diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml
index e4eb7b5be..9e6da5d40 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@
 	<string name="button_save">Save</string>  
 	<string name="button_discard">Discard</string>  
 	<string name="button_retry">Retry</string>  
+	<string name="button_text">Text</string>  
+	<string name="button_html">Html</string>  
 
     <string name="player_label">Name:</string>
 
@@ -558,13 +560,19 @@
       that many people.)</string>
 
     <string name="invite_subject">Let\'s play Crosswords</string>
-    <string name="invite_bodyf">\u003ca href=\"%1$s\"\u003ETap here to
+    <string name="invite_htmf">\u003ca href=\"%1$s\"\u003ETap here to
       accept\u003c/a\u003E my invitation and join this
       game.\u003cbr\u003E \u003ca
       href=\"http://eehouse.org/market.php\"\u003E
       Tap here to install Crosswords\u003c/a\u003E if you haven\'t
       already.</string>
+    <string name="invite_txtf">Accept my invitation and join this
+      game: %1$s . (But install Crosswords first:
+      http://eehouse.org/market.php ).</string>
 
+    <string name="text_or_html">Send invitation using plain text or
+      html?  Text links are harder to open but can be sent via SMS.
+      Most devices let you send html only via email.</string>
     <string name="invite_chooser">Send invitation via</string>
 
     <string name="no_download_warning">Unable to download. Do you have
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DlgDelegate.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DlgDelegate.java
index cbfa5a838..f2941a345 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DlgDelegate.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/DlgDelegate.java
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ public class DlgDelegate {
     public static final int DIALOG_OKONLY = 2;
     public static final int DIALOG_NOTAGAIN = 3;
     public static final int CONFIRM_THEN = 4;
+    public static final int TEXT_OR_HTML_THEN = 5;
     public static final int DIALOG_LAST = CONFIRM_THEN;
 
     private int m_msgID;
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ public class DlgDelegate {
     private String m_dictName = null;
     DialogInterface.OnClickListener m_then;
 
+    public interface TextOrHtmlClicked {
+        public void clicked( boolean choseText );
+    };
+    private TextOrHtmlClicked m_txt_or_html;
+
     public DlgDelegate( Activity activity ) {
         m_activity = activity;
     }
@@ -69,6 +75,9 @@ public class DlgDelegate {
         case CONFIRM_THEN:
             dialog = createConfirmThenDialog();
             break;
+        case TEXT_OR_HTML_THEN:
+            dialog = createHtmlThenDialog();
+            break;
         }
         return dialog;
     }
@@ -87,6 +96,8 @@ public class DlgDelegate {
     public void onPrepareDialog( int id, Dialog dialog )
     {
         AlertDialog ad = (AlertDialog)dialog;
+        DialogInterface.OnClickListener lstnr;
+
         switch( id ) {
         case DIALOG_ABOUT:
             break;
@@ -105,6 +116,22 @@ public class DlgDelegate {
             ad.setButton( AlertDialog.BUTTON_POSITIVE, 
                           m_activity.getString( R.string.button_ok ), m_then );
             break;
+        case TEXT_OR_HTML_THEN:
+            lstnr = new DialogInterface.OnClickListener() {
+                    public void onClick( DialogInterface dlg, int button ) {
+                        if ( null != m_txt_or_html ) {
+                            m_txt_or_html.
+                                clicked( button == AlertDialog.BUTTON_POSITIVE );
+                        }
+                    }
+                };
+            ad.setButton( AlertDialog.BUTTON_POSITIVE, 
+                          m_activity.getString( R.string.button_text ),
+                          lstnr );
+            ad.setButton( AlertDialog.BUTTON_NEGATIVE, 
+                          m_activity.getString( R.string.button_html ),
+                          lstnr );
+            break;
         }
     }
 
@@ -142,6 +169,12 @@ public class DlgDelegate {
         m_activity.showDialog( CONFIRM_THEN );
     }
 
+    public void showTextOrHtmlThen( TextOrHtmlClicked txtOrHtml )
+    {
+        m_txt_or_html = txtOrHtml;
+        m_activity.showDialog( TEXT_OR_HTML_THEN );
+    }
+
     public void doSyncMenuitem()
     {
         if ( null == DBUtils.getRelayIDs( m_activity, false ) ) {
@@ -239,4 +272,15 @@ public class DlgDelegate {
             .create();
         return dialog;
     }
+
+    private Dialog createHtmlThenDialog()
+    {
+        return new AlertDialog.Builder( m_activity )
+            .setTitle( R.string.query_title )
+            .setMessage( R.string.text_or_html )
+            .setPositiveButton( R.string.button_text, null ) // will change
+            .setNegativeButton( R.string.button_html, null )
+            .create();
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
index 119558949..c2529927b 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/GameUtils.java
@@ -404,7 +404,9 @@ public class GameUtils {
                                info.nPlayers );
     }
 
-    public static void launchInviteActivity( Context context, String room, 
+    public static void launchInviteActivity( Context context, 
+                                             boolean choseText,
+                                             String room, 
                                              int lang, int nPlayers )
     {
         Random random = new Random();
@@ -413,19 +415,36 @@ public class GameUtils {
 
         if ( null != gameUri ) {
             Intent intent = new Intent( Intent.ACTION_SEND );
-            intent.setType("text/html");
+            intent.setType( choseText? "text/plain" : "text/html");
             intent.putExtra( Intent.EXTRA_SUBJECT, 
                              context.getString( R.string.invite_subject ) );
 
-            String format = context.getString( R.string.invite_bodyf );
+            int fmtId = choseText? R.string.invite_txtf : R.string.invite_htmf;
+            String format = context.getString( fmtId );
             String message = String.format( format, gameUri.toString() );
-            intent.putExtra( Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, Html.fromHtml(message) );
+            intent.putExtra( Intent.EXTRA_TEXT, 
+                             choseText ? message : Html.fromHtml(message) );
 
             String chooserMsg = context.getString( R.string.invite_chooser );
             context.startActivity( Intent.createChooser( intent, chooserMsg ) );
         }
     }
 
+    public static void launchInviteActivity( final XWActivity activity, 
+                                             final String room, 
+                                             final int lang, 
+                                             final int nPlayers )
+    {
+        DlgDelegate.TextOrHtmlClicked cb = 
+            new DlgDelegate.TextOrHtmlClicked() {
+                public void clicked( boolean choseText ) {
+                    launchInviteActivity( activity, choseText, room,
+                                          lang, nPlayers );
+                }
+            };
+        activity.showTextOrHtmlThen( cb );
+    }
+
     public static boolean gameDictsHere( Context context, long rowid )
     {
         return gameDictsHere( context, rowid, null, null );
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NewGameActivity.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NewGameActivity.java
index 72b254b97..57feb8188 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NewGameActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/NewGameActivity.java
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ public class NewGameActivity extends XWActivity {
 
     private void makeNewGame( boolean networked, boolean launch )
     {
+        boolean finished = true;
         String room = null;
         long rowid;
         int[] lang = {0};
@@ -102,15 +103,32 @@ public class NewGameActivity extends XWActivity {
         }
 
         if ( launch ) {
-            GameUtils.launchGame( this, rowid, networked );
             if ( networked ) {
-                GameUtils.launchInviteActivity( this, room, lang[0], nPlayers );
+                finished = false;
+                final String froom = room;
+                final long frowid = rowid;
+                final int flang = lang[0];
+                showTextOrHtmlThen( new DlgDelegate.TextOrHtmlClicked() {
+                        public void clicked( boolean choseText ) {
+                            GameUtils.launchGame( NewGameActivity.this,
+                                                  frowid, true );
+                            GameUtils.
+                                launchInviteActivity( NewGameActivity.this, 
+                                                      choseText, froom, flang,
+                                                      nPlayers );
+                            finish();
+                        }
+                    } );
+            } else {
+                GameUtils.launchGame( this, rowid, false );
             }
         } else {
             GameUtils.doConfig( this, rowid, GameConfig.class );
         }
 
-        finish();
+        if ( finished ) {
+            finish();
+        }
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWActivity.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWActivity.java
index d093924b6..7bb01a339 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWActivity.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWActivity.java
@@ -127,6 +127,11 @@ public class XWActivity extends Activity {
         m_delegate.showConfirmThen( getString(msgID), action );
     }
 
+    public void showTextOrHtmlThen( DlgDelegate.TextOrHtmlClicked txtOrHtml )
+    {
+        m_delegate.showTextOrHtmlThen( txtOrHtml );
+    }
+
     protected void doSyncMenuitem()
     {
         m_delegate.doSyncMenuitem();