Wireless mobile device with automatic segregation of received messages for private and public access

A tangible signal-bearing media readable by a wireless mobile device for transmitting and receiving text-based messages, the media comprising:

• means in the media for storing received messages in memory of the wireless mobile device;
• means in the media for automatically identifying, based on a privacy criteria stored in the memory, some of the received messages as public and others of the received messages as private;
• means in the media for providing access to stored received messages that are designated as public to any user of the mobile device;
• means in the media for providing access to stored received messages that are designated as private only after receipt of a password entered by a user of the wireless mobile device that permits access to the privately identified messages.

A wireless mobile device that transmits and receives text-based messages comprising:

• memory that stores public contacts, private contacts, a privacy criteria and received messages;
• a screen that displays information to a user;
• means for accepting user inputs;
• microprocessing unit automatically identifies, based on the privacy criteria, some of the received messages as public and others of the received messages as private;
• the microprocessing unit providing access to stored received messages that are designated as public to any user of the mobile device;
• the microprocessing unit prohibiting access to stored received messages that are designated as private until receipt of a password entered by a user of the wireless mobile device that permits access to the privately identified messages.