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Cannot receive any inbound MMS on TMobile since port

N

nickacs

Well-Known Member
Hi everyone..
I ported a week ago today from ST AT&T with my unlocked Nexus 4 to the "special" TMobile $30 prepaid 100min/5GB plan. Sending texts and pics to my wife and friends no issue.
Then came the dreaded group texts. I would send one to say 2 people and receive nothing back. Nada. Then I had just 1 friend send me a pic and I never receive nothing. Nada.

So it's been a week and I called tech support 2 nights ago and the lady couldn't see anything "special" on my account. So she had to put in another helpdesk support ticket in which someone will call me within the next 72 hrs. Well, here it is 36hrs and nothing.

I think there's something on my prepaid account that is blocking ALL incoming MMS, picture or group MMS texts.
a) All works working perfectly the last 4 months on AT ST&T
b) It's not the phone. See (a) above.
c) I have 2 friends at work on TMobile with SG3's on postpaid accounts. No issues with them.
d) I was on this same exact TMobile $30 prepaid plan last November on launch day of Nexus 4. I was on it for 3 months and then the data crapped out at work for me. So I switched to ST AT&T. Receiving pictures and group MMS texts for those 3 months worked flawlessly. Same phone, same plan

The only difference is that I signed up online for this plan for those first 3 months myself last Fall. However, last week, I visited a TMobile retail location and the rep did the signup for me. He said he would just go online and do it. So, I'm thinking there's some "setting" that he did/did not do that is not allowing me inbound MMS.

And yes, I've modified my APN settings like 50 times already. Deleted old, re-added, even done the 2 APN "theory" (one for only MMS, other for internet). Re-booted after each change. Still nothing.
And no, I haven't been on wifi either! :)

Any help or thoughts??? Driving me crazy!!!!
 
nickacs said:
a) All works working perfectly the last 4 months on AT ST&T
b) It's not the phone. See (a) above.
Click to expand...

Given what you wrote above I think your question is probably best asked in the forum dedicated to your new carrier (Tmobile) rather than your phone :-)
 
I had similar issues, but definitely not the same, when I swapped from t-mobile post paid to prepaid. Here were the things I had to do to fix it. Slight chance this will help you.

- I was using my post paid SIM as they told me that I didn't need to use my prepaid SIM I received in the mail. They were dead wrong. Regular texts and MMS from days prior came flooding in when I swapped to the new SIM. Perhaps a new SIM would help you (I know you have a a new t-mobile SIM as you just signed up. But maybe a new new)
- I searched and searched for valid APNs and tried having more than one APN. What ended up working was just "reset to defaults" as my only APN
- you don't mention it, but I am sure you have mobile data turned on (just checking)
 
That reminds me. I had never heard of this before, but while I was working with t-mobile tech support on my MMS issues - a tech said that I did not have an MMS profile setup on my account. Check on that for yours.
 
Thanks GT and Crash for the info/tips!

GT, yup, I've always had the 'Data Enabled' setting under Mobile Network Settings on my Nexus 4 checked. I know, easy think to overlook, but appreciate the tip.

Yea, I thought about both of your ideas actually. Trying a new SIM and/or waiting the 72hrs and calling up.
Someone did post in XDA forum replying to my same post to ask the tech support to "provision" or reset my network? Dunno, just passing this along if you guys know what this means.

Sucks that the local retail TMobile location people won't do much because this is the "special" $30 online/Walmart prepaid account. The lady the other night said if it was any other plan she could see more information/settings on the account. Hmm..
 
nickacs said:
Sucks that the local retail TMobile location people won't do much because this is the "special" $30 online/Walmart prepaid account. The lady the other night said if it was any other plan she could see more information/settings on the account. Hmm..
Click to expand...

I have the same plan. I think they like us, but don't love us.
 
I guess the still puzzling question in the meantime is why can my wife send me a pic on her iPhone, but no one else?!?
She ported a couple weeks before me from ST AT&T to TMobile, but she's on the prepaid $60 plan...

I'll still try the things you guys mentioned, but you would think that NO MMS should work from anyone wrt my situation?! Oh wells... fun fun!
 
From what I recall on my issues it was really unpredictable what was and wasn't getting through. Once I got the new SIM and fixed my APN, old messages (both text and MMS) from a variety of people poured in. I don't recall, but I don't believe there was a pattern of what device or carrier they were on.
 
gtbarry said:
From what I recall on my issues it was really unpredictable what was and wasn't getting through. Once I got the new SIM and fixed my APN, old messages (both text and MMS) from a variety of people poured in. I don't recall, but I don't believe there was a pattern of what device or carrier they were on.
Click to expand...

Gotcha, thanks GT :) I'll keep my eye on it!
 
nickacs said:
Sucks that the local retail TMobile location people won't do much because this is the "special" $30 online/Walmart prepaid account. The lady the other night said if it was any other plan she could see more information/settings on the account. Hmm..
Click to expand...

Have you tried another store? I have the same plan and I always go directly to a local store if I need assistance or have an issue with my account. Perhaps I got lucky, but they bend over backwards to make me happy and ensure that I have what I need.

Are you able to go into your APN settings and edit them yourself? I had to reset mine and am using different settings than what they originally had mine set at. Funnily enough, when I flash a custom rom it uses those same settings that I had.

Here are the settings I have:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u...creenshots/Screenshot_2013-07-24-15-28-52.png

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u...creenshots/Screenshot_2013-07-24-15-29-09.png
 
Thanks Petrah for the screenshots..

Oh yes, I can edit my APN's. I've deleted them, re-added, edited, made 2 APNs (one for mms, other for internet). All of them don't change a thing when receiving a picture MMS.

My current APN is setup exactly like yours to the tee. I also confirmed with 2 other coworkers that have TMobile with SG3's and their single APN settings are exactly like yours/mine.

That's why I'm leaning towards what the users earlier said that there's "something" on/not on my Tmobile account that has to be updated or changed. Seeing how I was on this same exact plan, with the same phone for 3 months last Fall, lends to give even more evidence this is the case.

Well, I went to the original store 1min away from work where I signed up and they said the "can't help". While one employee of the two said "oh, it's an Android thing". To which I said NO it's not, as I had ST AT&T the last 4 months with ZERO MMS issues. LMAO
Then I went to the retail store 1min from my house. That was the one that was a little more helpful, but she couldn't do much with my account since it was the $30 "special" prepaid one. She flipped her monitor around to show and said there's some items on here I've never even seen before! Yikes :(

There's another store like 10mins away I've never been to and can try. But I'm going to wait out till tomorrow night's 72hr period they gave me to wait for their call (which I know won't happen) and then grill them more on the options I do/do not have on my account, as suggested earlier by GT.

The saga continues...
 
This may not be related, however there was a guy in the metro forum that ported his att number to metro, in the byod market, so basically t mobile, and he said he was having these problems to the point he though the byod was messed up but he got a call from a corp store that said the problem was att not letting go fully.

Now I know yours is st, but with att sim so maybe something in that still.

oh and the metro guy, says the byod works perfect after that call from that corp guy.
 
Well guys, I don't know what to tell ya... I searched everything on Google with keywords on this issue and I think the first 4-5 pages I've clicked on every link..LOL..
I stumbled across a link from Solavei TMobile and settings for just 'Android phones' and saw it had a couple more APN Type values than I ever tried. I'm not using Solavei TMobile, but figured what the heck. I don't have anything to lose at this point as I've must've added/deleted like 30 APN's so far!! haha...

So, I put them in, didn't re-boot. Then texted a coworker to send me a pic. BOOYA! His pic came through fine. I asked him to send another. Again, BOOM :) Pic came through fine. I then put together a group text with him and another coworker and told them both to reply to all. Again, BOOYA! Single group thread in return with all 3 of us.

I never really used the stock Android message app ever since I came across Textra about 3 months ago. Worked great when I was on ST AT&T but still it wouldn't work up until now after my port to T-Mobile. It defaults to the MMS size of 300mb, but there's an option for a couple higher ones and 'No Limit'. I also changed this setting to 'No Limit' after making the APN Type change above.

All I can say is one or both of the changes maybe did it?!?!? A pic of the additional APN types are below.. A guy on XDA posted up to my question that it took him a full week before things "kicked in" from the port. He had actually no MMS ability outbound or inbound and also ported from AT ST&T with his Nexus 4. Then after a week, it all worked.
Today is exactly one week from my port date?! Hmm... weird

Thanks for all your help and info guys! Appreciate all yours time trying to help me out :)

6xt7ck.jpg
 
Thanks guys! Appreciate your time again and it feels so good to be "back" with all phone features working as they should :)
 
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