In the digital age, maintaining control over our communications and the associated costs is essential. One way we can do this is by properly managing messaging on our iPhones, especially by disabling MMS messaging to avoid unnecessary charges.
An unnecessary expense we can easily avoid
As mentioned on previous occasions, the Messages app on our iPhone merges two different protocols: iMessage and SMS, which is why Messages sometimes appears in blue and sometimes in green. The iMessage protocol allows us to send photos, videos, and other content at no cost. On the other hand, although SMS has become free on many carriers, there are still charges associated with sending any content other than plain text.
When accessing the Messages app and selecting a contact, the app automatically checks if that contact has iMessage enabled. If so, the contact is shown to us in blue; otherwise, it appears in green.
The difference between sending messages via iMessage or SMS may seem insignificant when it's only text. However, there's a detail we can't overlook: carriers often charge a considerable surcharge for sending images via SMS, as these messages fall into the realm of MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).
How to avoid unexpected charges when sending messages
Fortunately, we have the option to prevent these charges. To do this, it's essential to disable MMS messaging on our iPhones. Doing so is as easy as following these steps:
- Open the Settings app on our iPhone.
- Go into Messages.
- Turn off the toggle switch for MMS Messaging.
Taking preventive measures like disabling MMS messaging on our iPhone allows us to avoid surprises on our bills. A small action that (as well as making sure no one reads our conversations on the Messages app with this simple setting) can make a big difference in our communication experience through the Messages app, as it ensures that whenever we want to send a photo or content to someone else, we do it via the free route.
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