Help sending photos

[DWFII]

My wife has an unlocked AT&T Samsung S5 on Tracfone.

Lately she cannot send or share photos in text messages...nor, apparently, receive photos. She doesn't use the phone that much but it was working satisfactorily up until about two weeks ago.

When she attaches a photo to a text message she may or may not get a message saying that the file is being compressed. And she may or may not get a message saying that the photo is being converted to MMS or SMS. But a thumbnail of the photo appears in the text message.

When she sends it, however, it never completes.

A text message sent to her that contains a photo prompts her to download the photo--it doesn't appear embedded in the message.

We have wifi and she is using wifi when this occurs. My phone (unlocked Verizon Samsung S6 on TotalWireless) sends a photo fine over wifi (in the same house).

We are relative newbies to the smartphone world and retired. These are the first real smartphones we've had.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to solve this problem?

 

[AZgl1500]

Verizon will only send/receive pictures in a MMS message IF "data" is turned ON.
Been there, experience that almost every day.

I added a AdBlocker called AdGuard VPN and discovered that Verizon will not allow a VPN with MMS.
When I get a text that a pix was sent, I have to disable the VPN service. Once I do that, the picture downloads in a few seconds.

 

[AZgl1500]

For your WiFi problem, you need to use a SMS app will specifically over-ride WiFi and turn the DATA radio back on.

Textra is one that will do that, and it is my favorite SMS app.

Textra SMS - Android Apps on Google Play

 

[DWFII]

Thank you for taking the time to answer me.

Several things that confuse me in your reply, however...

First, her phone is an unlocked AT&T phone. She has a Tracphone contract and it uses the AT&T network.

Second, she has sent and received photos on her phone with in the last month...all through the wifi network that we have.

Third, I tried turning off wifi (presumably forcing the phone to go to 4G) and the situation was unchanged--sending a photo hung up and never completed.

Fourth...but perhaps not important to the question at hand...I have an unlocked Verizon phone accessing the Verizon network through TotalWireless. I can send and receive photos perfectly fine...through wifi as well as through data.

 

[AZgl1500]

I don't use the WiFi calling feature.....
I either surf via the WiFi or is use DATA.

it should not matter whether VZW or AT&T is being used.
obviously something changed on her phone, and to me, it smells like a VPN has crept into the picture which will really stop that service from working.

I have a close friend on AT&T, and we send pictures back and forth all the time via SMS.

What SMS app is her phone using?
I am very fond of Textra, it is predictable, and if you even just temporarily installed it for a test, it can send pictures via DATA automatically, even though WiFi is on at the moment. It toggles DATA on/off just long enough for the pix to go or download.
You must investigate all of the settings ref: MMS

Textra SMS - Android Apps on Google Play

 

[DWFII]

Thanks for remaining engaged...

What is a VPN and how do I get rid of it?

Is AdBlock for Samsung Internet a possible culprit? I have that on my S6 and it isn't a problem.

What do you mean "You must investigate all of the settings ref: MMS" and how do you do that?

 

[DWFII]

Still hoping to resolve this problem...any thoughts? Please.