Database Info

[Q] Android 4.4 Hangouts SMS issue

Hi there,
My first post here, although I've hung out, anonymously, looking at the resources within the forum.
Today I received my Nexus 5. It's a lovely bit of hardware, but I've come from an HTC phone (4.1.1 Desire X) and I love the Sense UI; just so you know, I hate stock 4.4 thus my post below is in utter exasperation
I'm having an issue with trying to send an SMS. Unfortunately, I have to use Hangouts (I refused to update from Google Talk on the Desire X) and I'm finding that I can't sending a frigging SMS to a colleague at work because I have his Gmail email address as part of his contact details!!!
This is absolutely the most retarded thing in a Phone OS that I have come across, ever. Unfortunately, as an early adopter of this phone, I'm stuck without an alternative. So far as I can see, in Hangouts, I would have to type in the phone number manually whilst being logged out of my Gmail accounts in Hangouts to send an SMS, or maybe deleting the user's email address would suffice.
Am I missing some way of sending an SMS that's not completely obvious here?

My N5 arrives tomorrow, so I can't be much help with the app itself, but if it's really confusing/awful you can download an alternative SMS app from the play store and set it as your default.
Edit: I hear you on hating hangouts. I cant stand the version they have on 4.0/4.1/4.2/4.3, been sticking with talk also.

I don't have it in my hands yet to test, but I'm fairly sure once you've opened the "new hangout" window, you can tap on their name on the upper left and switch to SMS from Hangout message.

two00lbwaster said:
Hi there,
My first post here, although I've hung out, anonymously, looking at the resources within the forum.
Today I received my Nexus 5. It's a lovely bit of hardware, but I've come from an HTC phone (4.1.1 Desire X) and I love the Sense UI; just so you know, I hate stock 4.4 thus my post below is in utter exasperation
I'm having an issue with trying to send an SMS. Unfortunately, I have to use Hangouts (I refused to update from Google Talk on the Desire X) and I'm finding that I can't sending a frigging SMS to a colleague at work because I have his Gmail email address as part of his contact details!!!
This is absolutely the most retarded thing in a Phone OS that I have come across, ever. Unfortunately, as an early adopter of this phone, I'm stuck without an alternative. So far as I can see, in Hangouts, I would have to type in the phone number manually whilst being logged out of my Gmail accounts in Hangouts to send an SMS, or maybe deleting the user's email address would suffice.
Am I missing some way of sending an SMS that's not completely obvious here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This app simply uses the word "Hangouts" over "SMS" so basically new hangout means new text message unless you specify a hangout chat. If the actual hangouts for either is unavailable then a text message will be automatically sent to the number. New "SMS" is the plus button and you can immediately type the number or scroll to find your contact. Everything after seems to work just like iMessage.

koriflame said:
My N5 arrives tomorrow, so I can't be much help with the app itself, but if it's really confusing/awful you can download an alternative SMS app from the play store and set it as your default.
Edit: I hear you on hating hangouts. I cant stand the version they have on 4.0/4.1/4.2/4.3, been sticking with talk also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems to be the downside of having the device nice and early, noone else has one to confirm the issue.
Unfortunately, the other apps don't seem to work as they have to be rebuilt due to the changes that 4.4 has introduced

two00lbwaster said:
Seems to be the downside of having the device nice and early, noone else has one to confirm the issue.
Unfortunately, the other apps don't seem to work as they have to be rebuilt due to the changes that 4.4 has introduced
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure what problem you are having. I just got my N5 today and when I create a new message in Hangouts and choose a contact (one that has a gmail.com email address as well as a cell number) I have the choice between starting a chat or sending an SMS to the phone number. Do you not see this?

Vincent Law said:
I don't have it in my hands yet to test, but I'm fairly sure once you've opened the "new hangout" window, you can tap on their name on the upper left and switch to SMS from Hangout message.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll have a look to see if that works.
KinghtMare. said:
This app simply uses the word "Hangouts" over "SMS" so basically new hangout means new text message unless you specify a hangout chat. If the actual hangouts for either is unavailable then a text message will be automatically sent to the number. New "SMS" is the plus button and you can immediately type the number or scroll to find your contact. Everything after seems to work just like iMessage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had an iPhone, which I'm guessing from the name is where that messaging application comes from. I tried to send a message to a collegue, and it sent it as a hangout, not an SMS. There is no option not to send it as an hangout, any more so than there is an option to send the message as a hangout, so I can't send him text messages.

davekr said:
I'm not sure what problem you are having. I just got my N5 today and when I create a new message in Hangouts and choose a contact (one that has a gmail.com email address as well as a cell number) I have the choice between starting a chat or sending an SMS to the phone number. Do you not see this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, yes, if I type in the person's name I now see several entries for the person, one is the Hangouts account which is top and the other is for SMS.
However, if I scroll down and select the person as I was doing originally, even though it says his phone number, it defaults to hangouts and you can't change it.
I don't have particularly many people in my contacts list so I prefer to scroll and select, as it's probably quicker for me, rather than type into the search box.

you need to verify your phone number before being able to use it for sms
hit the plus button and add a contact...then select the contact's name from the top of the screen (next to the green handouts icon), and choose their phone number instead of their email address
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

n7of9 said:
you need to verify your phone number before being able to use it for sms
hit the plus button and add a contact...then select the contact's name from the top of the screen (next to the green handouts icon), and choose their phone number instead of their email address
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite aside from not wishing to verify my number with Google, I shouldn't have to. SMS should be completely devoid of this kind of requirement as it is very basic mobile phone functionality.
I have spent quite some considerable time today turning off location services and and any data sent back to Google. I've also been disabling certain Google Apps and would disable more if it would let me. I've also found that App Ops seems to have been disabled too, so I can't even control what third party apps do; which was part of the reason for getting a 4.3+ phone.
At the moment, it seems that I can send messages, and hopefully something like Contacts+ will be updated to work with 4.4 and I can then disable Hangouts.

you can disable hangouts now, you just need to install an alternative sms app if you don't like the default...try Handcent
and don't be angry when someone is trying to help you
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

It's not hangout it's u
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 12:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 AM ----------
digweed4me said:
It's not hangout it's u
If u don't know how to use hangout tell google to put out I message crap on your nexus 5
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

two00lbwaster said:
Quite aside from not wishing to verify my number with Google, I shouldn't have to. SMS should be completely devoid of this kind of requirement as it is very basic mobile phone functionality.
I have spent quite some considerable time today turning off location services and and any data sent back to Google. I've also been disabling certain Google Apps and would disable more if it would let me. I've also found that App Ops seems to have been disabled too, so I can't even control what third party apps do; which was part of the reason for getting a 4.3+ phone.
At the moment, it seems that I can send messages, and hopefully something like Contacts+ will be updated to work with 4.4 and I can then disable Hangouts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So install your own SMS app...4.4 allows you to use any SMS app as the default App, and then you can even uninstall Hangouts if you want to.
That's the beauty of a Nexus device.

n7of9 said:
you can disable hangouts now, you just need to install an alternative sms app if you don't like the default...try Handcent
and don't be angry when someone is trying to help you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I'm just angry that Google have just foisted the Hangouts app onto 4.4 users when it clearly isn't user friendly enough and makes one of my most common uses of the phone difficult.
I'll try Handcent. Contacts+/Messages+ doesn't currently seem to support 4.4 as you can't set it as the default messaging application and you can't send outgoing messages (It looks like you can send messages but they just disappear and aren't sent.)
hotleadsingerguy said:
So install your own SMS app...4.4 allows you to use any SMS app as the default App, and then you can even uninstall Hangouts if you want to.
That's the beauty of a Nexus device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue that I'm having is that not a lot of messaging applications support 4.4 yet. And as I've found with Messages+ if it doesn't support it you can have issues with messages that don't send/disappear.
You can uninstall Hangouts updates, you can't uninstall it. And if you uninstall the updates, you can't disable it.

Sliding messaging was updated to be compatible with 4.4, you can try it out
Sent from my AOSP on Flo using Tapatalk

I'm with the OP on this, I received my N5 today and it's almost impossible to start a new SMS conversation from within the app.
The app itelf is quite nice, but the SMS experience is sub-standard to say the least. I know I can go install another SMS app - but that's not the point, it's like shipping the phone/software with no dialer in it.

Scottland said:
I'm with the OP on this, I received my N5 today and it's almost impossible to start a new SMS conversation from within the app.
The app itelf is quite nice, but the SMS experience is sub-standard to say the least. I know I can go install another SMS app - but that's not the point, it's like shipping the phone/software with no dialer in it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must be a brain scientist or a rocket surgeon or something... all I had to do to create to new SMS was click the "+" then start typing my contact's name or number. If my contact has a phone number associated with it I can select that for an SMS or their email for a hangout message......

Im confused and whether i understand your question properly. Anyways in the actual recipients message you can click their name and switch from a SMS conversation to a google talk/hangouts message. Not sure if that helped or not. You can more clearly see what i am talking about in this video. http://youtu.be/0ZFc3NFqfFk

BmoreTHOR said:
I must be a brain scientist or a rocket surgeon or something... all I had to do to create to new SMS was click the "+" then start typing my contact's name or number. If my contact has a phone number associated with it I can select that for an SMS or their email for a hangout message......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must be
I've just tried to send an SMS to my mum, on her contact card she has a mobile number and email address. When I try to send a message, at the top I only have "Hangouts" as an option.
If I try another contact (who does have a G+ account), I have the option of SMS or Hangouts.

I also discovered Now SMS recently... Very nice looking simple UI that fits with recent Android conventions. Using it on my Nexus 7 3G since it didn't come with any SMS client.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Q] Hangouts and IPhone

Does anyone know how to disable SMS from going to the Hangout app on an IPhone? Since I have an Nexus 5 now and all SMS,MMS go through Hangouts. When I send a text to my wife they go to her Hangout app instead of her default messaging.. She doesnt want them to the Hangout app she wants them to go to here regular messaging app like it did on my SGSIII. We have Hangouts so we can be able to video chat when Im at work.

milleirish said:
Does anyone know how to disable SMS from going to the Hangout app on an IPhone? Since I have an Nexus 5 now and all SMS,MMS go through Hangouts. When I send a text to my wife they go to her Hangout app instead of her default messaging.. She doesnt want them to the Hangout app she wants them to go to here regular messaging app like it did on my SGSIII. We have Hangouts so we can be able to video chat when Im at work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't you just use another app for your texting? Handcent is nice. You can probably even find the ole standard Messages app easy enough.

Landara said:
Can't you just use another app for your texting? Handcent is nice. You can probably even find the ole standard Messages app easy enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I could but I wanted to get the full google experience.. I will keep looking and trying.

milleirish said:
I guess I could but I wanted to get the full google experience.. I will keep looking and trying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if there is a solution to this, I've been checking a little on google just now, but to no avail.

Landara said:
I don't know if there is a solution to this, I've been checking a little on google just now, but to no avail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its strange that this issue would even exist. if i use hangouts to message my wife, and she's using the stock android messenger, my texts don't go arrive via the hangouts app on her device. i dont know why it would be different on an iphone. i wonder if its a setting on your wife's iphone hangouts app. you check? the issue is definitely with the app/device on her end. i'll do some looking around.

xBeerdroiDx said:
its strange that this issue would even exist. if i use hangouts to message my wife, and she's using the stock android messenger, my texts don't go arrive via the hangouts app on her device. i dont know why it would be different on an iphone. i wonder if its a setting on your wife's iphone hangouts app. you check? the issue is definitely with the app/device on her end. i'll do some looking around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My best guess is that this has something to do with iMessaging. But I don't know what or how, if so.

Landara said:
My best guess is that this has something to do with iMessaging.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed. i kow nothing about apple stuff except that when my wife finally switched from apple devices, it was a total pain in the ass. her phone, even with the sim card out, would intercept her text messages. this prevented her from getting any texts on her android. had to straighten that out. what a joke.
there must be something in her system settings, imessage settings or hangouts, etc. i'd start looking there.

I fixed the problem, I need to text to her number not her email. Email is for hangouts, number is for standard texting on IPhone. Thanks for the help guys.

[Q] Have google hangouts default to contacting via SMS

I currently just use google hangout as my sms service, but I find it very annoying that every time I go to send a text I have to choose my contact and then scroll down to their phone number otherwise it will try to contact them via hangouts. A lot of times the contact doesn't have hangouts and I accidentally choose that method and realize and hour or so later when they haven't replied.
Is there anyway to have it default to contacting via SMS, otherwise I may have to install handcent or something.

superskid said:
I currently just use google hangout as my sms service, but I find it very annoying that every time I go to send a text I have to choose my contact and then scroll down to their phone number otherwise it will try to contact them via hangouts. A lot of times the contact doesn't have hangouts and I accidentally choose that method and realize and hour or so later when they haven't replied.
Is there anyway to have it default to contacting via SMS, otherwise I may have to install handcent or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There isn't a way to change the default method. I usually just press the + icon and find the persons name.
Try using This If you like Hangouts UI but that annoys you.

I will give that app a try. I installed handcent very cool, but seems really sluggish.

superskid said:
I will give that app a try. I installed handcent very cool, but seems really sluggish.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, evolve, handcent, all of them feel sluggish IMO. That other app is the closest app I can find to stock, although I prefer hangouts myself as of now
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[Q] Auto SMS to MMS?

Hey everyone. I finally escaped Verizon because the OnePlus was the reason for me to change carriers. I switched over to atnt and well yeah, it's atnt. Anyways, whenever I sent a ams, they have a 160 character limit. After that, it will split up my messages into however many parts and send them. With verizon, if the message was over 160 characters, it would automatically send it as an MMS which does not have a limit.
I use hangouts for my sms, but also tried handcent and the regular messenger and no option was available. I'll receive all messages no matter the length as a MMS, but when I send them to non atnt users, it will split them up. Any mods or anything that can fix this? I've done a little research and have seen some other phones get that feature. Not sure if this is something already being worked on or something.
Currently running CM 11 33R
Thanks in advance.

Anyone have any ideas? I'm able to send pictures or a location or well anything without a problem and it sends the MMS correctly, just won't convert multiple SMS's to a MMS. One person suggested adding a subject title to any sms and that will automatically convert it to a MMS, except that option isn't available in messaging or hangouts.

Try few different sms apps from play store and play with settings. I have nexus 5 and I can change settings in the app, I downloaded from Nexus 5 apps forum, its an old cm 4.2 app I believe

moldovanos said:
Try few different sms apps from play store and play with settings. I have nexus 5 and I can change settings in the app, I downloaded from Nexus 5 apps forum, its an old cm 4.2 app I believe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any specific apps in mind? Or any other ways around it you can think of? I prefer to use hangouts but I'm aware that I probably can't use it to fix my problem.

Textra or qksms should have it
Sent from my One A0001 using Tapatalk

zephiK said:
Textra or qksms should have it
Sent from my One A0001 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the suggestions. Tried Textra and it didn't work. It only gives an option to split long SMS messages. Tried the MMS messaging options as well and that didn't work either. Cannot find qksms in the play store though.

chaosmage123 said:
Thank you for the suggestions. Tried Textra and it didn't work. It only gives an option to split long SMS messages. Tried the MMS messaging options as well and that didn't work either. Cannot find qksms in the play store though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its in Alpha, https://plus.google.com/communities/113548623434189541823 join the community and then beta opt in and then you'll find it.
I know for sure QKSMS has it but its still in Alpha.

zephiK said:
Its in Alpha, https://plus.google.com/communities/113548623434189541823 join the community and then beta opt in and then you'll find it.
I know for sure QKSMS has it but its still in Alpha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, requested to join. Will have to check it out for sure. Thank you very much, I appreciate it. I really hope this solves the problem.

zephiK said:
Its in Alpha, https://plus.google.com/communities/113548623434189541823 join the community and then beta opt in and then you'll find it.
I know for sure QKSMS has it but its still in Alpha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So tried QKSms and it still doesn't work. It literally has the options that I was looking for, either split a sms into multiple parts or convert a sms into a mms after x amount of parts and you can choose x. I tried doing 2-4 and neither worked. Took some screen shots I'm happy to share if interested. I've tried with different people on every other carrier as well. Any other ideas? Could it be my service in general?

SMS sent via Google Voice are not logged to any SMS app

Aussie user on --> MHA-L29C636B158 here and I've currently got a case going with Huawei for an issue where SMS's sent via Google Voice are not logged to any SMS app. They send successfully but there's no trace of them in Huawei Messaging app or any SMS app.
Have confirmation from another Aus user on same firmware that they have the issue. Wondering if it's a problem on other variants? Can't seem to find the issue mentioned in any posts here on XDA.
Cheers all

hoboonthegogo said:
Aussie user on --> MHA-L29C636B158 here and I've currently got a case going with Huawei for an issue where SMS's sent via Google Voice are not logged to any SMS app. They send successfully but there's no trace of them in Huawei Messaging app or any SMS app.
Have confirmation from another Aus user on same firmware that they have the issue. Wondering if it's a problem on other variants? Can't seem to find the issue mentioned in any posts here on XDA.
Cheers all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To send SMS with GV u either have to use the Google voice app or hangouts. Which one are u using? What do u mean logged? U mean once u hit send it sends but doesn't show in the app?

aknotts415 said:
To send SMS with GV u either have to use the Google voice app or hangouts. Which one are u using? What do u mean logged? U mean once u hit send it sends but doesn't show in the app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, the latter. Using Google voice and then voice command "sms contact_name".
Once you've told Google Voice to send the SMS it has indeed been sent successfully but that particular message doesn't exist in any SMS messaging app. Go to Huawei Messaging or any other SMS app such as Android Messages you have installed and the GV sent SMS doesn't exist...

i thought i was the only one
drove me nuts so i uninstalled google now. lol

virtyx said:
i thought i was the only one
drove me nuts so i uninstalled google now. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks virtyx. Did uninstall/re-install fix the issue? What firmware r u on? I send and receive sms's from the car a fair bit with Google voice so it's a bit annoying to have no record of sent sms's done with GV. Apart from this am loving the phone Cheers

hoboonthegogo said:
Thanks virtyx. Did uninstall/re-install fix the issue? What firmware r u on? I send and receive sms's from the car a fair bit with Google voice so it's a bit annoying to have no record of sent sms's done with GV. Apart from this am loving the phone Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm on stock c636b172
I didn't reinstall don't really need it.
I just use the voice icon in my messaging app to send it, works that way.

virtyx said:
I'm on stock c636b172
I didn't reinstall don't really need it.
I just use the voice icon in my messaging app to send it, works that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep righto. Guess I shouldn't be too excited about B172 possibly fixing the issue then! (which I'm hoping to get OTA soon).
If anyone else can comment on if they've seen this issue (or do a quick sms via GV for me to test it) it'd help me hugely with my case with Huawei which is currently moving at a snails pace... Twice already I thought I'd gotten through level 1 but it seems that's where it's still at...
Cheers