Update: The SMS Preview privacy issue is now resolved as of the iPhone 3.0 software update.
In my original iPhone review, I complained about having little privacy on the iPhone when receiving incoming text messages.
When you receive an SMS message on your iPhone, a preview of the message content pops up on the screen, and you can choose to either view it or ignore it. While this “SMS Preview” feature may be very convenient, it could be troublesome if a friend or family member is playing with your cool new gadget and a message you’d rather have remained private pops up on your screen — ouch!
Well today I was browsing through the iPhone Settings menu, and I came across a “Show SMS Preview†ON/OFF button. The only problem is, the option to turn off SMS Preview is available only when you set a Passcode Lock for your iPhone via Settings >> General >> Passcode Lock.
Since I’d rather not have to deal with entering a password every time I want to use my phone, I set the Require Passcode field to “After 1 hour,†so that I’ll only have to enter it at most once an hour. Really, though, I rarely go 60 minutes without using my iPhone for something, so I’m hardly ever prompted for a Passcode.
Now when I receive a text message, the iPhone displays the name of the sender and “Text Message,” rather than an excerpt of the message content.
I’m glad to have discovered this option, but I would really like to be able to turn off SMS Previews on the iPhone without having to set a Passcode Lock. What about you?
New: Has SMS Preview gotten you into trouble? Share your awkward or embarrassing stories here.
Update: A third-party app called Caterpillar solves iPhone’s SMS privacy issue. Click to read my review of the Caterpillar app’s Privacy feature.
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i had a blackberry and i’m considering going back to my blackberry curve!!! one of the best phone i ever had. it would run for days without me charging it so many times and there is no pop up freaking notification annoying me when im browsing rather a light blinking!!!!!!
I think Diana is crying now. . . . =o( .. . . .
yeah… iblacklist…
it is great, no more sms notification!!!
in addition you can install notifier for minimum notification without any popup.
P-squared…we feel your pain!!! It is sooo frustrating!! I was hoping the new software would fix this problem…but NO!!! I was thinking about getting a new iPhone but I’m so frustrated about this one issue that I may consider buying a Blackberry instead!! Ugh!!!
I get a text message pop up when I get a new text message in the middle of something i am doing! I just want the little red icon notification and no text message pop up. This notification pop up is sooooo damn annoying that it makes you want to break the iphone! i just want an option to turn that pop up screen to be off! is that too much to ask? a simple red icon with a number indicating text messages received in the text message app would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!!!
Rita,
I just downloaded the new software and I found the option under settings, then messages.
Jess
Hi Rochelle,
I just got the iPHONE 3GS. I am very new to iPhone.
I have software version 3.0 and I can’t see the slide to turn off SMS Preview. There is no option to do this so I am unable to disable it. Any words of wisdom?
-Rita
All u have to do is download realSMStext and iBlacklist off of cydia and u can hide just about anything
people are complaining that they cant put it on without putting passlock on , well simple solution , keep a pass lock on , its always handy to have it on coz …
1. if you mate robs your phone trying to read texts he cant
2.say you loose your phone (touch wood you dont ) but then someone cant get into it and rack up you call bills
3.if none of the above is going to happen and u still want the feature of no text preview then just set the pass lock as 1111 then its much easyier and you get what you want
this trick works only if your iphone is not active, if you or anyone plays with it an sms will show up as usual – the whole text word by word…
Brilliant mate! thanx a lot!!!!!!!!!!!
there is an APP lockdown in Cydia but to get this APP you have to jailbrake your iPhone first, than install cydia and than in cydia find lockdown. with this APP u can set passcode on every APP you want (sms, email, phonebook, etc.)
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!
I’m not too fussed about the preview but I would prefer if I could put a passcode on my inbox, I don’t have anything to hide but I don’t like it that any one can read all my messages from my partner or who ever. Is there no way of just having a four digit lock on the SMS function?
Just got an iphone, so annoying having name of who text message is from. And no time date on some txts, and the ablity to not delete some txts from the conversation! The other annoying this is it doesn’t tell you how many characters in the txt, so hard to tell if you’re going over 2 txts. Also, can txts be forwarded?? Previously had a smartphone, it had much smarter txting functions. I’m glad that there’s software on this ph, cos hopefully these things wil be fixed without having to buy a whole new handset????
Hey everyone there is a 3rd party app(means you gotta jailbreak) that lets you block it. Its called iBlacklist. When you install it, it will say its unregistered but it will still work. You can turn the notification off and then it works just like email. Whenever you get a text, just a number goes up by SMS instead of a notification showing the entire message. Hope this helps!
Diana and unknown (also probably diana):
No one here has to justify their reasons to you. You are the one who needs to get a life.
But to show you that it isn’t about cheating as you claim, I had to call my boyfriend to tell him not to message me anything racey because I had little cousins playing crash bandicoot on my iPhone at a family reunion. I spent the whole night paranoid.
So calm the f@@k down, you make us women look crazy.
Thanks just what I was looking for, private once again.
Thanks so much! i really needed this and i didnt know what to search up but as soon as i typed iphone sms privacy it came right up. thanks again!
This problem is so true. Apple need to revisit the text app and re-do it. Make it simple – too marly of an app.
I have the same regression complaint with regard to the latest software that doesn’t just say ‘New Text Message.’ Irritating…any update?
Thanks – perfect advice
I agree! I have sent a complaint about this, but you are right, it seems that updates should be exactly that. This version seems as if it backpeddled a bit with some functions! I am sure that we will have a new version coming soon that will hopefully address this issue. Is there a certain time span or criteria that these new versions are released? Or is it just until they are tired of hearing everyones complaints?
Just updated my Iphone software to the latest version 2.2 and although with the SMS preview in the “Off” setting, the name of the SMS sender now shows up without showing the SMS message.
In the last software version, when SMS preview was in the “Off” setting, and the phone locked, the message flashed up was “New Text Message” – which is preferable….Weird how Apple forgot what the previous software version was doing !!
I have just recently updated my 3G and before this update when I recieved SMS, the bubble stated NEW TEXT MESSAGE, and only that. Now after the update, it states the above and the sender. Does anyone know how I can not have the sender’s name pop up and simply state NEW TEST MESSAGE?
THANKS!!!
I had my iPhone set up so SMS preview was off and you also could not see who the person that sent the text was. It simply read “Text Message”. Ever since the new update (2.2) I can turn SMS preview off but the name of the sender shows up! Can anyone help me out?
It’s irrelevant what someone’s reason is to not want the SMS preview to pop up, and all of us apparently have the need, as we’re all on this page. Anyway, if anyone figures out a way to eliminate the preview on a 3G altogether, (the pass-code lock option is lame) without jailbreak, please share the secret.
Thanks
I don’t like this major bug which apple seem to be nothing about. Why was this issue overseen prior to the release? Or is this a feature to cater for the look at me generation who have decided that privacy issues is trivial and not important (facebook et al) its not that i’m hiding things its just i am a very private person and i don’t think its necessary to have my msg on show for the whole world to read. It’s a very important bug that needs to be fixed ASAP along with some of the other annoying discrepancies. I am starting to think that this ipod with a phone feature is a complete waste of time. Again another mac product that follows their mantra of “Form over Function” and the sad thing is i am now stuck with this phone due to being on a plan.
Hi,
Ii have the older version of the IPhone and I do not have the Installer icon on my phone, so I can’t go and fix my SMS issue. Attached is the link to the IClarified and the instructions on how to make your phone more private in terms of receiving SMSs in case you have the Installer.
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=636
K
I often show videos on my iphone to clients and business associates etc. (I work in video production and the iphone is a handy tool to have – it IS my calling card). However, in the middle of a video I have had some pretty racy and sappy msgs from girlfriends pop up or stupid stuff from some of my punk friends! MAN, talk about embarrassing!! Luckily nothing too graphic thus far but I can’t be taking any chances. SMS preview is OFF on my phone
hey guys, I have the FULL solution…. email me at matematkovic@gmail.com
All the best,
Dear,
Can you help me send your iphone application to me for turn off “SMS” function, many thanks !
In Japan all the Cellphones have the ability to create SECRET folders, then you can make a “rule” for the setting to take certain addresses and attach them to the folder. So if you get a message from a person on the list, the message goes right to the secret folder and no preview or alert is given to you about the message. The little envelope icon will be shown but no alerts. When my Salaryman students got the new iphone they were completely shocked and awed that this expensive phone had nothing like this. Now their wives(settle down Diane) will know about their girlfriends. hahahaha. Personally I love having my I-touch. All the features and my battery will outlast yours because I’m never searching for networks….
Cant believe that are that many that want to NOT show sms as much as i do.
It has nothing to do with hiding anything.
Its my damn device, i want to not have by conversations in public.
I used to have a nokia phone and sms msgs could be placed into a sub folder. That was a nice touch. Really miss that feature on the iphone !
yeah, I’m a designer and I interviewed a photographer. My GF tested me “so was the guy any good?” my husband had a FIT! Took 20 min to explain- ended up showing him whole conversation between my GF and I ugh!
Kimmy>>> thanks, works for me perfectly. Only with PYSL. Free, easy.
Mmm, I don’t like the fact that any Tom Dick or Harry can see a preview of my texts, it’s not right. It’s like having the Royal Mail insist that all letters and parcels come in clear polly bags. I think we all have the right to huff and puff about this flaw in the iphone software. I wonder if it’s a breach of my Human rights. Mmmm
Or how about texting your spouse about birthday/holiday gift ideas and your child sees it?
unknown2u!!! You’re such a moron or narrow-minded. It’s not only about cheating. use your imagination. I don’t have to cheat on anybody. Simple situation: my kid reading a message from my wife (his mother) that tells how eager she is to do a blowjob tonight. Same thing in the office. I suppose my boss knows very well my wife does a blowjob but he doesnt have to read that. PERIOD. My wife signs up to this post…
You are bunch of shite faces. Most people here have a ligitimate large number of reasons why they need to hide the auto sms preview!!!! You make me mad!! Thinking of hiding them from my wife – that thought didnt even enter my head. It so happens that my wife may send me private texts on her lunch break and I dont want my work colleages at the desk beside me seeing that!!!!
And thats only one such reason.
s/I have/I DONT have/
I have a girlfriend/wife at the moment. I need my txt’s private. I am a data analyst for a medicare company and federal HIPPA laws require any sensitive info be pw protected…simple as that. I cant have someone msg me a members name and have it show (not likely to happen, but could). This “feature” definately is bad. Does the psyl fix work on v2.1 too?
Why does it matter what peoples reasons are? It is your business. I work in a industry that is VERY cut throat and can not afford to lose any info that was meant for my eyes only
diana – i think you are a paranoid madwoman.
who said they were hiding their texts from their wives/girlfriends? nobody. you just assumed that is what people meant.
what if i am receiving sensitive information about my wife’s pregnancy – and nobody knows about it yet – and i am showing a friend a youtube video on my iphone?
i don’t necessarily want him to see “It’s a boy!” before he even knows she is pregnant.
there are a million other innocent reasons why this would bother people.
your idea that it is simply based on trust issues with a wife or girlfriend are truly delusional and scary. i am willing to bet you have been cheated on before, and now you relate everything in the world to that experience.
sad.
Here is my solution, only works with jailbroken iPhones though (my phone is 1.1.4 firmware). Go into installer, install a program called “Pyslâ€,then install another program called “taskbar notifierâ€, now reboot your phone. A new icon for the Psyl program should appear, run the program, set “pysl enable†to on, then go into settings, where it says “sms pop upâ€, press it to on, now press the home button, reboot the phone once more, now hopefully when u get an sms you’ll get tone/vibrate, a number will appear above the text icon, and a small bubble will appear in the status bar, no pop up should appear. works for me. Good Luck. Kim.
I suggest people use the feedback form at Apple -
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
Flood them with complaints, they’ll fix it. Other than that and multimedia messaging it is a brilliant device.
And if the dopes have no clue of what privacy is yet, then you need to think before you open your mouth and make a fool out of yourself.
Please somebody find a fix for this!!! My son saw a preview text message from a friend that was NOT appropriate!! I just got this phone and I really like it but this should be an easy fix!!!!
Diana, just because we want there to be more of a privacy issue does not mean that we are cheating on our spouses, etc… This is a feature that has been blatantly overlooked by Apple and needs to be fixed, asap. Personally, I do not want co-workers (or anyone else for that matter) knowing what I do in my private life. In particular, I have a friend who loves to tell me about his crazy weekends- do I want anyone to see this? NO!!! Good for you for being honest and what not, but that doesn’t mean you need to slam everyone.
It’s all been said already.
However, to clarify for some of the idiots that think that people feel that we’re complaining about rights being violated … it’s simply a matter of I want to be able to show my mom stuff on my phone and not have one of my brothers-in-law text me something my mom might not appreciate.
All I want is to hear a simple tone (selectable by myself) to let me know that I have a text message. There is already a number that shows up on the SMS icon letting me know how many texts I have that haven’t been read.
I can’t imagine that this is such a difficult feature. I also can’t imagine that there are many people out there that would have requested to have a preview of text messages if it didn’t already exist.
I’m not even going to question why we still don’t have Multimedia Messaging yet.
this feature will get you sucker punched like Bill… I’m glad you can turn that preview off because it is dangerous. You’ve got to set a lock and turn preview off.
If the wife asks tell her you have to lock it in case you lose your phone or someone at work picks it up..