7. Text and Multimedia Messaging

In this chapter, you learn how to work with text and multimedia messages. Topics include the following:

• Creating text and multimedia messages

• Attaching files to multimedia messages

• Saving received multimedia attachments

• Working with text messages on your SIM card

Short Message Service (SMS), also known as text messages, have been around for a long time and are still used today as the primary form of communication for many younger phone users. Multimedia Message Service (MMS) is a newer form of text messaging that can contain pictures, audio, and video. Your Motorola Atrix is at the top of its game when it comes to SMS and MMS.

Text Messaging Application

The Text Messaging application is what you use to work with SMS and MMS. This application has all the features you need to compose, send, receive, and manage these messages. Let’s take a look at the main screen.

1. Touch Text Messaging on the Home screen. The main screen of the Text Messaging application shows a list of message threads. Touch the Menu button to reveal more choices.

2. Touch to reveal all messages in a thread.

3. This indicates an unread message in the message thread.

4. Touch to compose a new SMS or MMS.

5. Touch to change the settings for the Messaging application. See the next section for more information about settings.

6. Touch to select multiple threads and delete them.

Messaging Application Settings

You manage how your SMS and MMS messages are handled through the settings of the Messaging application. Before we actually start working with SMS and MMS, let’s take a look at the settings.

1. From the main screen, touch the Menu button and touch Messaging Settings.

2. Touch Message Limit to change the maximum number of messages per message thread. The maximum number you can select is 999.

3. Touch Manage SIM Card Messages to manage messages stored on your SIM card. This enables you to move them to your Atrix’s memory.

4. Touch Notifications to enable or disable the display of notifications in the status bar when new messages arrive.

5. Touch Select Ringtone to set the ringtone that plays when you receive new messages.

6. Touch Vibrate to enable or disable vibration when new messages are received.

7. Touch Message Signature to enable or disable a signature for your text or multimedia messages.

8. Touch Edit Signature to edit your signature if you enabled it in Step 7.

Composing Messages

When you compose a new message, you do not need to make a conscious decision whether it will be an SMS (text message) or MMS (multimedia message). As soon as you attach a file to your message, your Motorola Atrix automatically treats the message as an MMS. Here is how to compose and send messages.

1. Touch the green plus sign to compose a new message.

2. Start typing the phone number of the recipient; or, if the person is in your contacts, type the name. If the name is found, touch the mobile number.

3. Touch to start typing your message.

4. Touch to send the message.

5. This indicates how many characters you have typed and how many text messages will be used to send your message.

6. Touch Insert to attach a file to your message.

Attaching Files

If you want to send a picture, audio file, or video along with your text message, all you need to do is attach the file. Attaching a file turns your SMS message into an MMS message.

1. After you type your message but before you send your message, touch the Menu button and touch Insert.

2. Touch Take Picture to take a new picture with your Atrix’s camera and attach it to your message.

3. Touch Picture to attach a picture already stored on your Atrix.

4. Touch Audio to attach an audio file.

5. Touch Record Audio to record audio using your Atrix and attach it to your message. Think of this as a voice note.

6. Touch Video to attach a video already stored on your Atrix.

7. Touch Record Video to record a new video with your Atrix’s camera and attach it to your message.

8. Touch Slideshow to attach a picture slideshow if you have previously created one.

9. Touch Name Card to attach a name card (or vCard) of someone in your Contacts.

10. Touch Send after your file is attached to send the file to the recipient.

Receiving Messages

When you receive a new SMS or MMS, you are notified with a ringtone. A notification also displays in the status bar. You can read the message, view attachments, and even save the attachments onto your Motorola Atrix.

1. Pull down the status bar and touch the new message notification to view the message.

2. Type a response.

3. Touch to perform a Quick Connect.

4. Touch the name to open the sender’s contact card.

5. Touch a message to open it.

6. Touch and hold a message to see more actions including an option to save the attached file.

7. Touch Open Message to open the message.

8. Touch View to view the attachment (in this case, a picture).

9. Touch Save to save the attachment (in this case, a picture).

10. Touch Share to share the attachment (in this case, a picture).

11. Touch Forward Message to forward the message.

12. Touch View Message Details to see more information about the message, including the type of message (MMS or SMS), the time it was received, who it came from, and who it was sent to.

13. Touch Delete Message to delete the message.

Working with Useable Content

Your Motorola Atrix is designed to identify phone numbers, web links, and email addresses within messages you create. When it finds them, it makes them useable.

1. Touch a message in which there are blue, underlined phone numbers or web links.

2. Touch a phone number to call it. Touch and hold a phone number to see more choices such as send a text message, copy the phone number, share the number, or add it to your contacts.

3. Touch a web link to open it in the Browser app. Touch and hold the web link for more choices such as share the link and copy the link.