OT: latency on SMS?

I have never received some texts sent by my daughter and others have taken several hours. I don't use it as a communications mechanism when i want something done. As you say the stuff from banks, etc. is near enough instantaneous. SMS is a poor way to communicate IMO, it was only designed to notify voice mails, etc.

The quick turn around of "authentication texts" indicates that the backbone to your tower is ok and if you're in a good signal area then chances are the sender is in a poor one. If phones can't send immediately they are meant to keep trying at intervals but, more often than not, forget all about it for hours or days.

When I was with Three (round here I was often barely in range) I specifically had it bong at me to indicate that a text had actually gone.

Thanks, that makes sense. I wonder if I can make my Android phone bong too? Can't immediately spot how to, although there is a delivery report setting.

On my old Android v2.2.odd I think I had to install a different messaging app. On my v4.1.2 it's an inbuilt option somewhere. My bong is actually BBC Sound Effect number 337A - Metallic Twang. I think that's important information ;-)

There are no guarantees as to latency (or, indeed, delivery) of SMS messages.

Some references here

Delivery report is the most reliable - then you know the other end

Seems I'm wrong. I've got HandCent installed on the newer phone too. The colour scheme blends in more (it was always obvious on the older) so I'd forgotten I'd eveb installed it.

As long as the read receipt doesn't get lost ;-)

Ah - that's the classic problem. At least if you do get it, you know the original was delivered (but not necessarily read).

If you don't get a receipt, resend until you do :)

newshound put finger to keyboard:

Have you moved from iPhones to Android/Windows? There's a known problem if you keep the same number.

If so you'll need to contact Apple and have them remove the iMessage flag from your number.

You're pissing in the wind. Joe (and Josephine) Soap *know* SMS "just works".

I shudder to think how many marriages have been ended because one partner went postal over an SMS "you never replied to".

A few years ago, when working on an emergency system, a manager suggested that as it processed the emergency details, it could send a pre-emptory SMS to the relevant engineer, so they would have an idea there was a job waiting (for when they logged in on the portal).

I said it could be done, but advised against it, as there was a danger the emergency staff would start relying on it. I was told "nonesense", they know the score.

Of course a few weeks into the system going live, the operators started logging "SMS not received" calls. I just assigned them all to the relevant manager, with a copy of his email explaining how it wouldn't happen. The feature was switched off PDQ.

Yes, the bbc often mention when talking about texts that some have just come in from the day before etc, so I imagine its all a bit of a lottery. Strangely, vodafone who i am with seem to have little problems sending me offers and adverts. One problem with this is that i have some points to convert to call credit, but having a talking phone with no screen, the numbeers to put in are a little hard to interpret. Brian