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Posted by Gary Rosenzweig on 2/21/08. You can follow Gary on Twitter.

The SMS Text Application lets you send text messages to other phones and connected devices that support SMS.
iPhone SMS Text
The main SMS Text screen shows your recent conversations. You can use the Edit button to delete conversations. You can also swipe left to right across the listing with your finger and press the Delete button that appears.
To start a new conversation, press the pencil-in-box button at the upper right.
iPhone SMS Text New Message
Enter a phone number, or use the + button to select one from your address book. Then click on the small text area next to the Send button to enter your message. Press the Send button to send.

You can also send text messages from iChat on your Mac. Simply choose Send SMS from the File menu, enter a phone number and a message.

Once a conversation has started, or if you select an old conversation, you will see a list of messages along with some buttons. You can press the Call button at any time to call the person you are conversing with. You can press the Contact Info button to see their listing in your Address Book.
iPhone SMS Text Conversation

SMS text messages are limited to 160 characters.

The rest of the screen shows your conversation, with your messages to the right, and the other person’s messages to the left. You can send a new message using the text area and the Send button at the bottom of the screen. You can also use the Clear button to clear out the old messages.

Remember, most iPhone users have limited text messaging accounts. This means that after a certain number of messages, you’ll be charged for each one sent and received. Be careful when signing up for SMS services that automatically send you messages, such as stocks or sports scores, as you can quickly rack up a large phone bill.


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65 Responses to “iPhone SMS Text Application”

  1. kashif says:

    could you please let us know how to forward or save masges in sim card
    thanks

  2. rosenz says:

    kashif: Not sure. I don’t think the iPhone uses the sim card the same way that other phones do. I believe that SMS messages are saved on the iPhone’s memory. Emails are definitely not on the sim card. Voice mail is probably just on the network.

  3. CoreyB says:

    IPhone dropped the ball with their SMS application IMO. There is no feature (Included on most other phones) to delete or purge all SMS messages on the phone. For those of us that use our phones for work and receive many,many SMS messages, this is a requirement.

  4. edir says:

    is there a way to copy and paste in SMS or resend a text without retyping it?

  5. rosenz says:

    No, there’s no copy and paste in the standard iPhone apps, unfortunately.

  6. IrishStew says:

    Is there any way to save an SMS conversation, or give my SMS more space so I do not have to delete the whole conversation? I’ve been having an ongoing conversation over the past 3 months, and do not want to delete it.

  7. rosenz says:

    IrishStew: I haven’t tried it yet, but you might want to do a search for “MobileSync Browser” and try that.

  8. IrishStew says:

    Thanks rosenz… it seems to work, but it isn’t up to date. I’m guessing I would have to pay for the full version to get my complete SMS box. It only shows me messages up until the end of August. i’m gong to have to do this soon, anything more then 10 messages over the main conversation, and I’m getting SMS almost full messages. WOOHOO!!!! Thanks Again!!!

  9. IrishStew says:

    So I uninstalled Itunes and deleted the “MobileSync Browser”. When I reinstalled Itunes and reran the “MobileSync Browser” it showed me upto date information!!!! THANKS AGAIN ROSENZ!!!!!!

  10. Chris Sage says:

    There is no way to save sms messages but there is an alternative if you have a text you’d like to keep for reference or posterity. Make sure the text you want is on the screen, then press and hold the power button on the top of your iPhone and then press the square button at the bottom. This will take a ’screen shot’ of the screen and record it as a photo in your camera roll. Not ideal but better than nothing.

  11. Carina says:

    Hi Ive owned my first iPhone for 2 weeks and I was so happy when after missing an SMS, it gave me reminder alert. And then another 5 minutes later (the same sound as the original SMS sound). But that was it. Can you change any setting so it continues to remind you of a waiting message until you do touch it and look at it? Its great when youve been somewhere noisy and didnt hear the original message alert. THanks!

  12. rosenz says:

    Carina: I don’t think there is any way to change your SMS settings to play an alert more often. Lets hope Apple will give us some more options in the future.

  13. Dre Drews says:

    If you JB your iphone then you can install apps that will allow you to be reminded several times after receiving a text/email/reminder/alert ect. each irrespectivley customisable…. get it done!

  14. carlos says:

    can you retreive deleted texts?

  15. rosenz says:

    As I understand it, no.

  16. Desi says:

    Is there a way to delete certain SMS messages and leave the rest from the particular sender. When we send and receive multiple messages to and from any particular recepient, the whole conversation is saved under his/her name or number. How can I remove some particular messages that I do not want and keep the rest as it is? Thank you in advance.

    • yam says:

      hi, did you find any solution your question if so please let me know how to delete ceratin SMS messages and leave the rest

    • Karen says:

      Hey, if you click into the conversation then press edit on the top right hand corner you can then choose what messages you want to delete. I have 3gs though and it’s my understanding you can’t do this on the original.

  17. rosenz says:

    DesI: I don’t know since I don’t use the native SMS on the iPhone. Maybe someone else can answer?

  18. Sarah says:

    Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to set up SMS so that the text contained in the recevied SMS is not being shown on the main screen once the SMS is received?

  19. Norm says:

    Is there a way to save a message as a template, so that I can send and resend the same message at different times to different people?

  20. rosenz says:

    Norm: I’m pretty sure not, as the SMS app is very simple. But some 3rd-party text message apps might have things like this.

  21. David says:

    Is there an application out there that allows you to type your text messages in the same manner as you can type emails (holding Iphone sideways) to get the wider qwerty keyboard. Those of us with “sausage fingers” find texting pretty tedious, why the difference?

  22. rosenz says:

    David: I’ve never seen one, and I’d imagine you’d just need to switch away from the native SMS to another app like Fring to get something like this.

  23. Paul says:

    Try pinger Phone. Its in the app store and I love it. Group text and everything. Works in landscape mode as well. I never had any issues and I work with in constantly.

  24. Dan says:

    Hi,I’m also wondering about Sarah’s question from above:

    I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a way to set up SMS so that the text contained in the recevied SMS is not being shown on the main screen once the SMS is received?

    I worry a friend will send an inappropriate message and it will display while I’m at work.

    Thanks

  25. rosenz says:

    Dan: You could just switch to using one of the many 3rd-party IM programs. You friends would need to send to a different address, though.

  26. Francine says:

    Hi!

    I just received my Iphone and I am faced with two problems
    a) my phone only vibrates when there is a call — cannot seem to get the ring tone on
    b) although I have the names in my contact list, when these people on my contact list send sms, only their numbers appear and I have a tough time trying to figure out who sent the email. How do I set it that as long as I have their names on the contact list, the sms will reflect the name & not the number

  27. rosenz says:

    Francine: It may be simply that you have the ring volume turned down, or the silence switch on the side turned on. Not sure about the SMS thing.

  28. chris says:

    How do I change my id in outgoing messages & calls? Right now it states my legal first name and I use my middle name.

  29. rosenz says:

    chris: not sure if that comes from your contact in the contacts app, or caller ID info registered with AT&T. I know that when I get an incoming message, the display will show the name in my contacts that I have set for that phone number. You’re going to have to experiment.

  30. MikeB says:

    Can you advise on how to forward text’s via SMS and also how can you get delivery receipts? Mike

  31. mcwd says:

    Sometimes my iPhone will make a sound like I have a new text message, but when I go to check it, there is nothing there?? Can anyone explain what this sound means? Thank you.

  32. rosenz says:

    mcwd: Could it be another alert? Like the sound of email arriving?

  33. mcwd says:

    No, it sounds like it, but when I check there is no new mail or texts?

  34. BrianD says:

    I was wondering if you could send picture messages through the original texting app?

  35. rosenz says:

    BrianD: No. It doesn’t have that ability.

  36. Silver says:

    I can not set up a customized alert for SMS, I have downloaded ringtone “incoming message” but I can not make it work with messages.

    Can anyone help me and tell me how to do it?

  37. Silver says:

    How can I use customized alert for text messages? I have custom ringtones but can not set them up as a message alert.

    Please help

  38. rosenz says:

    Silver: No, you can’t use ringtones for text message alerts.

  39. Silver says:

    Rosenz, thank you for your reply.

  40. I have the same problem as mcwd. Text message alert but no message. Strange.

  41. Melissa says:

    Rosenz, do you know if I can turn off the sound the phone makes when sending texts? I see how to change it for receiving texts under settings, but not for sending them. Thanks for your help.

  42. Jack says:

    The SEND button is in a spot where I have accidently sent messages prematurely. Can it be moved to a spot where it is less likely to be hit accidentally. i.e., to the right of the Contact Info box at the top of the screen.

    Call Contact Info Send

    That way it is unlikely you hit the send button accidentally while creating a message.

    Jack

  43. jez says:

    Is it possible to send a text to all in the contacts list
    Also Paul 30th dec advised use of pinger phone from apps store can not find it is there anything else

  44. bionikman says:

    Re: “You can also send text messages from iChat on your Mac. Simply choose Send SMS from the File menu, enter a phone number and a message.”

    I can’t find that feature in iChat. I used to send/receive SMS from from my Mac via my Sony-erricsson, but can’t do that with iphone. Anyone know how?

  45. Mark says:

    is there any app or setting without jb my iphone so i wont see either sms text or name pop up???

  46. Olga says:

    Hello! Could you tell me please, how can I view informative messages from my operator and some from other people (I dunno if they send it from phone or any computer program) that appear only once on the screen like a preview for a recieved sms and I can’t find them anymore… Thank you very much!!! Olga

    • Not sure what you mean … “messages from my operator?” You can get messages via SMS, email, and from a variety of 3rd-party apps that use the “notifications” feature of the iPhone.

      • Olga says:

        Hi Gary, thank you for answering! I mean sms. And it is shown that there’s incoming sms but there is nothing inside the smss. Sorry my english is not perfect, it’s pretty hard to explain because I don’t really understand all those things. Thanx again!

        • So you are getting blank SMS messages? I’d call AT&T about that.

          • Olga says:

            I get sms with text and I can read it on the screen as a preview, it appears like all sms that I get, but when the screen is off abd I turn it on again it disappears. I can see an incoming sms on the sms-icon, but there is no new sms inside the folder. Normally it happend with informative sms from my operator vodafone, but today it happend with a number which I don’t have in the address book and I don’t know from whom cause I could’t read it and it dissapeared! :(

  47. Ari says:

    Will this app receive text messages as quickly from my phone #? Can I customize the ringtone of the text message to one that lasts 30 seconds, loud, and obnoxious?

  48. Mowen says:

    Hi I have the same problem…and I was searching now for it I get a new incoming sound of new MSG on my iPhone but when I enter to see the MSG there is nothing .. I knew the problem but I can’t find how to view this MSG….the problem is that I deleted the first MSG conversation in my MSG inbox that is related to my friend which we where contacting each other with…anyway a new incoming sound of a MSG came but with no MSG inside .. I knew then that it is my friend who send it…. And I can’t view it becaue I deleted the first MSG conversation and on my iPhone to the top right I see a red mark indicating this problem …anyone could help view this MSG ? Thanks for ur help

  49. Ulrik says:

    The send Burton placement is very unfortunate as it’s too easy to hit accidentally. For crucial texts to hot babes I now turn it to flight mode until I’m done writing, to avoid screwing up my game by sending before it’s perfect:( horizontal mode is greatly needed too and the ability to scroll up and read earlier texts while typing is inconsistant.

  50. Troy says:

    Here is a letter I sent to Apple regarding a story I have about this SMS TEXT Pop up window that cost me my job.

    MAJOR SECURITY ISSUE!!!!

    Well I just spent 700.00 to apparently UPGRADE from my Blackberry Storm to the Iphone 3GS. I have a macbook pro so it just seemed to make sense.
    Anyhow I am thinking I may return the phone and hook up my Telus Blackberry again.

    The phone is great, I am very happy with all the features, apps etc etc.

    However, there is a HUGE HUGE HUGE SECURITY ISSUE with the fact with the TEXT MESSAGE POP UP.

    I am currently applying for other work and had my new IPHONE on the desk.
    Although I turned off the SMS Preview it still shows who the text is coming from and the fact you have a text.
    My boss was walking by my desk while I was not there and had my phone on the desk and the phone buzzed. He then looked down and saw it was a text message from our main competitor.

    Hence loosing my job……

    Any correspondence with our company and a competitor is grounds for dismissal seeing as the informations that we know is highly classified.

    So I would like to say a big huge THANK YOU!!!! For helping with the loss of my job.

    This is incredibly serious and will definitely have a Lawyer looking into this.

    I would highly suggest that you do something about this issue before you get some type of class action law suit on your hands.

    Again I will be returning the phone for my 700.00 back and then go back to the Blackberry that holds business information very highly highly secure for their users.

    Thank you again sincerely for the loss of my job came at such a great time with the economy being so bad and all!!!!

    Disappointed,

    Troy

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