A method for causing a short message service (SMS), enhanced SMS (EMS), or multimedia SMS (MMS) message, to be displayed on user media equipment , the method comprising: receiving the message at the user media equipment , wherein the message includes: control information that includes: (i) information relating to the sender of the message, (ii) a recipient of the message, (iii) a time and date when the message was sent, (iv) information identifying a first triggering event for causing the message to be displayed, and (v) decoding information for reconstituting the message; a data flag that indicates that the control information should not be displayed by the user media equipment; and content to be displayed by the user media equipment ; storing the message until occurrence of the triggering event; detecting the occurrence of the triggering event; and in response to detecting the occurrence of the triggering event, causing the message to be displayed on at least a portion of a display ; wherein: the triggering event includes an action taken by the recipient of the message on the user media equipment , the action comprising one or more of: a user action selecting a specified program to be displayed on the user media equipment ; a user action setting a reminder on the user media equipment ; a user action starting the user media equipment ; a user action starting an application on the user media equipment ; a user action providing user-identifying information to the user media equipment . receiving the message at the user media equipment , wherein the message includes: control information that includes: (i) information relating to the sender of the message, (ii) a recipient of the message, (iii) a time and date when the message was sent, (iv) information identifying a first triggering event for causing the message to be displayed, and (v) decoding information for reconstituting the message; a data flag that indicates that the control information should not be displayed by the user media equipment; and content to be displayed by the user media equipment ; control information that includes: (i) information relating to the sender of the message, (ii) a recipient of the message, (iii) a time and date when the message was sent, (iv) information identifying a first triggering event for causing the message to be displayed, and (v) decoding information for reconstituting the message; a data flag that indicates that the control information should not be displayed by the user media equipment; and content to be displayed by the user media equipment ; storing the message until occurrence of the triggering event; detecting the occurrence of the triggering event; and in response to detecting the occurrence of the triggering event, causing the message to be displayed on at least a portion of a display ; wherein: the triggering event includes an action taken by the recipient of the message on the user media equipment , the action comprising one or more of: a user action selecting a specified program to be displayed on the user media equipment ; a user action setting a reminder on the user media equipment ; a user action starting the user media equipment ; a user action starting an application on the user media equipment ; a user action providing user-identifying information to the user media equipment . a user action selecting a specified program to be displayed on the user media equipment ; a user action setting a reminder on the user media equipment ; a user action starting the user media equipment ; a user action starting an application on the user media equipment ; a user action providing user-identifying information to the user media equipment . <EOS>