Workaround for iMessage cutting off links from e-mail to text messages (but requesting a fix)

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Workaround for iMessage cutting off links from e-mail to text messages (but requesting a fix)

When you click to share a link in Chrome or Safari, it works perfectly. When you text a link to an iPhone, more often than not it cuts off the link (only X # of characters get the hyperlink treatment, with the trailing characters being left off (thereby breaking the link).

I've found that if you make the link the subject (e-mail to text) instead of including it in the body - it works as you would expect.

I read somewhere that this is due to the text encoding used, but come on - if the link begins with an http or an https - then consider EVERYTHING THAT FOLLOWS to be part of the link, until it hits a space. What year is this again?

Posted on Feb 17, 2022 10:03 AM

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Answer 1

DubguyCali Author

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Feb 17, 2022 10:58 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

When I want to text someone a link I've found browsing on my PC, I e-mail it to my iPhone SE (via the 555-555-1212@mms.att.net e-mail to text address), and then forward/share it with the intended recipient(s), but if the link is in the message body it almost always cuts off the link. It doesn't appear to be a character limit issue, I've seen short ones get cutoff as well. Something to do with certain characters and encoding method as I understand it.

If the link is the subject line then iMessage recognizes it correctly - which I now know, and as such it's not really a big issue for me. Just thought it might help others with the same frustration. :)

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Answer 2

ChrisJ4203

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Feb 17, 2022 11:05 AM in response to DubguyCali

Okay, so let me be sure I'm right. You are on your computer (PC), you see a website and wish to share the link. You copy the website URL, then email it to your iPhone using your iPhone's text message email. Then you are sending the text from your phone to someone else. That is not an iMessage if you are forwarding what you received as a text to your iPhone, it is a text message. When you look at this text message when you receive it on the phone, is the link still complete or has it already been truncated?

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Answer 3

ChrisJ4203

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236,285 points

Feb 17, 2022 6:24 PM in response to DubguyCali

So it would seem that sending it via email is creating that truncating. Sounds like that is something between pasting it into the email and sending it via that email link. I wouldn't know why, unless the link is that long that it violates using that email linking. However, I see that you determined a workaround, by using the Subject area.

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Answer 4

DubguyCali Author

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Feb 17, 2022 11:24 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Ah - sorry for the confusion - I take it iMessage is only messages between 2 iPhones? Substitute built-in Message app for iMessage in my posts above (my bad!)

And yes it is already truncated when I get it on the phone, and copying the entire link and pasting into another message doesn't correct it, it copies it over in the same truncated format. You can of course paste the entire link into a browser and get it to work, but unfortunately that is beyond my mom's technical ability... :D

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Answer 5

Feb 17, 2022 10:16 AM in response to DubguyCali

It's not clear if you're talking about sharing a link through email or through the Messages app. It's also not clear what device you're doing the sharing from.

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Answer 6

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,285 points

Feb 17, 2022 10:32 AM in response to DubguyCali

In addition to what Irdris says, are you referring to an iMessage or a regular SMS with non-iOS devices?

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Workaround for iMessage cutting off links from e-mail to text messages (but requesting a fix)

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