Use Data for MMS Only

[IA_Community]

My PM plan comes with a limited amount of data that I do not want to waste. Based on what I have read, MMS messaging requires an active data connection, but does not use your data.

My first thought was to create an APN and set it's type to MMS only. However, when I go into APN settings, there is no option to add an APN, and everything is greyed out. It seems that Public Mobile locks APN settings?

Is there any way to use MMS without having apps constantly using my data in the background?

I am running Android 8.1 on a Google Nexus 6P

[Anonymous]

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@ChuckYeah wrote:

@IA_Community @Anonymous In my experience, you can create an mms only APN but it will over write your all inclusive APN so you can't switch back and forth. If you have success doing that, I'd love to know how as I would love to have that ability as well.

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2 APN's

One without default

Change sp.mb.com to something else in the main one (like .net)

Select the mms apn

Turn on data

Does the data icon show up up top? mine didn't

Try to send an mms

Mine took a few moments and then showed H+ and sent it and then the icon disappeared and it got to the other side. Browsing didn't work. A data icon appearing was a lot like normal mms'ing without turning data on with the auto-switch my phone is set to

Turn off data

Edit this APN to something different

Select other apn

Edit back the sp.mb.com

Flight mode seems preferred here as when I turned on data it showed the H+. Browsing worked.

after flight mode then LTE properly showed up

But with my phones' auto-switch I don't really need this.

[DOA]

I use android 9 and have data saver mode on.  I permit just a few apps to use data in the background (email accounts, bank app).  I do occasional browsing.

With this setup, I use about 60mb per month.

[ChuckYeah]

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@NDesai wrote:

I believe it's the android 8 version blocking you from adding an APN. MMS should not use too much data that you would run out so quickly. I suggest you to turn off auto download. For pictures you will get a text with download button, but I am not sure about other kinds of MMS such as a group text.

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I'm not 100% sure but I believe group texts produce the same download button. I leave my data off most of the time and just turn it on when I get these texts. It's the best and easiest solution I've found.

[ChuckYeah]

@IA_Community @Anonymous In my experience, you can create an mms only APN but it will over write your all inclusive APN so you can't switch back and forth. If you have success doing that, I'd love to know how as I would love to have that ability as well.

[ddeep91]

You could turn off Data for each app in settings.

Go to settings>Apps & Notifications>select  App>Data Usage.

Turn off mobile data, background data, and roaming data option.

You can leave the wifi option enabled that way they will still work when you are connected to wifi.

Also, go into play store and turn off the auto-update option as well

Cheers!

[Anonymous]

 @IA_Community 

When you can get into editing the APN (8.1 is problematic here as it is with many carriers..you need to do some workarounds) if you just never want to browse anything and only want mms then yes you can. Don't include default in the APN Type field. You might be able to make an additional APN and include it there and switch back and forth as needed.

Your phone might also have auto up and down load of mms messages. My S7 running A8 does. You can watch it briefly switch to LTE and do its thing and then it goes back off. No data seems to be consumed for that moment.

[gblackma]

@IA_Community inserting a freedom mobile SIM allows you to access the APN settings .Disable programs from using data in the background, and enable download only whilst on WiFi. 

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@IA_Community wrote:

My PM plan comes with a limited amount of data that I do not want to waste. Based on what I have read, MMS messaging requires an active data connection, but does not use your data.

My first thought was to create an APN and set it's type to MMS only. However, when I go into APN settings, there is no option to add an APN, and everything is greyed out. It seems that Public Mobile locks APN settings?

Is there any way to use MMS without having apps constantly using my data in the background?

I am running Android 8.1 on a Google Nexus 6P

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[NDesai]

I believe it's the android 8 version blocking you from adding an APN. MMS should not use too much data that you would run out so quickly. I suggest you to turn off auto download. For pictures you will get a text with download button, but I am not sure about other kinds of MMS such as a group text.

[geopublic · Accepted solution]

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@IA_Community wrote:

My PM plan comes with a limited amount of data that I do not want to waste. Based on what I have read, MMS messaging requires an active data connection, but does not use your data.

@IA_Community  That is correct.

My first thought was to create an APN and set it's type to MMS only. However, when I go into APN settings, there is no option to add an APN, and everything is greyed out. It seems that Public Mobile locks APN settings?

Is there any way to use MMS without having apps constantly using my data in the background?

You need to go through each of your apps settings and set them to update/refresh only on WiFi.

Click here for more tips.

I am running Android 8.1 on a Google Nexus 6P

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