Note 2: Can send but not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network

[Frankmurph]

I hope I am in the right place. I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 a short time ago. The phone
is great and I am very happy with it, except for one glitch. I can not receive photos via text messaging.
This is my second phone, (galaxy note 2) and the same thing happened with the first one. I contacted
straight talk, they tried to be helpful, but after awhile said that it must be the device. I then contacted Samsung
and they also attempted to be helpful, to no avail. They (Samsung) mentioned that it more than likely was a
service provider issue, but it was possible the device was faulty. So, I returned the phone and they sent me
a new one. The exact same issue is happening. Its a new sim card, (from straight talk) and a brand new phone.
I hope someone has an answer for me. I am able to send text pictures, and can view email pictures etc. Really like
this phone....don't like it not working 100% though! Thank you in advance!!!!

 

[DesElms]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

I hope I am in the right place. I purchased a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 a short time ago. The phone is great and I am very happy with it, except for one glitch. I can not receive photos via text messaging. This is my second phone, (galaxy note 2) and the same thing happened with the first one. I contacted straight talk, they tried to be helpful, but after awhile said that it must be the device. I then contacted Samsung and they also attempted to be helpful, to no avail. They (Samsung) mentioned that it more than likely was a service provider issue, but it was possible the device was faulty. So, I returned the phone and they sent me a new one. The exact same issue is happening. Its a new sim card, (from straight talk) and a brand new phone. I hope someone has an answer for me. I am able to send text pictures, and can view email pictures etc. Really like this phone....don't like it not working 100% though! Thank you in advance!!!!

For starters, you appear to be making conflicting statements. In one part of your posting, you wrote "I can not receive photos via text messaging;" but then, later, you wrote, " I am able to send text pictures." Are you sure you didn't mean "email pictures" in that second one? If so, then that makes sense: email's ability to send photos and other file attachments has nothing to do with text messaging's ability to so do. Also, the phone may make you think it sent a text message with a photo attached thereto (because the phone is definitely capable of it, even if the network isn't), but did the person on the other end actually receive the photo?

It sounds, if I had to guess, like the particular StraightTalk network onto which you've been placed is incapable of MMS.

Text messages with photos, videos, audio files, etc., are not standard text messages. The international standard for text messages is "SMS" (Short Message Service), which is pure text only. Text messages with media files attached to them are called "MMS" (Multimedia Message Service), which is a special kind of text messaging service not offered on all systems. Google Voice, for example, cannot do MMS. And many carriers, even if they can do MMS, charge extra for it.

You need to find out if the particular network onto which StraightTalk has placed you is capable of MMS; or, if it is, whether you have it turned-on and available to you; and if StraightTalk charges more for it.

If StraightTalk offers it, but only on a different one of its networks, then inquire as to whether you could be put onto that network, and what are the differences in service capabilities. You may discover that the trade-offs, whatever they are, are not worth it.

Hope that helps.

 

[Frankmurph]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

Thanks Gregg,

Let me clarify, I can send MMS messages, (with photos) but can not receive them. Greatly appreciate any help you could provide.

 

[Frankmurph]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

I can receive the messages but if there is a picture, it appears as a download rectangle saying its downloading, but never does. My friend has the exact phone, with the same service, and he receives the pictures instantly. Not that big of a deal, just like to have that feature available to me. To be able to receive MMS

Thanks!

Frank

 

[DesElms]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

Hmm. I wonder if you're on a hybrid network or something; or if one side of your texts is on one network, and the other side on another. StraightTalk does that kind of stuff, you know. There are ways you can test it, but it would probably be easier -- or at least better -- to insist on your problem being escalated to a higher support level, and then seeing if it can be gotten to the bottom of.

Sadly, I fear your so trying will reveal to you just how awful -- nonexistent, actually -- is StraightTalk's support.

Are you certain that you don't have something turned-off in either the phone's general "Settings," or, more specifically, its texting app? You're using the stock texting app that came with the phone, no?

 

[Frankmurph]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

I don't think I have anything turned off. I am using the stock texting app, but I also acquired Handcent SMS on a suggestion from here. What is a bit annoying is that a friend of mine bought the exact phone, from the exact seller (new in box), and uses straight talk, and has had no issue whatsoever! He is a complete novice, where I am a novice, but not quite complete. , anyway, I am hoping something happens in the next couple of days to resolve it! Thank you for listening, and your help.

Frank

 

[DesElms]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

I don't think I have anything turned off. I am using the stock texting app, but I also acquired Handcent SMS on a suggestion from here. What is a bit annoying is that a friend of mine bought the exact phone, from the exact seller (new in box), and uses straight talk, and has had no issue whatsoever! He is a complete novice, where I am a novice, but not quite complete. , anyway, I am hoping something happens in the next couple of days to resolve it! Thank you for listening, and your help.

Frank

I wish I could help you more, Frank. I suspect that if I could arrange a three-way call with you and a higher-level StraightTalk support engineer, I could maybe give him ideas of things to check, and challenge him on anything he seems not to know or do right; and by the end of the call, it would be fixed. And I'd be only too happy to do that, and for free, of course. But my experience with StraightTalk support is just so, so bad. I worry that it would take hours to days just to get to that person; and s/he would probably, even then, not be high-up enough in the StraightTalk support food chain to do us any good...

...though I could be wrong, of course. Let me know if you need that kind of help. I'd be more than happy to give it a shot. We could possibly also get to the bottom of it if we were each on a landline to one another, and then testing some things, doing some back-and-forth texting (both SMS and MMS). I'd be happy to do that, too; and, if we did, it might give me a clue as to what we could tell StraightTalk that they'd need to do to fix it.

So, just let me know.

 

[Frankmurph]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

Hi Gregg,
If possible, I will give you a call sometime, when I have another phone available. I do not have a land line. I also think that Straight Talk may help, and definitely would help if it was actually one of their phones. I purchased the Note 2 unlocked through Amazon. Perhaps I should contact Samsung, for they attempted to be helpful when I called with the first phone I purchased. I have listed my APN settings, that I currently have, if you think I should try something different, please let me know. Thanks again! Frank

Name-Straight Talk

APN-tfdata

Proxy-Not Set

Port-Not Set

User Name-Not Set

Password-Not Set

Server-Not Set

MMSC-http://mms-tf.net

MMS proxy-mms3.tracfone.com

MMS port- Not Set

MCC-310

MNC-410

Authentication type- Not Set

APN Type- Not Set

APN protocol- IPv4

Enable/disable APN-APN Enabled

Bearer- Unspecified


who knows, maybe this helps. Thanks Gregg!

 

[Tabitha Jerome]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

I have the exact same problem I can send photos via mms and I know it works as family members remark how much they like the photos. I have a Samsung Galaxy Centura which I purchased through Straight talk I thought it was a phone problem as well but as the first phone had an accident I purchased the same phone through Straight talk and this one has the same issue. The first phone was able to receive pictures probably the first few months I had it but it just stopped and I started getting the download box as you mentioned. I'm wondering if straight talk stopped allowing this service which extremely disappoints me because I miss so many important messages. thank fully my husband has Verizon so I have to ask him to show me all pic messages sent from family.

 

[ForgetMeNotUC]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

I on the other hand have the same buy yet quite different problem. I can not send nor receive mms messages ... I replaced a samsung Galaxy S2 with a Note. My S2 worked just fine with straight talk. Therefore, in my case the "network" I am working off of is perfectly capable of having mms. Getting irritated.

 

[smokinHawk]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

CHECK your apn settings first.
also I have problems when i am getting a week signal from straightalk. my downloading of the MMS messages does what you are saying just downloading or failed to download when signal is week.
then i can go into a better signal area, but still have issues, and i have to restart my phone, then am able to download them.

 

[Rick Morrison]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

Hi Gregg

I purchased SM-N9005 Note 3 with Android 4.3 and transferred Straight Talk account and number from iPhone 3GS to this phone. Without having to use "T-Mobile swap sim trick" the Android let me install the parameters that FrankMurph listed on 11-22-2013, 11:34 AM post. How much easier this was.

I can send MMS pick using stock message app to confirming ATT recipient but stalls out when receiving 374k pic MMS back. I set the MMS port- 80, but since download MMS pic doesn't work, must not be significant assuming uploading does work.

I cannot begin to ask Straight Talk for such a complex complete parameter list from a non- net - engineer on the phone, and indeed they don't have Android 4.3 or beyond listed. I am not in a hurry but I do find MMS pics to be a useful tool at times for parts questions....

iOs had a field for maximum message size, wondering what MNC and MCC was. Looked on wikipedia for Mobile National Code on FrankMurph post and found:
MCC MNC Brand Carrier Status Bands
310 410 AT&T AT&T Mobility Operational GSM 850 / GSM 1900 / UMTS 850 / UMTS 1900

APN type on my android 4.3 is "default,supl,mms" and cannot find documentation on "supl" - supplied?

I hope that Straight Talk is riding on "ATT Mobility" - your expert opinion on a possible hybrid got me wondering. Is LTE service in those bands?

Let us know a good direction if you can....

Thank you Guru Greg for your volunteer time to all of us!

 

[Traci Darwin]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

A week ago, my Galaxy S2 SGH-S959G with Gingerbread.udlk3 suddenly stopped downloading picture messages. It had been working fine since I bought it in October 2013. I have been on the phone, several times, with Straight Talk and chatted online with Samsung support. All my settings are correct (according to forums and both customer support techs). Data is "on". Wifi doesn't seem to make a difference. I have done a factory reset. My APN settings are greyed out, yet, correct. The message Center number is correct.
I have been searching these forums and others for several days and cannot seem to find a "fix". Has anyone found a solution to this problem?

 

[drafile2]

My S2, purchased directly from ST just started doing this same thing a few weeks ago....about the time they pushed an update.

 

[Susan Mckenzie]

Try going into Settings - expand More... - select Mobile networks - put a check mark to the right of Data enabled. This should add the 3G symbol at the top of the phone.
Now you should be able to view the photos you received via text message attachment. Let me know if this works for you... It did for me!

 

[Paul Dougan]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Centura thru Straight Talk, and I started experiencing the same problem just a few weeks ago. I could not download photos to send or receive. I called Straight Talk Customer Support and explained the problem. They simply walked me thru the update process by dialing " *22890 ". I then restarted my phone and the incoming photos finally downloaded.

 

[Kyle Eiland]

I have a Samsung Galaxy Centura thru Straight Talk, and I started experiencing the same problem just a few weeks ago. I could not download photos to send or receive. I called Straight Talk Customer Support and explained the problem. They simply walked me thru the update process by dialing " *22890 ". I then restarted my phone and the incoming photos finally downloaded.

All that number does is go to operator non working message

 

[mejo_71]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I knew I had to have something that was clicked or not clicked. This fixed my problem with not being able to recieve MMS messages.

 

[Doug Fleszar]

I have the same problem!

 

[Doug Fleszar]

Re: Can not receive photo attachments via Straight Talk network. Can send them, though

I have the same problem