Article SummaryX
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Cellular.
3. Slide Cellular Data to the "On" position (if it isn't already).
4. Tap Settings in the upper-left corner to go back to the previous menu.
5. Tap Messages.
3. Slide Send as SMS to the "On" position.
4. Slide MMS Messaging to the "On" position.
5. Slide Group Messaging to the "On" position.
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Can’t send picture messages on iPhone X. Can’t receive picture messages on iPhone X. Unable to receive pictures on iPhone X. iPhone X can’t send MMS.
Solution
The first thing to keep in mind when sending or receiving a picture message is that your Cellular Data needs to be on. If you have a data block setup with your provider or have your cellular data turned off, you won’t be able to send or receive MMS on your iPhone X. Here are the steps to troubleshoot issues with MMS on your iPhone X:
- It's easy to enable MMS on your iPhone, and in most cases, it is likely already enabled.
- MMS – multimedia messaging service – allows you to send pictures and other media via text, as well as send longer texts.
- If you have a limited data plan or poor internet connection, and iMessage isn't working on your iPhone, you should turn off iMessage and use MMS instead.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Enabling MMS – multimedia messaging service – on your iPhone allows you to send pictures, videos, songs, and all sorts of media, especially to people who don't have iMessage.
While it's usually a default setting, you might have to make sure it's on, especially if you're having trouble sending media.
SMS was early text protocol, from a time when you had a word count limit and couldn't send pictures. MMS is a newer text protocol that doesn't have word limits or media restrictions.
Apple's iMessage is the newest evolution, using cellular data or Wi-Fi to help send messages.
However, sometimes you might not want to use iMessage on your iPhone – if you have a limited data plan, for example, or a poor internet connection, or you'd simply rather send text messages the old-fashioned way.
If this is the case, you'll want to turn off iMessage and only use MMS or SMS. Here's how to make sure MMS is enabled on your iPhone.
Check out the products mentioned in this article:
iPhone Xs (From $999.99 at Best Buy)
How to enable MMS on an iPhone
Again, this is usually turned on by default but if, for example, you're having trouble sending media, you'll want to check and make sure MMS is on.
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap on Messages (it should be about halfway down the column that starts with "Passwords & Accounts").
3. Scroll down to the column with the heading "SMS/MMS" and if necessary tap on "MMS Messaging" to turn the toggle green.
Enable MMS Messaging by turning the toggle green.Ryan Ariano/Business Insider
How to turn off iMessage to send only MMS or SMS
Again, this will cut down on data usage and requirements, though it will add to your cellular text usage.
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap on Messages (it should be about halfway down the column that starts with "Passwords & Accounts").
3. Tap on iMessage so the green toggle goes to gray.
Make sure iMessage is toggled off and MMS Messaging is on.Ryan Ariano/Business Insider
Once iMessage is off, if for some reason you really want to restrict what content you can text, you can turn off MMS as well, solely leaving you with SMS.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
'Why am I not receiving text messages on my iPhone?': How to fix common iPhone messaging problems
How to see messages from a blocked number on an iPhone, and filter messages from unknown senders
How to make a group chat on your iPhone to send messages to many people at once
'Why won't my iPhone ring?': 7 ways to fix an iPhone when its sound isn't working properly
Ryan Ariano
Ryan Ariano grew up in Baltimore when the Macintosh was cutting edge, lived in Los Angeles as Blackberries gave way to iPhones, and now lives in Jackson Hole where his life is held together by Bluetooth. He writes on a wide range of topics but especially loves nerding out across the tech spectrum.