Help Not Receiving MMS Picture Messages

[Gpot]

Same here. I noticed that if you turn wifi off, turn phone off, turn phone on, make sure wifi is still off, then sending receiving texts with attachments works.
I always use wifi at home for anything data and surfing the web. Then I head out and I can't do anything web related until I turn the phone off and then back on again. I called VM an tried to speak to someone that didn't have a clue about anything tech related and she filled a tech request. I'll do one online to be sure it gets done. In the meantime you can get by with turning the phone off and on.

 

[gvc]

Same here. I noticed that if you turn wifi off, turn phone off, turn phone on, make sure wifi is still off, then sending receiving texts with attachments works.
I always use wifi at home for anything data and surfing the web. Then I head out and I can't do anything web related until I turn the phone off and then back on again. I called VM an tried to speak to someone that didn't have a clue about anything tech related and she filled a tech request. I'll do one online to be sure it gets done. In the meantime you can get by with turning the phone off and on.

there is an app called Y5-battery saver. when enabled , it will remember your preferred wifi network and automatically turn off your wifi when out of range and turn it back on when back in range. when wifi turns off, 3g should automatically kick on.

http://market.android.com/details?id=pl.polidea.y5&feature=search_result

 

[TVCCS]

I am now at Day 5 of chasing the MMS issue without a resolution...terrible. I totally reloaded the phone last night from scratch...still no MMS. This is a server/provisioning issue with Sprint/VM they have really screwed up royally.

 

[Deathmustard]

I have had mms working only about 1 day sense i have had this phone. Hope this is a issue that some day gets fixed.

 

[TVCCS]

I had no MMS for weeks...finally got VM to put in a trouble ticket...took them 48 hours from that point to finally get the MMS working.

From my prior experiences with Sprint, a lot of the issues for stuff like MMS and 3G issues can be keyed to Sprint/VM's towers closest to you not being provisioned properly by Sprint for MMS and other services. This is especially likely if you've had a prior plan of some kind you've made changes to, which means the network system has to be reprovisioned. That in turn is dependent on your local towers being reprovisioned to be told your phone has access to new services, for those towers to connect to your phone and verify same, and then for that to be filtered through the rest of their network. When you see a trouble ticket request from VM, they want to know your physical location/address for that reason.

If your MMS isn't working...call or email support. They'll give you the usual pull the battery stuff. For some people, hitting the Activate button again helps. If it doesn't, get a trouble ticket request in, as that will be likely the only way to get it resolved.

 

[RocketFoot]

I had no MMS for weeks...finally got VM to put in a trouble ticket...took them 48 hours from that point to finally get the MMS working.

From my prior experiences with Sprint, a lot of the issues for stuff like MMS and 3G issues can be keyed to Sprint/VM's towers closest to you not being provisioned properly by Sprint for MMS and other services. This is especially likely if you've had a prior plan of some kind you've made changes to, which means the network system has to be reprovisioned. That in turn is dependent on your local towers being reprovisioned to be told your phone has access to new services, for those towers to connect to your phone and verify same, and then for that to be filtered through the rest of their network. When you see a trouble ticket request from VM, they want to know your physical location/address for that reason.

If your MMS isn't working...call or email support. They'll give you the usual pull the battery stuff. For some people, hitting the Activate button again helps. If it doesn't, get a trouble ticket request in, as that will be likely the only way to get it resolved.

Glad to hear yours is working now! Red text quoted for the TRUTH!

 

[h00k247]

I had no MMS for weeks...finally got VM to put in a trouble ticket...took them 48 hours from that point to finally get the MMS working.

From my prior experiences with Sprint, a lot of the issues for stuff like MMS and 3G issues can be keyed to Sprint/VM's towers closest to you not being provisioned properly by Sprint for MMS and other services. This is especially likely if you've had a prior plan of some kind you've made changes to, which means the network system has to be reprovisioned. That in turn is dependent on your local towers being reprovisioned to be told your phone has access to new services, for those towers to connect to your phone and verify same, and then for that to be filtered through the rest of their network. When you see a trouble ticket request from VM, they want to know your physical location/address for that reason.

If your MMS isn't working...call or email support. They'll give you the usual pull the battery stuff. For some people, hitting the Activate button again helps. If it doesn't, get a trouble ticket request in, as that will be likely the only way to get it resolved.

Sorry, but the "towers" have nothing to do with what services a subscriber does or does not have. The network is not provisioned for each customer, rather each customer is provisioned in their home HLR.

The reason that the location is requested when creating a trouble ticket is to determine things such as network coverage, in-building penetration, network utilization, or network impairments.

 

[TVCCS]

Sorry, but the "towers" have nothing to do with what services a subscriber does or does not have. The network is not provisioned for each customer, rather each customer is provisioned in their home HLR.

The reason that the location is requested when creating a trouble ticket is to determine things such as network coverage, in-building penetration, network utilization, or network impairments.

That's not my experience with Sprint to this point, anyway, and if you're not in the home area of your phone's area code, the home HLR doesn't work. I've run into this with Sprint in the past and VM now.

 

[TVCCS]

Sorry, but the "towers" have nothing to do with what services a subscriber does or does not have. The network is not provisioned for each customer, rather each customer is provisioned in their home HLR.

The reason that the location is requested when creating a trouble ticket is to determine things such as network coverage, in-building penetration, network utilization, or network impairments.

If you're not in the home area of your phone's area code, the HLR doesn't necessarily work. I've run into this with Sprint in the past and VM now. I have a Florida area code on Sprint and California on VM, and both have not been fully provisioned in Ohio in the past month or so. I've had stuff with Sprint in the past where they've had to reset my phone's service in the local area because of issues as well.

For those having this issue...there is a difference between an "incident report", which is for lack of a better term, a level one inquiry, and an actual trouble ticket, which is something network engineers actually look at and check. VM's customer service listed my issue as "solved" several times, which I then had to reply wasn't, before they actually did a trouble ticket.

 

[h00k247]

That's not my experience with Sprint to this point, anyway, and if you're not in the home area of your phone's area code, the home HLR doesn't work. I've run into this with Sprint in the past and VM now.

Not sure I'm following you here. There is no such thing as home HLR. There is only an HLR. Your subscriber record is based in the HLR (home location registry) in the market that your account was created. When you leave your home market, your phone will attach to the market which you are visiting and a temporary record will be created in that market's VLR (visitor's location registry).

Basically, if the HLR and/or VLR is not functioning then the entire wireless network will cease to function.

Recreating a subscriber's record has resolved a customer's issue in the past. It has been years since this was done at the technician level.

 

[TVCCS]

Not sure I'm following you here. There is no such thing as home HLR. There is only an HLR. Your subscriber record is based in the HLR (home location registry) in the market that your account was created. When you leave your home market, your phone will attach to the market which you are visiting and a temporary record will be created in that market's VLR (visitor's location registry).

Basically, if the HLR and/or VLR is not functioning then the entire wireless network will cease to function.

Recreating a subscriber's record has resolved a customer's issue in the past. It has been years since this was done at the technician level.

Actually...I had corrected my post to remove the "home" from my reply to your original note prior...since I'd reviewed HLR designations and "home" was redundant.

In my case, I recently changed my Sprint plan while in Ohio for a Florida Sprint phone. For days afterwards, it wasn't fully functional...I only had partial services...things like SMS and video were missing, even though I'd had those services a'la carte prior. Sprint had to reprovision my phone for this local area, per what they told me, to get it fully working again, even though I didn't actually change any services...just the plan.

The same thing just happened with VM. I changed an account and phone from a local OH number to one in CA, while still in Ohio. Everything worked almost immediately except for MMS, which took weeks, filing the trouble ticket, and action from VM Escalation.

I had the same thing happen when I changed plans years ago with Sprint in Florida. There are reports all over the place of MMS issues with Virgin, and the only way to fix it for many is to have Virgin Escalation reset the phone's services. I've just been trying to get mine to work.

 

[livexitxupx18]

whenever i am trying to send/receive an picture message it says 'can't receive or send message' how did you fixed this?

 

[TVCCS]

whenever i am trying to send/receive an picture message it says 'can't receive or send message' how did you fixed this?

You need to get customer support to submit a Trouble Ticket to VM engineering...they will need to re-provision your phone for MMS. Ask for a trouble ticket to be submitted...and expect to make more than one call to get that done...they will want you to pull the battery and etc.

 

[ScottColbert]

This is definitely a VM issue, as I've had this problem on 4 different handsets, the Loft, the Rumor Touch, the intercept and now the Optimus. It started about 5 months ago when VM had an mms outage for damn near a week. Since then the pic messaging is spotty at best-even when its reprovisioned it doesn't last.

I've found turning the phone on and off works about 75% of the time.

 

[KentInPhilly]

I don't get a lot of picture messages, so it didn't occur to me it might not be working until I read this thread.

I just sent myself a test MMS from my wife's cell and it was rejected. Ugh. If you haven't tried receiving an MMS, I suggest you give it a shot to see if it works. (On hold now for VM.)

 

[kriskkiills]

I am having the same problem!!! I have had my phone a little over a week now and the first day it didn't work. I was upset thinking i just spent all this money on a phone that I can't use it to its full potential..then the next day it did but again stopped working and has since. I have emailed and called VM and have got the typical pull battery crap and nothing. I am also having 3G issues!! ugh I am starting to regret this phone

 

[saraheden]

I just got my phone almost a month ago and have had problems with receiving pictures since the beginning. It gives me an option to download but says Can Not Download At This Time when I click it.. and then says Downloading but nothing ever happens. I'm getting very annoyed at this!

 

[brotherswing]

Try Go SMS from the market. Its free and known to work when your stock SMS won't.

 

[melim]

I just got my phone almost a month ago and have had problems with receiving pictures since the beginning. It gives me an option to download but says Can Not Download At This Time when I click it.. and then says Downloading but nothing ever happens. I'm getting very annoyed at this!

Is your 3G enabled when you're trying to DL them? Can't get MMS without 3G on... Also, yes, try one of the third party SMS apps as brotherswing suggested.

Wheeeee, threads from the bad old days!

 

[AndyOpie150]

Sometimes pictures from IPhones don't load properly. It depends a lot on the carrier.

 

[PSCGOhio]

Is your 3G enabled when you're trying to DL them? Can't get MMS without 3G on... Also, yes, try one of the third party SMS apps as brotherswing suggested.

Wheeeee, threads from the bad old days!

Right on the money! Mine fixed itself on capability, presumably from an upgrade from 2.2.1 to 2.2.2 after VM pushed it but yet I'm clicking on DOWNLOAD and nothing happens after it finishes. Couldn't find the pic anywhere!

Read this, flipped off the WiFi I'm on most of the time and there it goes, even sending old annoying messages from months ago that never got out since I was WiFi at whatever time they were created.

Not that it's a limit-buster and it's certainly a neat trick to suck up data plan limits - but why SMS only on 3G? Do any of those aftermarket SMS apps mentioned above allow MMS via WiFi or in any case would I have to be pure 3G to get the full MMS message?