MMS notifications in messaging apps

IIGood

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With my previous phone, a first-gen Moto X I was initially using Hangouts for my text messaging app. This worked decently for me but when Google announced that they were thinking of discontinuing SMS support in Hangouts, I readied myself by moving over to Google Messenger. I can't recall when I exactly did the switch though there is a post on here somewhere about it...I'd say it's been six months now.

Back in December when I moved over to a Galaxy S6, I loaded Messenger onto the phone and was using that exclusively. At least up until 2 days ago. I have switched back to the native Samsung messaging app primarily for one reason: MMS notifications.

For the longest time, MMS messages would come through just fine. The content would download automatically to the phone as I had set those options in Messenger to do so. But in the days prior to me switching, I started noticing the MMS' were not automatically downloading, nor was I getting a notification via Messenger that an MMS was waiting to be downloaded. I would get a text at some point and look above that, and see an MMS waiting to be downloaded from an hour prior (or something like that).

The worst part is, the so-called MMS would contain nothing more than an emoji. I guess that tiny little smiley face was just a few too many KB to be considered a regular text. It really bothered me for another personal reason but I won't get into that here.

So I quit using Messenger and switched over to the native Samsung app. I've noticed that since I've started using that, even though MMS still don't automatically download (even though I set the app to do so), I at least get a notification that an MMS is waiting to be downloaded. So that way I can tap the Download option and (eventually) be able to see what was sent...even if it's just a text with an emoji in it.

Has anyone else suddenly have this happen? Why can't I get "MMS'" downloaded to my phone automatically all of a sudden, even with the messaging app set to do so? And why didn't Google Messenger ever notify me of awaiting MMS? The last question may be more rhetorical....but still.
 

Jonny Kansas

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I can't recall if the S6 ever received the Stagefright patch. That's about the only thing I can think of in fairly recent memory that affected MMS.

You previously had no trouble getting MMS on the S6, but only recently started having the problem?
 

mountainbikermark

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I had this problem for years when I was on Verizon, no matter the messaging app or phone I used. Are you in a very low reception area when it occurs? Verizon said that was the culprit in my case. I started using Verizon Messages on my phone and tablets and got my mms, over Wi-Fi, just fine on my tablets but never on my phones.

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IIGood

IIGood

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I do typically get the MMS messages when I'm at home, and that is a pretty low signal area (as previously acknowledged by Verizon Wireless themselves). I kinda figured that would be the case for why they weren't downloading automatically, however, I think I was more interested in why I wouldn't be notified somehow that a message was waiting to be downloaded.

My thinking is that this only seemed to be an issue with Google Messenger. I have started using the native Samsung texting app and it appears I do get a notification of an MMS waiting to be downloaded. But I've only had one come through that way...I just haven't had any other MMS' come through to really test this theory.
 

mountainbikermark

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I do typically get the MMS messages when I'm at home, and that is a pretty low signal area (as previously acknowledged by Verizon Wireless themselves). I kinda figured that would be the case for why they weren't downloading automatically, however, I think I was more interested in why I wouldn't be notified somehow that a message was waiting to be downloaded.

My thinking is that this only seemed to be an issue with Google Messenger. I have started using the native Samsung texting app and it appears I do get a notification of an MMS waiting to be downloaded. But I've only had one come through that way...I just haven't had any other MMS' come through to really test this theory.
Send yourself a photo and see what happens.

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Mustang02

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If you haven't received the stagefright patch messenger will do that. I had the same issue with my droid maxx. I used textra to get around it.
 

mountainbikermark

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If you haven't received the stagefright patch messenger will do that. I had the same issue with my droid maxx. I used textra to get around it.
I'd forgotten about that. Textra added the patch to their app well before the manufacturers and carriers started sending out the patch update.

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