Troubleshoot text messages showing numbers, letters, or symbols instead of text.
This is caused by your phone using the incorrect input mode. GSM Alphabet or Automatically are the default settings on most phones. The option to use Unicode is available, depending on the phone settings, but usually not used because messages can show as number, letter and symbol combinations instead of the original format.
Switch input mode
Switching from Unicode SMS back to GSM Alphabet/Automatic will resolve any issues with SMS messages showing number, letter and symbol combinations instead of the original text.
Note: These steps are general. If supported by your specific phone model, see the User manual or Menu tree for steps to change the SMS Input mode.
- Access the device Messaging application.
- Tap Menu or Options.
- Tap Settings.
Note: You may need to tap on the SMS/MMS tab once in Settings. - Tap Input Mode.
- Tap Automatic to select it.
If the issue persists after checking the Input Mode and adjusting it to either Automatic or GSM Alphabetand the original message isn't Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Cyril and other non-latin language, contact us for further assistance.