sms to an MMS. Thanks for that. I'll look at it again.Textra has a dark mode (I use it) and setting to convert long SMS to MMS (see mine set to 3 pages)
Again, most of the customizations I don't use.
a few custom colors for specific users (used custom notification colors til Google banned that).
And it's only 30 MB vs Google at 87.
One thing I didn't like about Textra is that it didn't have the character count while typing. My current stock texting app shows "sms" and how many characters/how many texts as i type as well as when it switches to an MMS. Since i don't have an unlimited plan, it's important to keep track of things like that.
I also didn't see an option to add a subject line.
Sent from my A576BL using HoFo mobile app
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Ok, thanks ST Dog. Due to your heads up on the MMS customization, I reinstalled Textra and found that under SMS. I had only looked for the settings for MMS under MMS. (Duh!Textra has a dark mode (I use it) and setting to convert long SMS to MMS (see mine set to 3 pages)
Again, most of the customizations I don't use.
a few custom colors for specific users (used custom notification colors til Google banned that).
And it's only 30 MB vs Google at 87.)
I also found an option for activating the counter when texting.
I'm going to try Textra for awhile, if it works on this phone then I'm set.
Thanks for helping!
Sent from my A576BL using HoFo mobile app
Radiation is good
Out of curiosity, was that text count the same on the phone and on TF website?
I've climbed a cellphone tower
I didn't check it at the website, but I've checked it on my phone since and it has since only deducted what I've sent or received. I'll sign into my account later and see what it says.
So far Textra has worked ok. Hopefully it has solved the problem.
Sent from my A576BL using HoFo mobile app
I have a blue tooth
No subject line. Virtually every app dropped it 4-5 years ago.
There is a character count option.
I see you found it.
I've climbed a cellphone tower
I just checked my Zip balance in my TF account online and it seems to be pretty much in agreement with what the previous balance said given that I've used/received some texts since.
One time I added a card at the website and couldn't get the updated balance. When it finally showed me a balance at the online site, it showed my old balance. The service date had been extended but not the bucket balances. It worried me but later that evening it updated the buckets when I was able to check the balance on my phone. For some reason it took a long time. Usually it shows the new balance right away.
Sent from my A576BL using HoFo mobile app
I've climbed a cellphone tower
Yes, I figured the Messaging apps had dumped the subject line option on newer versions.
As long as Textra lets me customize when my SMS messages can be converted to MMS, I'll be satisfied. I really only used the subject line most of the time to convert to an MMS anyway to save on sending long texts.
Thank you again for showing me that Textra did have the MMS customizing option.
Sent from my A576BL using HoFo mobile app
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