Comments on: “Is there any way to turn the SMS feature off?”

By: Michaelob

Michaelob — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:31:33 +0000

The feature you refer to is commonly called 'family controlled walled gardens' where you predefine a set list of numbers that are blocked from either calling or texting a mobile number. I assume if you want to prevent someone from texting, then you would also want to include voice calls.
Daft as it may seem, mobile subscribers have no way of preventing either calls or texts from friends or 'non friends'. When you turn a mobile on you will receive all the missed call alerts and the text messages on top.
There are solutions available from vendors such as www.OpenmindNetworks.com but the market is slow to adopt them for various reasons and the main one being â€“ would you pay for this service? For the mobile operator this is dangerous territory as messages that are not delivered can not be charged for or if they do, then you will have a lot of disgruntled subscribers. Sort of shooting themselves in the foot.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:27:08 +0000

Nice one Chris

2008/8/27 Disqus <>

By: Ewan

Ewan — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:17:07 +0000

Does this work?

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:15:18 +0000

try the following call barring code

Bar incoming SMS messages
Set: *35*barring code*16#[SEND]
Cancel: #35*barring code*16#[SEND]

By: Michaelob

Michaelob — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:31:33 +0000

By: smstextnews

smstextnews — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:27:08 +0000

Nice one Chris

2008/8/27 Disqus <>

By: smstextnews

smstextnews — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:17:07 +0000

Does this work?

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:15:18 +0000

try the following call barring code

Bar incoming SMS messages
Set: *35*barring code*16#[SEND]
Cancel: #35*barring code*16#[SEND]

By: Ricky Chotai

Ricky Chotai — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:56:18 +0000

Wicked hack!

By: TerenceEden

TerenceEden — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:16:49 +0000

I'm not aware of any way an operator can disable incoming texts – but there is a hack

Fill up your phone's inbox. Once it is full, the phone will not be able to receive any more messages. The sending party will not get a message receipt.

Of course, this rather depends on the phone / SIM that you have. If you set the phone to store all messages on the SIM card, it should only take 20 or so before it's full. Of course, you'll need to find someone to send you all the messages.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:27:00 +0000

Can confirm that this *is* possible and several of the UK networks will do it if requested (can’t remember which ones off the top of my head but 99% sure that Vodafone is in the list).

In terms of whether people will be able to tell that their messages are going through… that’s a better question. I’ve no idea on what percentage of normobs use delivery receipts. In any case all they’d find, if they do, is that they’d immediately receive a Failed receipt – but not the cause of that receipt.

By: squawkBOX

squawkBOX — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:40:51 +0000

I personally think that the only way to do this would be for the mobile company to disable SMS inbound / outbound on the HLR, which I very doubt they would be willing to do!

By: ollysk2

ollysk2 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:33:48 +0000

I've run across this before, with several people. Part of it here in the U.S., and I believe in Canada too, is that we pay for incoming SMS .. which is stupid since we have no say in whether we get them or not. My parents were so tired of getting dinged 15 cents for every text that I finally added on the cheapest bucket of SMS/MMS to their plan, so that their bill would remain fixed.

For those who don't get charged for incoming (as I don't think you in the UK do), it sounds like it's just more of an annoyance than anything.

-olly

By: andyhoops

andyhoops — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:25:07 +0000

I follow mobile blogs and politics blogs and don't normally tend to see much crossover!

Maybe there is a gap for a politics segment on MIR

By: Kip Hakes

Kip Hakes — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:07:34 +0000

Hmmm.. I don't thinkso. Only thing you could do is put the phone 'Offline' or in Flight mode, but then that renders the phone totally unusable as a phone!