picture message service not available?

[plong#AC]

Has anyone else experienced this problem... When you try to send a picture message, no matter how many bars you've got, no matter how good 4G is working, no matter if your wifi is at full strength, the phone will not send a picture message. Well, not right away, at least. It says "Currently unable to send your message. Message will be sent when service becomes available".

I have used the standard SMS, and also am now on Handcent, with the same issue. Is there a setting I don't have correct? Are my pictures too large? I've turned the appropriate setting to downsize pictures. Help!

 

[nikolasmason]

I am having a similar issue but I am instead just not receiving them at all from anyone else.

Sent from my Droid Charge

 

[MNorby]

I just switched to verizon and at first I got a similar message on my charge. Ended up having to call them, something about not turning a feature on properly on my account.

 

[Halo]

Never had an issue on my end. I've used both Handcent and ChompSMS

 

[plong#AC]

I just switched to verizon and at first I got a similar message on my charge. Ended up having to call them, something about not turning a feature on properly on my account.

Mind telling us some more detail about what that feature was?

 

[B-mac]

I have never received that specific error message, but probably only 1 out of every 10 pix messages I send is sent successfully. This only started happening to me after the EE4 update.

I contacted VZW support via twitter, they initially told me there were no known issues related to this problem and after doing the usual "no duh" fixes (r&r battery, hard reset), I spoke to an actual person who said she did some "internal refreshing" and some more research and found out this IS a known issue. Ultimately, I was able to send some messages again but in 3G the picture took 1/2 hour to send. Meanwhile another message sent to another phone failed. Ultimately, I got nowhere with VZW support and they gave me a trouble ticket #. The next day I sent a pic well within 4G coverage. That msg sent almost instantly.

I'm sorry I don't have a bottom line solution for you, but I thought you might want to commiserate. Take minimal comfort in knowing VZW is aware of this problem and is theoretically trying to find a solution. I'll update here once I get an answer.

UPDATE: Pix msgs only send via mobile data. If both wifi and mobile data are turned on, they may be fighting each other. Try turning off wifi. I get inconsistently better results.

 

[Sprout004]

I had this issue once. I pulled the battery and never had an issue again.

 

[yodatom10]

I also see this on my thunderbolt. I find if I put the phone into airplane mode for a few seconds it fixes the issue

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[Kuro]

I've had problems sending pic messages from time to time on all my phones with vzw. A phone rep once told me to send a pic message to myself. Something about the provisioning. Dunno if its the same thing but try it

 

[plong#AC]

Sigh. These are the breaks when you buy any new device. Until they work out all the kinks you've basically got a tester on your hands. Big props to B-Mac for his informative post right up there ^^^.

Keep the info coming. If you find a real solution or see that VZW has fixed it, come back and post here!

Thanks everyone

 

[NHLou]

Has anyone else experienced this problem... When you try to send a picture message, no matter how many bars you've got, no matter how good 4G is working, no matter if your wifi is at full strength, the phone will not send a picture message. Well, not right away, at least. It says "Currently unable to send your message. Message will be sent when service becomes available".

I have used the standard SMS, and also am now on Handcent, with the same issue. Is there a setting I don't have correct? Are my pictures too large? I've turned the appropriate setting to downsize pictures. Help!

Do you have wifi turned on and are you connected to a wifi network? I had an issue where I was unable to download MMS messages with pictures. When I turned off wifi and had the phone using only mobile data, I was able to download the images. Good luck!

 

[atlantar6]

Sigh. These are the breaks when you buy any new device. Until they work out all the kinks you've basically got a tester on your hands.

That's not so true with technology today. With a max life of 2 years, and and people changing up even more frequently, there is no longer a 5 year lifestyle. Manufacturers need to have better and more accurate qc testing faster and out of the box.

 

[B-mac]

Non-update Update

I'm sorry I don't have a bottom line solution for you, but I thought you might want to commiserate. Take minimal comfort in knowing VZW is aware of this problem and is theoretically trying to find a solution. I'll update here once I get an answer.

UPDATE: Pix msgs only send via mobile data. If both wifi and mobile data are turned on, they may be fighting each other. Try turning off wifi. I get inconsistently better results.

I just wanted to check in and let you know that I have not forgotten you. I continue to get inconsistent results. One day a picture message will show "sent" instantly. Other days, it takes a half-hour. I have tried twice to follow up via twitter (@VZWSupport) and twice have been met with the same response: "DM us your info so we can follow up..." I DM my info and - Guess what - no response.

I won't give up though. If this is a known issue to VZW Support, it should become a known issue to their customers.

 

[gusaroni]

I'd be surprised if this issue wasn't somehow related to the 4GLTE rollout. Where I am (upstate NY), they just updated the towers about 2 weeks ago, and for the most part, we get 4G here consistently. I do however notice that I occasionally only get 3G, and I just had the MMS issue described above while only showing 3G service in an area that is normally 4G.

I suppose none of that eliminates my Thunderbolt as a potential issue in this case. I know it's inconsistently reliable when I have WiFi and Mobile data enabled, and walk into my house. It's constantly switching back and forth despite sitting only a few feet from my WAP. My other devices don't have the same issues.

 

[B-mac]

I suppose none of that eliminates my Thunderbolt as a potential issue in this case. I know it's inconsistently reliable when I have WiFi and Mobile data enabled, and walk into my house. It's constantly switching back and forth despite sitting only a few feet from my WAP. My other devices don't have the same issues.

They still have not told me what the problem is and my results are still inconsistent. I don't know about the Tbolt but with my Charge, pix messages won't send with WiFi enabled.

 

[B-mac]

Either the problem has gotten worse for me or there's a whole new problem. Pic msgs show "fail" but are going through in triplicate. VZW sent me new phone. Same problem.

 

[MunkySpunk]

Now it's happening to me AND my wife. She was able to send a picture message... once.... it took two days before the other person got it.

We've both got Samsung Charges, we're both in the Albany NY area that just got 4G. I'm wondering if they screwed up something fierce with the 4G rollout. I can't send a picture message for anything, it's like my data network mode is permanently shut off, no matter what the phone itself says.

 

[anon(94115)]

with the flood here I have been sending and receiving picture messages kinda regularly and havent had an issue. I do know that when we got switched to 4G it took a few weeks for all the kinks to get worked out. Maybe you should update the Radios and see what happens there. I see you are on EP1F, but the newest ones are EP1W

 

[rholemodel]

I had this problem, and what fixed is was turning the wifi off...I was trying to send a mms and wouldn't with wifi on, as soon as I turned it off and tried to resend, it went through fast with no problems.

 

[Julia Cash]

I am on at&t and have Samsung Galaxy S ii. It happened to me too, because my data usage was disabled and I was on home Wifi. Once I enabled my Data usage (Settings>Wireless and network>Mobile network>Use packet data), all my picture messages went through. Apparently, that is the only way to send MMS - by using your Data plan. Glad they don't charge for breathing air, yet )))