How to Troubleshoot MMS Problems on Android

Have you ever had Android MMS problems over Wi-Fi, 4G, or a mix between the two? What about pictures just not loading on your home network? Do your message previews show nothing but just “(no subject)” whenever you’re sent a picture? If any of this sounds like something happening to your phone, or you have other problems, please keep reading.

MMS on pretty much all version of Android get buggy without warning. There are more different bugs than I can list in a few sentences, but I’ll cover every major MMS problem on Android, and how you’re supposed to fix it. a bug filled message is always frustrating, but with a little time and troubleshooting, it doesn’t have to be.

Before I get into MMS problems, I didn’t answer a pretty important question. What is Android MMS?

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What is Android MMS?

MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service and acts like a platform for users to send pictures, videos, and voice clips to other devices. On the other hand, SMS stands for Short Message Service, which is for text messages that are just that, text only.

Almost anyone now can send and receive MMS, or at least you can if everything works like it should. That’s where troubleshooting comes in handy. If you have any problems with Android MMS, I’ve listed all of the biggest problems down below, and at the end is a list of steps to take to fix each and every problem.

Most of these steps apply to all of the problems listed, but if the problem has a specific fix, I’ll mention it directly under the problem being discussed.

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I Can’t Send or Recieve Picture/Video Messages

Whether you can’t send a picture/video message, or you can’t receive one, both problems are equally frustrating and have similar solutions. Does your phone fail to send a picture or video after you select it, or does it not even let you start the MMS? This problem can even mean you can’t download any MMS that you see, or they don’t send in group chats.

I’ll cover how to fix this in the checklist, but until then, there are more problems to cover.

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My MMS Won’t Work With Android Group Messaging

This is similar to the case above but has to do with group messages. This includes:

• MMS meant for group messages appearing in other places.
• MMS not sending in group messages.
• MMS not downloading in group messages.
• MMS not viewable in group messages.
• MMS displays multiple times, even though it was only sent once.
• MMS functions are unavailable in group messages.

All of these problems are fixable by going through the checklist at the end of the article. If you have any other MMS problems in Android group messages, please leave a detailed comment with the problem.

Related: How to Send Group Texts From Android Devices to Shut Up iPhone Users

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I Think I Might Have a MMS Virus

If you think you’ve come down with a virus, the only way to get rid of it without wiping your phone is with an Anti-virus. One big indicator that a virus is causing the problem is if normal troubleshooting methods don’t fix the issue. You can see all of the normal troubleshooting methods at the end of the page in the checklist.

If you really think a virus is a problem scanning your Android with an Anti-virus takes priority.

Must Read: Make Your Choice for the Best Antivirus App for Android to Keep Your Personal Data Safe

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Why Do I Have a Mmsycache Folder/File? Is it Causing the Problem?

If you’ve ever dug around in your files, you probably have a folder, or maybe just a file called mmsycache. This isn’t a bug or a rootkit, but where data for all your deleted files go so you can restore them at a later date. Whenever you delete something, you don’t remove all of it. What’s leftover ends up in your mmsycache.

The folder or file doesn’t have anything malicious inside, so it doesn’t tamper with your MMS, even though it has MMS in the name. You can ignore this folder/file without causing any problems.

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Why is “com.android.mms” Showing In My Activity? Is This Anything Bad?

If you ever see com.android.mms somewhere in your activity, don’t panic. This isn’t a foreign message, something malicious, or an alien code; it’s just a package name, which is pretty much a byproduct of any Android message services. If you send and receive MMS, you’ll probably see com.android.mms in your activity somewhere along the line.

If you see this, it’s actually a sign that everything is working as it’s intended to; so it’s the exact opposite of a problem.

If you get this message while sending an SMS or MMS, and you get a blank message in response, or you end up sending a blank message; delete the message. Deleting the message will fix the problem, at least temporarily until you get to the troubleshooting checklist at the bottom.

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I Can’t Find My MMS Pictures and Videos on My Android

So let’s say you can send and receive MMS just fine, but whenever you try and find it elsewhere on your Android, it’s nowhere to be found. This is either a problem with downloading MMS properly or a memory issue if you’re absolutely sure your saved MMS files aren’t on your phone.

Please make sure to check the default folder where pictures and videos fall into, on both your Android device and on a PC via USB cable to confirm if they’re actually being saved. If you still can’t find them, go through the troubleshooting checklist to fix the issue.

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MMS Always Shows as “(no subject)” in Message Previews

If you’ve ever sent a picture or video through MMS, and had a subject line with “(no subject)” attached to it, you’re probably as frustrated as I am. The way this problem happens varies from phone to phone, and carrier to carrier. Most of the time, it’s because of your messaging client.

If you’re using a stock messenger, it’s time to make a switch if you keep getting “(no subject)” messages.

Must Read: How to Share and Send Any File on Android via WhatsApp and SMS

Alternatively, if you still have Google Hangouts, try clearing its cache, and then see if the “(no subject)” problem keeps happening.

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I Can’t Send MMS Between Android and iPhone

It’s surprising that this is still a problem in today’s day and age, but MMS still can’t transfer flawlessly between iPhone and Android. This isn’t always the case, and the specifics of the problem change between users, but the root of the problem is the iMessage system. This problem happens mostly with previous iPhone users that make the switch to Android.

The disconnect happens when another iPhone tries to send an iMessage to you, thinking that it’s still trying to talk with an iPhone. Since your Android doesn’t use iMessages, what you end up getting in your inbox is a bunch of space.

There are two ways to fix this. First, if you still have your iPhone on hand:

• Boot up your iPhone.
• Go to your iPhone Settings.
• Scroll down to Messages, and select it.
• At the top, or somewhere else on the menu is an iMessage toggle switch. Switch this to OFF.

For this to work, your iPhone will need to be connected to a working network. If you just flip a switch that isn’t connected to anything, all you’re getting is peace of mind.

If you don’t have your iPhone anymore, but still know your Apple ID; you need to call Apple support directly. Once you have your Apple ID, just ask Apple support as nicely as you can to remove your ID from the iMessage system servers. This will clear up any problems your Android phone has sending and receiving messages from iPhone users.

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I Can’t Send MMS over Wi-Fi / Mobile Data

This is one of the most common MMS problems but is luckily one of the easiest to fix. Just below this section is my troubleshooting checklist, and if you follow each step, you’ll be able to send and receive MMS over Wi-Fi and your own mobile data just like intended.

Troubleshooting Checklist

Every question or problem that didn’t have its own answer is answered here. Please, go through each step until the problem is fixed, starting from the first. By the end of the final step, you’ll be free from all of your MMS problems.

Step 1: A Quick Reset

The first step in every troubleshooting process is to turn whatever device you’re troubleshooting off, and then on again. After you finish that, try to see if you can repeat the problem you’re having. If you still have the issue, try the next step.

Step 2: Network Reset

Next, it’s time to reset your networks, whether this is your Wi-Fi network or your mobile data. The easiest way to do this is to switch your Android over to airplane mode quickly, and then back out of it again.

Once you’ve done this, and you’ve reconnected to all of your appropriate networks, check to see if your MMS capabilities are working.

Step 3: Router Refresh

If you can’t send or receive MMS on your home Wi-Fi network, reset your router as soon as possible. There’s a slim chance this will work if resetting your network on your device didn’t, but it’s worth a try as much as anything.

Step 4: A Battery Pull

If you’re still here, you’re past all of the “Did you try turning it off and on again?” stages. This next step is like an advanced version of that method. It’s called a Soft Reset, sometimes called a Battery Pull.

If your phone has a removable battery, this is easy enough to try. All you need to do is:

• Power down your Android device.
• Remove the battery from the back.
• Wait at least sixty seconds or more.
• Reinsert the battery.
• Power the device back up.

If your device doesn’t have a removable battery, you have to simulate a battery pull. The best you can manage is to hold down the Power and Volume Down buttons until the screen shuts off. From that point on, just wait for sixty seconds, and then turn the phone back on.

Step 5: Clear Your Cache

We’re all out of things to reset and turn off, but something else you can do is clear your cache partition. This is something that you should regularly make a habit of, and not just do when you have a problem. This is, however, the perfect excuse to start making it a habit.

Step 6: Clear Out Old Messages

It’s not something I like doing but try clearing your old messages if you’re having trouble sending and receiving MMS. The problem is sometimes linked to your messenger, which brings me to another troubleshooting method.

Step 7: Use a New Messenger

If your current messenger, is giving you trouble, give a new one a try. This is a step that will take some experimentation, and effort on your part to use a new messaging system.

What messenger you pick, besides your stock one, is entirely up to you.

Step 8: Call Carrier Support

There are only two options left, and one of them is to give your phone carrier a call. Occasionally, a MMS problem is carrier specific, so your carrier will have the solution. Just be prepared to be put on hold for a good chunk of time.

Step 9: A Factory Reset

This is the final troubleshooting step that is the end all, be all for fixing software problems. If your device hasn’t always had this problem, a factory reset is sure to be the thing that sets your phone right.

The only trade off is it wipes your phone completely clean. I don’t mean it just polishes your screen for you; it deletes everything except for stock apps and information. It’s called a factory reset because it puts your phone back to a factory fresh state. It’s heavily recommended that you backup everything important before evening thinking about this.

Please Read: Using Titanium Backup, the Easy Way

The method differs slightly from phone to phone, but we’ve covered the process in full. This is the absolute last option you want to try, so please don’t attempt a factory reset until you’re sure there’s no other way to fix the problem.

Conclusion

Android MMS isn’t as finicky as it used to be on a newer version of the OS, but it still has problems no matter how much the operating system advances. There are a lot of factors at work that makes troubleshooting difficult, but with enough time and patience, any MMS problem will be solved.

If you’re still having any MMS problems, leave your problem down below, and we’ll help you as soon as possible.

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