A PXT message is multimedia or picture messaging - also known as MMS. Instead of a few words, you can send pictures, animations, sounds, videos and loads of text, from your mobile.

MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service.

Prices for PXTs vary according to your plan - check your rates in My One NZ .

Sending PXTs

Creating and sending a picture message on your mobile (aka PXT or MMS) differs with each mobile, but for most it's under messaging alongside TXT (SMS).

Please note there is a charge for sending picture messages, this is shown in the plan pricing details of your plan in My One NZ (your PXT rates are listed under Plan & Add-Ons > Rates). Any charges for picture messages will appear on your bill or in My One NZ as a separate line item under the heading of PXT.

For most mobiles - we have some really useful Device Guides where you'll find step-by-step processes for creating, sending and viewing picture messages.

Sending emojis

If you use emojis in a message, this might be treated as a PXT depending on how long your message is and where you get the emoji from.

Each emoji is worth 2 characters, so if you send a message of 100 characters with an emoji on the end, this will be sent as a TXT and your normal TXT rate will apply. However if you send a message with 159 characters with an emoji on the end, this will be 161 characters in total, and will be sent as a PXT.

If you use the in-built emoji feature on your device, messages with an emoji that are:

• 160 characters or under are sent as a TXT
• Over 160 characters are sent as a PXT

Third party app features

If you use a downloadable app feature to send an emoji in a message, then this will always be sent as a PXT no matter how long or short the message is, and your usual PXT rate will apply.

iMessage

If you have an Apple iPhone, you can turn on iMessage on your iPhone to send messages containing emojis to other iPhones. These messages go via Apple's network so they are not chargeable as a TXT or PXT, and will instead use your data allowance.

There are also other apps for all types of phones that you can use to send emojis or pictures that will use your data allowance rather than being sent and charged as a PXT message.

Switching off PXTs

You can switch off the ability to send a PXT or MMS message on your mobile. If you switch off this functionality and try to send a PXT, you will receive a notification that the message is undeliverable and no charges will apply.