Can’t receive texts from iPhone on flip phone after iOS 11 update.

[Sheridan Nicholas]

I use an older flip phone (Samsung Convoy), and have been able to receive texts from iPhone users as long as I have owned it. Since the recent iOS 11 updates, any text that has an apostrophe in it is either truncated immediately after point in the text where the apostrophe was with the apostrophe changed into a period; is split into multiple texts with portions missing; or doesn’t show up at all (a message arrives but with no text). This would happen before if a text contained an emoji, I am wondering if that is the problem. The new OS treats the apostrophe like an emoji, and it affects the nature of the text.

 

Hi Folks:

Please look at this article for tips on how to get texts from iPhones to Flip Phones:

https://appletoolbox.com/problems-receiving-texts-from-iphones-to-flip-phones-how-to-fix/

 

And remember to submit your user experience to Apple!

The best way to provide feedback is to use the official feedback site which is https://www.apple.com/feedback

[M R]

I have been struggling with this for a year or so. Messages from iPhones with apostrophes especially, but maybe some other characters, end up coming in with gaps in the middle or without the end of the message.

[J T]

Yes, I’ve been having the EXACT same problem. I use a samsung flip phone, and it turns out all texts from ios 11 are messed up, in the same manner you described. I hope apple can fix this soon.

[KM]

I’m experiencing this same problem. It happens with I receive text messages from an iPhone that contain apostrophes, emojis and/or possibly other characters. It definitely happens when text messages from iPhones contain text and only apstrophes (without any other special characters). Messages come through truncated and sometimes garbled.

I’m using a Samsung Intensity (SCH-U450 V) and I have this issue from every iPhone I’ve tested including: iPhone 5, iPhone 5s and iPhone 8.

This issue does NOT happen with any Android phones that I’ve tested.

Verizon support told me this was because this basic phone operates on the 1X network and the iPhones operate on 3G/4G networks. This can’t be the only reason though because I receive texts from Android phones just fine. And of course Verizon wants to sell me a new phone now.

[pG]

I’m experiencing the same thing. What can we do about this?

[DA]

Having same issue only AFTER the 11.0 update. Nothing else has changed and it is only one recipient that has informed me of it. Text cuts off after a few words and often there is no special character included in the message to them. Other times they receive just a bunch of garbage characters. Again, this didn’t happen at all until after that update. And I’ve texted back and forth with this person for a few years. Come on Apple – someone respond and tell us what’s happened. We can’t be the only people that have this problem. Please fix this as it’s extremely annoying to not be able to communicate in full sentences!

[Mike]

I think I solved the issue. In general setting > keyboard, there is a new feature in ios11 called “smart punctuation”. Not sure what it does but I turned that feature off and the person receiving my messages on an old flip phone says the text truncating/jumbling issues are gone. Hope this helps!

[Lori B]

I am having the same problem after the most recent IOS update. I can’t use apostrophes in texts to my husband’s flip phone or he won’t see them. This wasn’t happening before the most recent iPhone update.

[Dave F]

Your suggestion worked! Thank you so much, Mike!

[Ken Donger]

Even if it works I can’t tell all my contacts…associates and Co workers and everyone else to do what Mike says. Apple fix this now…..I refuse to get a smart phone and when I absolutle must it will never be an iphone

[Mike]

(Response to Mike’s message: I think I solved the issue. In general setting > keyboard, there is a new feature in ios11 called “smart punctuation”. Not sure what it does but I turned that feature off and the person receiving my messages on an old flip phone says the text truncating/jumbling issues are gone. Hope this helps!

Response: Mike, that totally worked for me too! Thanks for posting here. I am submitting a report to Apple about this. There are a lot of legitimate (i.e. non-hipster) folks that use flip phones that probably have this same issue. Scientists (like me), seniors, military personnel, and people that just prefer flip phones. This is absolutely a bug on Apple’s part, but it is a fixable one.

[Sue S]

Thank you Mike! I called Apple for help, was told no one else had contacted Apple about this problem and today this is what I find when I started searching again. I was told to contact my carrier because the problem was not on Apple’s end….

[A Behling]

I also called Apple for help, and like Sue, was told that no one else had contacted Apple about this problem. I also was told that the problem was not on Apple’s end. In fact, the Apple rep suggested that I call Samsung (I have a Samsung Gusto). I contacted Verizon, and their rep told me that they had received many complaints about this issue, and that more people use flip phones than you’d think. Apple has created a mess. I, too, am fighting to keep my flip phone.

[mike]

YES I Definitely have been having this problem as well and cannot find a solution.

[Chrissy]

I’ve been having the same problem. Texts from certain iPhone users come back garbled, or with periods where apostrophes should be. I haven’t had any problems texting back and forth with iPhone users until a few months ago. I use my phone for business and personal, and don’t want to ask individual people to change their phone settings just for me. It’s not professional. I find smartphones distracting and am fighting to keep my flip phone (a Samsung Gusto). Please fix this bug, Apple!

[Ken Donger]

C’mon apple…….fix this already!!!

[Joe]

me too! i refuse to switch to a smartphone, i am perfectly happy without one, but i now cannot receive these texts!!! i am afraid they want flip phone users to move with the times…but i wont let that happen!

[Jeremy]

I have an LGVX8300 on Verizon and I am having this problem as well. I’love get about ten words of a text and then my phone just starts chopping words out and it becomes unintelligible. I’m calling apple right now.

[AKD]

All I want for Christmas is for Apple to fix this mess…………………………..

[Naomi]

Initially thought Mike’s solution didn’t work but the test I ran was a copy-paste from before changing settings so the “smart punctuation” must have been embedded in it. Disabling “smart punctuation” is an ok solution in the meantime for family and friends but unacceptable for business communications. Apple fix this!!

[Molly McCarthy]

Good point Naomi!

[John]

This is a real problem. Many people in my family have older phones and they do not get the full message that i send. Sometimes just the first few words. It is an apple issue. Turning off smart punctuation worked for us also.

[Kyle]

Add another to the list. This is a major problem! They’re breaking text message standards here, this is completely unacceptable and avoidable.

[Benjamin]

Thanks for letting us know what is going on. I knew that emojis were bad news but had no idea about apostrophes. I am going to try to attack this problem from a different angle. Unfortunately apple doesn’t owe us flip phone users anything so our complaints fall on deaf ears. So I am going to complain as an iphone user and tell them that my parents can’t receive my texts and that they need to fix it. I encourage others to do the same.

[Molly McCarthy]

Turning off smart punctuation does work but it is impossible to contact everyone to do that. This is a huge problem. So many people still have flip phones and do not want a smart phone. Apple is getting sued for issues related to the recent update. This issue should be part of the suit. Apple is forcing people to convert!

[Lisa]

Reason #4394839284932849032: Not to get an iPhone

Unreal Apple!! Most of the world does NOT use iPhones — your guru (aka Mr. Jobs) would not approve in the least bit!!

And all this time I thought my perfectly functional Samsung Intensity was being temperamental even though it has been more reliable than most *people* in my life.

Sheesh!!

[Mary]

3 words – CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. Apple is depriving flip phone and other non apple users from receiving communications. Fix it Apple!!! Fast.

[Greg]

So glad we’re not the only ones having this issue. I tweeted to Apple Support and Tim Cook (Apple CEO). Hoping I can bug them enough to fix the issue. If not, I know some people I could call that might find this to be a pretty good media story especially since Apple’s already in hot water for slowing down older devices.

[Lisa]

My boyfriend and I have been having the same problem and we’re happy to hear that we are not alone in this. I’m starting to receive garbled messages from co-workers and my boss. It’s a joke at work that I still have a flip phone but I’m afraid that I’m missing important messages. I really don’t want the smartphone distraction but may end up being forced to go this route sadly.

[Jim]

Same annoying problem. Just started recently. I use a Samsung flip phone and will not go to an iphone. This needs to be fixed.

[Jim Thompson]

Have been dealing with this problem for months. I was able to have my wife turn off the Smart Punctuation which helped but I can’t get all of my coworkers to do the same. So presently I still can’t read any work text messages. When is Apple going to fix this problem? I don’t have any issues with non-Iphone text messages only phones that upgraded to IOS 11. I have no plans to going to a Smart phone so hoping the Apple is going to do something about the problem that they created.

[Laura]

I have the same problem. My parents have a flip phone and I have an iPhone. Until the latest upgrade had no problem. If I send a picture txt mom get it but not a plain txt. Is  apple willing to fix the problem soon?

We both have Verizon as carriers and they said it’s nothing to do with them.

[Charles]

Apple, own up and fix this! You know what you did.

It is NOT carrier specific and it is NOT phone manufacture specific. It is only when iPhone with latest os, sending to flip-phone or plain-text version device.

[sarah]

Yes, this is the exact problem I am having. I use a Samsung Intensity (go QWERTY slide out keypad) with Verizon as my carrier. People think I am rude if I say the text is incomplete or garbled. I feel rude. I think now that Apple is being rude, or at least insensitive. Or maybe, this problem is just too much for Apple… they have reached their limit of abilities, perhaps their shareholders will want to know more about that?

[Keepingmyflip]

Add me to the bunch. Most flip phones can receive smart punctuation without the garbling if you buy data. I don’t plan on spending hundreds of dollars on data with the only purpose of receiving texts.

Yes, my sister turned off smart punctuation, but like others have said, I can’t ask or expect everyone to do that.

It should be a simple solution if Apple would listen. Keep your “smart” punctuation for e-mail and other word-processing programs/apps, but have a separate software coding for texting that uses the old, plain, “un-smart” punctuation for texting. Texting is not meant to be formal. It is a quick chat, and many if not most still use acronyms for words/series of words.

For everything that can be done nowadays this should be a simple solution. The hard part is getting them to listen. Yes, we are safe with androids right now, but I expect they will want to follow suit. Let’s pray they are listening.

[Ron]

Same problem. Figured it out that it was apostrophes after analyzing messages from my daughter tonight and seeing that my LG flip phone had blank spaces in preview pane words that would normally have an apostrophe. The messages showed as rectangles when I opened them. The one message that came through completely as text did not have any apostrophes in it.

I have had text messages from other senders without any problems. And then I found this website and found the reason for the problem.

Thank you

[Wendy]

AMEN! So glad you all are writing about this. I need a solution fast. I cannot communicate with work or my college student – all iphones and all since mid September 2017! Is Apple now colluding to force us onto an iphone?

I was hoping that picking up another slide phone – maybe an LG Extrovert would help but there is no guarantee.

[Joe]

I, too am having this problem with my Samsung basic phone. I had my partner turn off the smart punctuation feature and this “fixed” the problem. Glad I at least found this website so I can tell my family and friends to turn off this dastardly feature. Here’s to staying simple.

[SKKeymaster]

Please see this article for more tips on getting texting to work from iPhones to Flip phones:

https://appletoolbox.com/problems-receiving-texts-from-iphones-to-flip-phones-how-to-fix/

[keepingmyflip]

Just sent my second request to Apple….
Please fix iPhones so that they can text punctuation to those whose phones do not have data. With the new update iOS 11, smart punctuation wreaks havoc to texts without data. Please, can your IT people fix it so texting does not use smart punctuation but the rest of the phone does…without having to toggle it back and forth? Thank you.

If we would all do this, it might get their attention.

[Jennifer Greene]

Yep, I have the samsung convoy and can’t reliably read texts from iphone users. They are either blank, truncated, or all symbols. I’ve asked my regulars to turn off the “smart punctuation” and that helps but what about the others?? Come on, Apple! Fix it!

[AS]

We technically could afford a smart phone but choose not to spend our money on an expensive device (especially when I tend to drop them/give them drinks of water frequently) or outrageous monthly charges. Does anyone know if there is anything else we can do to get our voice heard and/or if a class action lawsuit has been filed for this issue? All I can find is lawsuits for the intentional slowing down of the iphone. I’m not one for lawsuits but it does seem like they are forcing our hands to make more sales, both on devices as well as on monthly plans.

[Sol Koko]

Terrible inconvenience, and is totally and completely a move to push non smartphone users to switch. Unacceptable if you ask me. We need to make a concerted effort, possibly legally to keep our right to not be forced into such a move. Ideas?

[Katie]

I’m so glad to have found this page! I thought I was the only one dealing with this mess with my “antique” LG slider phone from 2010 (I also thought I was the only one still living in the cell phone Dark Ages). I suspected it had something to do with the apostrophes. Two of my friends’ phones worked perfectly texting with my phone until a few months ago when I suddenly stopped being able to read their texts. They both have iPhones, so I assume it’s because of the latest update. This is ridiculous, and really irritating to keep asking them to either send it as a Facebook message so I can read it (via my laptop since my phone doesn’t get internet) or to resend without apostrophes.

[Craig]

Ditto, Ditto,
I’ve had all the Apple devices for years. But when it came to the iPhone, I decided, I wanted to keep my flip phone instead. And I’ve been experiencing these same issues. Now I know the problem is not my phone.
Another demand that Apple fix this !!!

[William]

Issue started for me about 5 months ago. I even bought a new phone thinking it was my Gusto. Glad to know what the source of the problem is…though it seems like we’re no closer to Apple fixing it.

[Neville]

This is amazing!

I want all you people to realize that we are the only hope for mankind. somehow each and every one of you has resisted becoming a total robot despite significant pressure to do so.

I think that’s something you all have to think about, they could have fixed this by now, but they think if they wait us out we will give in and buy smart phones. But please resist, for humanity’s sake. we are the world’s only hope.

The zombie apocalypse is here, and I know you all know what I’m talking about. I’m not much of a conspiracy theorist but there has been an asset of attention spans throughout the world but the people posting here with their intensities and rumors and gustos have resisted and we still have at least some of our humanity left.

[Jack]

With the reported problem, I went to two Verizon Stores because Verizon is my carrier and the stores are closer by than any Apple stores. Both said that they were not aware of the problem. The 1st one simply told me that I should buy a new flip phone, but could not show me whether one of the flip phones on the shelves would indeed work. The 2nd one spent time to confirmed my problem with the iPhone in the store. They did not have any flip phones on the shelves, and did not think that a new flip phone would work anyway.

It seems that Apple did not do enough ‘regression’ tests before the new OS was released to ensure the ‘downward’ (or ‘backward’) compatibility. In my view, this compatibility is a ‘must’ as far as business ethics goes.

Any company that does not take business ethics seriously sure won’t stay in business for too long!!!

[Addison]

My fellows, we need to make more noise about this or we will be seeing the end of our flipity phones!! We must Unite!

[Allison]

How do I make noise to them about this? Any specific link I can go to to tell them?

**Allison, The best way to provide feedback is to use the official feedback site which is https://www.apple.com/feedback

[Gary]

Hello,

Does anyone know if this is a Verizon only problem? I’ve been battling this for awhile and am prepared to switch carriers if the other carriers do not have this problem. I’ve asked around and it seems to be a Verizon only problem. Any ATT or UsCellular or other carriers that have this problem?

[Mike]

…and I thought I was the LAST person in the world to not use a smartphone!

I will ask specific contacts to turn off their Smart Punctuation.
Thanks to Allison above for posting the link, I submitted a request to apple feedback.
I suggest everyone having this problem do the same – request online, call, etc… I don’t use an iPhone myself, but I’ve bought them for my kids and my wife, so my opinion matters!

[Author]

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