--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sending a message on a mobile phone is…" description: "\"Sending a message on a mobile phone is not the most natural of ways to communicate. The keypad isn't linguistically sensible.\" — David Crystal" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/david-crystal-8647_communicate_sending-a-message-on-a-mobile-phone-is-n_133556.png" --- # Sending a message on a mobile phone is not the most… ![“Sending a message on a mobile phone is not the most natural of ways to communicate. The keypad isn't linguistically sensible.” quote by David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/david-crystal-8647_communicate_sending-a-message-on-a-mobile-phone-is-n_133556.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/david-crystal-8647_communicate_sending-a-message-on-a-mobile-phone-is-n_133556.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/660/david-crystal-8647_communicate_sending-a-message-on-a-mobile-phone-is-n_133556.png) > “Sending a message on a mobile phone is not the most natural of ways to communicate. The keypad isn't linguistically sensible.” [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mobile keypads are inefficient for natural language, hindering fluid communication. **In simple terms:** Phone keypads are awkward for talking. Key Takeaway Use voice or text interfaces. Themes communication technology language Mood frustrated reflective Type observational critical When to use this quote - every texting - voice assistants - emergency calls - language learning Key Concepts Human‑computer interaction linguistic design Questions to Reflect On - How could design improve mobile communication? - What alternatives are most natural? A Different Perspective Limited by hardware constraints and user habits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message/) [Messages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/messages/) [Mobile Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobile-phone/) [Mobile phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mobile-phones/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) [Sending a message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sending-a-message/) [Sensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensible/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [If I can make someone laugh while sending a message, that's the best lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-blue/if-i-can-make-someone-laugh-while-sending-a-message-that-s-the-best/) [Josh Blue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-blue/) > [Its not about the love, friendship or any other relationships , its about sending a message. Everything breaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paritoshik-sharma/its-not-about-the-love-friendship-or-any-other-relationships-its/) [Paritoshik Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paritoshik-sharma/) > [God doesn't allow anything to happen to us without sending a message through us. There's a reason for everything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-doesn-t-allow-anything-to-happen-to-us-without-sending-a-message/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm just sending a message to women that you can be anything you want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-torres/i-m-just-sending-a-message-to-women-that-you-can-be-anything-you-want/) [Eve Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-torres/) > [“There had been times, over the past millenium, when he'd felt like sending a message back Below saying, Look, we may as well give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/there-had-been-times-over-the-past-millenium-when-he-d-felt-like/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [When I see the move of RFID into universities, it concerns me, ... It is sending a message that not only do we not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-albrecht/when-i-see-the-move-of-rfid-into-universities-it-concerns-me-it-is/) Katherine Albrecht > [Life should be fun, and so should your clothes. It's not about sending a message. It's about feeling good about yourself and being who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-sager/life-should-be-fun-and-so-should-your-clothes-it-s-not-about-sending/) [Craig Sager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-sager/) > [You know, gynecology has a role; sex is a gift. And literature is not about sending messages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-oz/you-know-gynecology-has-a-role-sex-is-a-gift-and-literature-is-not/) [Amos Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-oz/) > [News reporting is a cycle: No matter how much you work at sending a message, it's only successful if it's received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/news-reporting-is-a-cycle-no-matter-how-much-you-work-at-sending-a/) [Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/) > [Tales of cheating on school and college tests are rife. 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We are sending rice and cereals to our dead fore-father through the Brahmins. It is a wise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/foreigners-are-sending-messages-to-the-planets-we-are-sending-rice/) [Periyar E. V. Ramasamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/periyar-e-v-ramasamy/) > [“Bob,” she said, “offerings burned in the mortal world appear on this altar, right?” Bob frowned uncomfortably, like he wasn’t ready for a pop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/bob-she-said-offerings-burned-in-the-mortal-world-appear-on-this/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by David Crystal > [I don't have any particular desire to see words making a comeback. They are of their era, after all, and that is their identity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/i-don-t-have-any-particular-desire-to-see-words-making-a-comeback/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [In effect we are, bending and breaking the rules of the language. And if someone were to ask why we do it, the answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/in-effect-we-are-bending-and-breaking-the-rules-of-the-language-and/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [There's an old little jingle: 'The chief use of slang is to show that you're one of the gang.' What that means is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/there-s-an-old-little-jingle-the-chief-use-of-slang-is-to-show-that/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [The death of a language. 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The world is a mosaic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/enshrined-in-a-language-is-the-whole-of-a-community-s-history-and-a/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [You don't usually get a compound word where the first part is a slang thing and the second part is a rather ordinary or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/you-don-t-usually-get-a-compound-word-where-the-first-part-is-a-slang/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [Swearing makes an excellent relief mechanism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/swearing-makes-an-excellent-relief-mechanism/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) > [Texting has added a new dimension to language use, but its long-term impact is negligible. It is not a disaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-crystal/texting-has-added-a-new-dimension-to-language-use-but-its-long-term/) [David Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) [Explore all 79 David Crystal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-crystal/) ## More Communicate quotes > [Verbs allow you to communicate a story in a much more converged or involuntary way for a reader. The verbs allow you to come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/verbs-allow-you-to-communicate-a-story-in-a-much-more-converged-or/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I have learned so much from my dad. 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