diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NBSProto.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NBSProto.java
index 5202f0a27..65c6100ca 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NBSProto.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NBSProto.java
@@ -149,14 +149,12 @@ public class NBSProto {
     private static LinkedBlockingQueue<QueueElem> sQueue = new LinkedBlockingQueue<>();
 
     static class NBSProtoThread extends Thread {
-        private boolean mForceNow;
         private int[] mWaitSecs = { 0 };
         private Set<String> mCachedDests = new HashSet<>();
 
         NBSProtoThread()
         {
             super( "NBSProtoThread" );
-            mForceNow = !XWPrefs.getSMSProtoEnabled( XWApp.getContext() );
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -213,7 +211,6 @@ public class NBSProto {
         // already waiting for possible combination with other messages.
         private boolean processRetry()
         {
-            Assert.assertTrue( !mForceNow || !BuildConfig.DEBUG );
             boolean handled = false;
 
             for ( Iterator<String> iter = mCachedDests.iterator();
@@ -221,8 +218,7 @@ public class NBSProto {
                 String[] portAndPhone = iter.next().split( "\0", 2 );
                 short port = Short.valueOf(portAndPhone[0]);
                 byte[][] msgs = XwJNI
-                    .smsproto_prepOutbound( portAndPhone[1], port,
-                                            mForceNow, mWaitSecs );
+                    .smsproto_prepOutbound( portAndPhone[1], port, mWaitSecs );
                 if ( null != msgs ) {
                     sendBuffers( msgs, portAndPhone[1], port );
                     handled = true;
@@ -238,10 +234,9 @@ public class NBSProto {
 
         private boolean processSend( SendElem elem )
         {
-            boolean forceNow = mForceNow;
             byte[][] msgs = XwJNI
                 .smsproto_prepOutbound( elem.cmd, elem.gameID, elem.data,
-                                        elem.phone, elem.port, forceNow, mWaitSecs );
+                                        elem.phone, elem.port, mWaitSecs );
             if ( null != msgs ) {
                 sendBuffers( msgs, elem.phone, elem.port );
             }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java
index b6924a1f3..221149e73 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWPrefs.java
@@ -100,11 +100,6 @@ public class XWPrefs {
         return getPrefsBoolean( context, R.string.key_enable_sms_toself, false );
     }
 
-    public static boolean getSMSProtoEnabled( Context context )
-    {
-        return getPrefsBoolean( context, R.string.key_enable_smsproto, false );
-    }
-
     public static boolean getHideNewgameButtons( Context context )
     {
         return getPrefsBoolean( context, R.string.key_hide_newgames,
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java
index 0fc82946d..d09aa1976 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/jni/XwJNI.java
@@ -433,16 +433,16 @@ public class XwJNI {
 
     public static byte[][]
         smsproto_prepOutbound( SMS_CMD cmd, int gameID, byte[] buf, String phone,
-                               int port, boolean forceNow, /*out*/ int[] waitSecs )
+                               int port, /*out*/ int[] waitSecs )
     {
         return smsproto_prepOutbound( getJNI().m_ptrGlobals, cmd, gameID, buf,
-                                      phone, port, forceNow, waitSecs );
+                                      phone, port, waitSecs );
     }
 
     public static byte[][]
-        smsproto_prepOutbound( String phone, int port, boolean forceNow, int[] waitSecs )
+        smsproto_prepOutbound( String phone, int port, int[] waitSecs )
     {
-        return smsproto_prepOutbound( SMS_CMD.NONE, 0, null, phone, port, forceNow, waitSecs );
+        return smsproto_prepOutbound( SMS_CMD.NONE, 0, null, phone, port, waitSecs );
     }
     
     public static SMSProtoMsg[] smsproto_prepInbound( byte[] data,
@@ -538,8 +538,7 @@ public class XwJNI {
 
     private static native byte[][]
         smsproto_prepOutbound( long jniState, SMS_CMD cmd, int gameID, byte[] buf,
-                               String phone, int port, boolean forceNow,
-                               /*out*/int[] waitSecs );
+                               String phone, int port, /*out*/int[] waitSecs );
 
     private static native SMSProtoMsg[] smsproto_prepInbound( long jniState,
                                                               byte[] data,
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
index 7dffb4b05..86bd2158b 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
@@ -128,7 +128,6 @@
   <string name="key_enable_dup_invite">key_enable_dup_invite</string>
   <string name="key_enable_nfc_toself">key_enable_nfc_toself</string>
   <string name="key_enable_sms_toself">key_enable_sms_toself</string>
-  <string name="key_enable_smsproto">key_enable_smsproto</string>
   <string name="key_show_fcm">key_show_fcm</string>
   <string name="key_nag_intervals">key_nag_intervals</string>
   <string name="key_download_path">key_download_path</string>
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 0f8ba1621..7fee5ca1e 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -2583,9 +2583,6 @@
   <string name="enable_nfc_toself_title">Enable NFC to self</string>
   <string name="enable_nfc_toself_summary">Fake invitation to aid debugging</string>
 
-  <string name="enable_smsproto_title">Use new/experimental SMS code</string>
-  <string name="enable_smsproto_summary">(Requires that opponent be using it too)</string>
-
   <string name="enable_sms_toself_title">Short-circuit SMS to self</string>
   <string name="enable_sms_toself_summary">Skip radio when phone numbers same</string>
 
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
index ecefc9781..3440b09db 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
@@ -446,11 +446,6 @@
     <PreferenceScreen android:title="@string/pref_group_sms_title"
                       android:summary="@string/pref_group_sms_summary"
                       >
-      <CheckBoxPreference android:key="@string/key_enable_smsproto"
-                          android:title="@string/enable_smsproto_title"
-                          android:summary="@string/enable_smsproto_summary"
-                          android:defaultValue="false"
-                          />
       <CheckBoxPreference android:key="@string/key_enable_sms_toself"
                           android:title="@string/enable_sms_toself_title"
                           android:summary="@string/enable_sms_toself_summary"
diff --git a/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c b/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c
index 076de4c3c..f0f830224 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c
+++ b/xwords4/android/jni/xwjni.c
@@ -841,8 +841,7 @@ msgArrayToJMsgArray( JNIEnv* env, const SMSMsgArray* arr )
 JNIEXPORT jobjectArray JNICALL
 Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_smsproto_1prepOutbound
 ( JNIEnv* env, jclass C, jlong jniGlobalPtr, jobject jCmd, jint jGameID,
-  jbyteArray jData, jstring jToPhone, jint jPort, jboolean jForce,
-  jintArray jWaitSecsArr )
+  jbyteArray jData, jstring jToPhone, jint jPort, jintArray jWaitSecsArr )
 {
     jobjectArray result = NULL;
     JNIGlobalState* globalState = (JNIGlobalState*)jniGlobalPtr;
@@ -858,9 +857,10 @@ Java_org_eehouse_android_xw4_jni_XwJNI_smsproto_1prepOutbound
     const char* toPhone = (*env)->GetStringUTFChars( env, jToPhone, NULL );
 
     XP_U16 waitSecs;
-    SMSMsgArray* arr = smsproto_prepOutbound( globalState->smsProto, cmd, jGameID,
-                                              (const XP_U8*)data, len, 
-                                              toPhone, jPort, jForce, &waitSecs );
+    SMSMsgArray* arr = smsproto_prepOutbound( globalState->smsProto, cmd,
+                                              jGameID, (const XP_U8*)data, len,
+                                              toPhone, jPort, XP_FALSE,
+                                              &waitSecs );
     if ( !!arr ) {
         result = msgArrayToByteArrays( env, arr );
         smsproto_freeMsgArray( globalState->smsProto, arr );