diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
index 72aa19275..d824161e9 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/values/common_rsrc.xml
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
   <string name="key_dict_host">key_dict_host3</string>
   <string name="key_logging_on">key_logging_on</string>
   <string name="key_show_sms">key_show_sms</string>
+  <string name="key_send_data_sms">key_send_data_sms</string>
   <string name="key_init_hintsallowed">key_init_hintsallowed</string>
   <string name="key_init_nethintsallowed">key_init_nethintsallowed</string>
   <string name="key_init_autojuggle">key_init_autojuggle</string>
@@ -137,6 +138,8 @@
   <string name="debug_features">Enable debug features</string>
   <string name="debug_features_summary">Menuitems etc. (release builds
   only)</string>
+  <string name="title_send_data_sms">Send SMS as data</string>
+  <string name="summary_send_data_sms">(fails on CDMA phones)</string>
 
   <string name="git_rev_title">Source version id</string>
   <string name="relay_port">Relay game port</string>
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
index e6ad3a3e9..2b8a061d5 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/res/xml/xwprefs.xml
@@ -328,6 +328,11 @@
 			            android:title="Show SMS sends, receives"
 			            android:defaultValue="false"
 			            />
+    <CheckBoxPreference android:key="@string/key_send_data_sms"
+			            android:title="@string/title_send_data_sms"
+                        android:summary="@string/summary_send_data_sms"
+			            android:defaultValue="false"
+			            />
     <org.eehouse.android.xw4.XWEditTextPreference 
 	   android:key="@string/key_relay_host"
 	   android:title="@string/relay_host"
diff --git a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
index 55be5587b..ee45f996f 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/XWords4/src/org/eehouse/android/xw4/SMSService.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
 
     private static final String INSTALL_URL = "http://eehouse.org/_/a.py/a ";
     private static final int MAX_SMS_LEN = 140; // ??? differs by network
-    private static final boolean s_asData = true;
+    // private static final boolean s_asData = true;
 
     private static final String MSG_SENT = "MSG_SENT";
     private static final String MSG_DELIVERED = "MSG_DELIVERED";
@@ -407,7 +407,9 @@ public class SMSService extends XWService {
 
         byte[] data = bas.toByteArray();
         boolean result;
-        if ( s_asData ) {
+        boolean asData = 
+            XWPrefs.getPrefsBoolean( this, R.string.key_send_data_sms, false );
+        if ( asData ) {
             byte[][] msgs = breakAndEncode( data );
             result = sendBuffers( msgs, phone );
         } else {