Problems with sending pictures via MMS on iphone xs (latest 12.1.3 IOS).

[beleaf67]

Hi,

I'm a $40 5gb data plan happy user 🙂   I've recently switched from android to ios and a lot of pictures (taken or from photo library) I cannot send.  I get "Not delivered" :-(.   I believe this could be related to the picture size, as I believe (based on my very limited testing) anyting below 2mb will go, and anything close to 2.5mb won't.   My frist question is, what is the official limit using public mobile network for MMS picture?     I've checked all my setttings and I cannot find anything to lower picture quality when sending.  I wish there was a setting to limit or advise me about it or even better to resize the picutre on the fly.   The "Low Quality Image Mode" from my understainding is only for iMessages not MMS messaging.     Also I've noticed under Settings -> Cellular Data Network; the APN is "isp.mb.com", should that be "sp.mb.com"?    The options/settings are very limited under ios 12.1.3 IOS and this is very frustrating.   I didn't have this problem on my previous android phone (as it was probably taking lower quality pictures wiht less size).   

Any help would be much appriciated.  I just don't want to bang my head against the wall, if this is caused by OS/App/MMS limit.   Perhaps there is a 3rd party message app on IOS that can go around it?

Thanks,
Martin

[beleaf67]

@Angela101Thank you for your reply.

I don't think there is a "send as SMS" option under 12.1.4 (latest ios) .   Isn't email address related to the imessages only?   The "MMS" option was always on.   It seems there is no issue sending pictures ~2mb and under using mms, anything 2.5mb and over won't go.

[Angela101]

You could try a few things:

-go into your settings and make sure you have selected « send as SMS » is toggled on

-you MMS is toggled on

-make sure your send and receive options has your email address and phone number listed

if all else fails you may need to delete all your text messages and start new conversations (i know it’s a drag but it works)

[beleaf67]

thanks for your reply.  Howver I would like apple to address/fix this issue. (if it is indeed a sofware bug/issue).   I really like sending small pictures via messages app and I've never had this issues when I was using my previous phone ZTE Axon 7 (oreo).   If I have to go data plan route, I might as well use emails for pictures/txt.    I was just wondering if I was hitting public mobile / Telus MMS picture limits with pix over 2mb in size.  I guess the answer is NOT, the upper limit seems to be around 3.5mb per picture.     I hope it is 12.1 IOS issue and 12.2 will fix it, as other users exerpianced problems wiht MMS on their XS/XR iphones.   Also my wife using xs has the same issue. 

[srlawren]

@beleaf67 the alternative is consider moving those conversations out of SMS/MMS entirely and into a data-based, cross-platform IM service like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype,Slack, WeChat, Line, BBM (LOL), etc.  MMS compresses the heck out of images (and even more so videos), where those apps generally don't, plus they give you all the modern ammenities like typing indicators, read receipts, etc etc.  Oh and they all work over WiFi when available, and are easy to roam with outside of Canada & the USA.  There's a ton of advantages.

[beleaf67]

thanks so much guys. 

I will wait for the 12.2 public rollout to see if the problem is fixed.  I tried to find in any 12.2 beta 2 desctipition, and I didn't see anything about fixing MMS issues.  Unless it is an internal fix.   I'm suprised there is no more complains about this issue.   It is very annoying when you don't know if you can or not send the picture.   

[srlawren]

@beleaf67 as I posted in the thread that @Lieux linked above, I believe this is an iOS 12.1 issue.  

[CalgaryBen]

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@beleaf67 wrote:

I believe this could be related to the picture size, as I believe (based on my very limited testing) anyting below 2mb will go, and anything close to 2.5mb won't.   My frist question is, what is the official limit using public mobile network for MMS picture?

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I don't have an actual answer, but the ballpark values don't seem too far off, based on this Telus article which is probably applicable to Public Mobile as well, indicating 600KB-3.5MB (interestingly they provide a wide range as the max, but not an actually upper limit):

https://www.telus.com/en/ab/support/article/photo-video-messaging

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@beleaf67 wrote:

    Also I've noticed under Settings -> Cellular Data Network; the APN is "isp.mb.com", should that be "sp.mb.com"?    The options/settings are very limited under ios 12.1.3 IOS and this is very frustrating.

No, don't worry about that setting (you can change it if you want, but it won't matter in this case).  That setting is for tethering (Personal Hotspot).  The cellular APN that the phone itself uses for data is hidden and not easily/necessarily changeable (see this post for more info).

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@beleaf67 wrote:
Perhaps there is a 3rd party message app on IOS that can go around it?

You could try an app called TextNow.  It provides you with a free phone number with an area code of your choosing, and you can send/receive MMS/SMS and even phone calls with it.  It's like having a phone inside your phone.  It's great for testing MMS and other features to/from yourself without having to bug friends/family to check.  And the app just relies on a data connection, and abstracts away a need to have proper carrier MMS configuration settings.  It might even be a suitable workaround for what you're trying to do?

[GreatCanadian]

@Alex888

Able to send pics less than 2mb, so data is on. 

GC 

[Alex888]

Try turning the data on before sending a mms. It won't count as data usage but often data needs to be on to send it

[Lieux]

@beleaf67 I am not an expert ...but you can read here a lot od ideas for your problem....good luck...

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Self-Serve/iPhone-XS-can-t-send-MMS-pictures-anymore-...