Large text messages breaking up into small ones

[mkvan1970]

I have a Galaxy S8. When I send long text messages, it displays on my phone as one text message. When I receive a long text message, it gets broken up into many smaller text messages...which is extremely annoying, especially when they’re out of order. I’ve already checked to make sure my Date and Time setting is on automatic. When I had a Galaxy S7 on a different carrier, this didn’t happen. A friend has the same phone as I do, but uses a different carrier.... the long texts I send her are received as one message. Is there a way for received texts to display on my phone as one message?

[Carol21]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Please go to, Settings > Applications > Messages > More settings > Text messages.  Auto combination > Enabled.

Please let us know the outcome. 

[mkvan1970]

Thanks for your reply. I went to Settings>Apps>Messages>More Settings....but the only options I have after “More Settings” are:

-Multimedia Messages

-Delete Old Messages

-Show Web Previews

For the heck of it, I chose Multimedia Messages, which gave me the following options:

-Group conversation

-Auto retrieve

-Roaming auto retrieve

There isn’t an option of Auto Combination. Now what?

[Carol21]

Hi there! Thanks. Is the Auto-retrieve enabled? 

[mkvan1970]

Yes it is, as well as Group conversation and Roaming auto retrieve.

[Carol21]

As a last resort, we recommend you to perform a Master reset. This will delete all personal information (pictures, text messages, etc.) and third-party apps saved on the phone. This will also erase the lock screen you have set up on the device. Please, make sure you remember the Gmail account, and the password before starting the process. Can we proceed?

[mkvan1970]

Say WHAT? Nope, there’s no way I’m willing to do a master reset and lose everything. That would be absolutely horrible.

[Carol21]

Each message can be up to 160 characters long. If the message has more than 160 characters the message will be broken up into smaller texts.

[mkvan1970]

So, even if I did a master reset, this problem wouldn’t be fixed? Is this specific to Boost Mobile? I didn’t have this extremely annoying problem when I had US Cellular. Friends of mine that have the same exact phone as I do that are on other carriers (Verizon and Xfinity, specifically) don’t have this problem, either.

[Carol21]

Oh, I see. Unfortunately, If that is the case there is nothing we do at the moment.