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Cannot send MMS to Out-Of-Country Providers

R

ravaturno

Lurker
1) Have Pixel 3a. Problem also present on my old Pixel 2
2) Using T-Mobile
3) Send MMS to phones with providers based in US (T-Mobile US,Verizon,AT&T etc) while I'm in the US-> No Problem
4) Send MMS to phones with providers based in US (T-Mobile US,Verizon,AT&T etc) while I'm OUTSIDE the US -> No problem
5) Send MMS to phones with providers based in the US while BOTH phones are OUTSIDE US -> No Problem
6) Receive MMS from phones based in US and Europe -> No problem, regardless of whether they are inside or outside their country of origin.

7) Send MMS to phones based in Europe (Vodaphone, O2, Orange, SFR etc) -> IMPOSSIBLE!

Basically, if the recipient of my MMS is using a phone from a European provider, they cannot receive MMS from my phone. They can send me MMS to me no problem.

Bonus info -> If I take my SIM card out of my phone and put it in an iPhone using T-Mobile, NO PROBLEM sending MMS to European-based phones.

Notes:
Calls and regular texts (SMS)-> No problems sending/receiving anywhere in US and Europe
T-Mobile network engineering has been ALL OVER the phone's settings.
Tried third-party messaging (textra), same problem

Loop:
T-Mobile -> It's a problem with the manufacturer (firmware?), contact HTC
HTC-> It's a problem with Google Pixel, contact Google.
Google -> It's a problem with T-Mobile, contact T-Mobile

Android updated to version 10
 
Both stock Android Pixel3a messaging application and textra. Neither work. I suspect underlying plumbing. Note: Sim card test with iPhone was performed using stock iPhone messaging Appy.
 
Try temporarily disabling WiFi so your phone will be using just mobile data connectivity for those outgoing MMS messages.
When WiFi and mobile data are both enabled, the default connection will go with WiFi. The problem being when it involves MMS interactions between different carriers, some require cellular connectivity only.
..... and note with Apple's iMessage, all text messaging goes through Apple's servers, even if it's WiFi or mobile data connectivity and no matter what carriers are involved.

But given you don't have issues within the U.S. or incoming international MMS messages, it's unlikely to be your phone (neither a HTC nor Google problem). I'd be more forceful with T-Mobile to step up and address the service you're paying them to provide.
https://www.t-mobile.com/customers/customer-care

As stop gap measures, you can upload your photos and videos to an online storage service like Google Drive, Google Photos, MS OneDrive, Dropbox, etc., obtain a sharable link, and then text those links to your overseas recipients.
Or use email.
 
I've tried sending MMS using only the mobile data. I need to send pictures to my European colleagues quickly and setting up wifi may be either impractical or impossible at that moment. Uploading a picture and/or video and sending links somewhat defeats the purpose of MMS (although it does work) and also runs into (my) corporate privacy policies. It seems that leaning on T-Mobile may be the only solution left but I don't have the energy to spend another hour with their technicians. It may be less burdensome to get another phone and test it beforehand. Are there any other Android phones with less crapware pre-loaded? I would hate to switch to an iPhone....
 
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