Why does my character counter suddenly show fewer characters left?

If Use simple characters is turned off and you type an accented letter or special symbol, the message switches to a wider text encoding. That reduces the characters available per segment, so the counter drops faster than usual.

Can I set this differently for each SIM card?

Yes, if your OnePlus supports Dual SIM. The path Open the Messages app ➔ Open the menu ➔ Open the Settings ➔ Choose a SIM card (Dual SIM) lets you pick the SIM before enabling or disabling Use simple characters for that line.

Will turning this on change how my messages look to the recipient?

Yes, replaced characters appear as their simple equivalent on the recipient's device too, since the conversion happens before the message is sent, not after it arrives.

OnePlus

OnePlus: Enable or Disable Simple Characters in SMS

Sending a text with accented letters, emoji, or other special symbols on your OnePlus can suddenly split it into two or three messages instead of fitting the usual 160 characters. This happens because the Messages app quietly swaps non-standard characters for simple ones to protect the SMS limit, which can either save you a segment or strip characters you actually wanted to send.

Updated: 05.08.20264 min5 steps

VersionAndroid 10 · Oxygenos 10

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OnePlus

Enable or Disable Simple Characters in Messages auf OnePlus

The Use simple characters option in the OnePlus Messages app controls how special symbols are handled before a text message is sent. When it is turned on, accented letters, certain punctuation, and some emoji get replaced with a plain equivalent so the message stays within the standard 160-character SMS limit.

When it is turned off, those special characters are kept as typed. That can look better, but many special characters use a wider text encoding, which lowers the character limit per SMS segment and can split one message into two or more parts, sometimes at extra cost depending on your carrier plan.

You manage this per SIM card if your OnePlus supports Dual SIM. Open Open the Messages app ➔ Open the menu ➔ Open the Settings ➔ Choose a SIM card (Dual SIM) ➔ Enable or disable Use simple characters.

Turn the setting on if you send a lot of SMS abroad or on a limited plan and want to avoid extra segments. Leave it off if you need exact spelling with accents or symbols and are not concerned about message splitting. The setting only affects SMS text handling, not MMS attachments or chat apps outside Messages.

Frequently asked questions

It only applies to standard SMS sent through the Messages app. Chats using an internet-based messaging service on your OnePlus are not affected, since those do not rely on the 160-character SMS encoding.

Compatible devices

Tap your device — opens its hub with matching guides.

Android 10 · Oxygenos 10

OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren OnePlus 8 OnePlus 8 Pro OnePlus N10 OnePlus Nord OnePlus Nord N100

Network & Connectivity

OnePlus: Enable or Disable Simple Characters in SMS

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