∞ AT&T activates MMS for the iPhone

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As promised, AT&T on Friday activated Multimedia Messaging (MMS) for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

Getting the new feature to work on your iPhone requires an update, available through iTunes. Simply plug your phone into your computer and click the Check for Update button.

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The small update will download and install — that’s all there is to it. You should also restart your phone when the update has finished, just to be sure.

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It’s quite easy to tell if MMS has been activated on your phone. Go to Apple’s messaging app and start a new message. You should see a little camera icon next to the text field. If you tap on the camera, it will ask you to take a picture or choose one from your library.

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  • Tina

    I got the update and as usually when Iphone launch something new some work and others don’t. it does not work and call ATT and they said that they do not have instructions of how to trouble shoot the issue. HOW CRAZY!!!

    • Robin

      The only thing you had to do is that once you update you have to turn off your phone and then turn it back on. Then go to mms and you’ll see it right there on the left

  • Jim Dalrymple

    What’s happening with it Tina? Do you not see the option to send an MMS?

  • Tina

    First, only my boyfriend received my pic (which he is with Sprint) then I recieved one from my sister (we share an account together with ATT) but when I tried to send one to her I was unable it stalled for 3 mins and then I recieved a message “message send failure” so then I thought huh??? So I grabbed my sons phone and sent a message and same thing happened…So I spent the max time of 1 hr and 20 min between ATT and APPLE (with both of them blaming one or the other about the problem). After being told to do this and do that, change this and change that, my last suggestion from ATT provisioning Tech support told me to just give it time. I told them that’s what I going to tell them When I receive my next $385 phone bill (because we have 2 iphones, 2 bolds, and one unlimited account—highly revenue customer) thats what I’m going to tell my check book “give it time”.

    • http://www.thegraphicmac.com Jim

      I appreciate your frustration, but we all know you’re going to pay your bill on time, otherwise your iPhone will be little more than a brick when AT&T cuts you off. So save the drama for your momma!

      That being said, you’ve lived without MMS for some time now, another few days isn’t going to kill you. However, AT&T is probably going to get slammed hard come Monday morning, and I’m fairly confident that the worst is yet to come. All we can do is hope that Apple drops AT&T like a bad habit and moves on to Verizon or T-Mobile (or better yet, BOTH!)

      • Lenda

        I don’t know who you are Jim BUT Verizon & T-Mobile both sux!! My AT&T iphone is great and works great even with the new MMS downloaded. Be patient and turn phone off for 30 minutes and then back on and all will be fine—if not download the app from your iTunes again!

        EXCUSE me Jim–AT&T has the most coverage–most business-and better phones than any of the other carries in my area!!
        SO SAVE YOUR DRAMA FOR YOUR MOMMA!!!!

        • http://www.thegraphicmac.com Jim

          Unfortunately, you’re in the minority with your happiness with AT&T.

  • trevor

    SO WHEN I UPDATED MY PHONE IT WASNT SHOWING THE LITTLE CAMERA ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE SO I TURNED MY PHONE OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON IT NOW IT WORKS GOOD!

    • Olga M. Reyes

      Thanks Trevor. It did work for me also. You have to turn it off even when the update does it.

  • JRB

    Will we be able to send pictures through email on our IPhone? if so when?

  • http://www.LoNero.net Bill

    As always I check The Loop first to see if anyone is having similar issues with their iPhone of if Apple has released any fixes to any blatant bugs.

    As suspected I’m not the only one having MMS issues. I downloaded the new update and restarted my iPhone. I sent a pic to myself and received it no problem. Sent my friend a pic and he never got it. He then tried to send me a pic and I never received it (he doesn’t use an iPhone. He has no problem sending MMS to other people that don’t use iPhones).This went on for about an hour before I gave up.

    Once again I am disappointed with my iPhone and AT&T. I never had any of these problems with my Blackberry. What’s going to happen next? Am I going to lose the ability to make phone calls and my iPhone will just become a fancy compass that shows me which way my paperweight is facing?

  • http://www.shootit.com Tom McDermott

    Finally! Crazy that it took this long! Glad it’s here, but there’s a new, much more impactful messaging solution and service out for the iPhone – Postcard Messaging by “shoot it!”

    http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=319474042&mt=8

    It’s just as easy as MMS – But far more fun for the recipient! And, EVERYONE can receive regular mail. And, with all of the bills and garbage we get in the mail these days, it’s nice to get something fun, silly and/or sweet in the mail.

    Postcard Messaging is simply a new messaging option; just as you choose when to use email, text, tweet, mms, etc., you now have a new option to consider when the moment calls for it.. Just “shoot it!”

  • Eric

    The only trouble I’m having with MMS is not knowing how to block MMS messages from arriving so I don’t have to pay 30 cent for what could be free via email.

    • http://www.LoNero.net Bill

      Go to Settings —-> Messages —-> disable MMS

  • cb

    AT&T STRIKES AGAIN. After installing MMS on my iphone, my work e-mail account will no longer work on my iphone, telling me it is because our work e-mail is encrypted. My hotmail account on my iphone still works, but my phone is for business. I’m traveling all week this week, and as of Friday when I downloaded the app, I cannot check my e-mail, WHICH, btw, is the SOLE reason I have an iphone for my job!!!

  • NJ Electrical Engineer

    A few things I have discovered about this update. Most had issues after the update in sme form or another and tech support for apple and AT&T was not prepared.

    The update itself installed OK as did the firmware and the carrier update until the restart when my iphone locked up and I had to wait for the battery to die as the hard reset did not function. Then it was a restore just for it to work again and after restoring and updating again the same scenario. I had to restore to factory default without installing a back up and everything worked except email and the MMS which is what the update was about. The email is easy enough to fix as it has done it to me every time after an update. Delete the accounts and reinstall them from the phone not Itunes. Do not restore anything from Itunes but when it comes up and asks to treat as a new phone do so. I know its a PITA but everything will have to be redone. So after getting everything back the way it was without using a backup copy the email is now working and MMS still does not. Gets to 90% complete and then gives an error message. Multiple calls to both AT&T and Apple yeilded nothing. I have another AT&T phone that is used strictly for work and the battery died so I put the SIM from it in my Iphone to receive messages and while I was at it I tried to send an MMS and it worked. I put the original SIM back in and it failed again. I went to the AT&T store and told them I needed a new SIM and told them why and they gave me a run around at first telling me all the remedial things that I had already done several times over. In the end they gave me a new SIM and activated it and MMS now works.

    So…..
    If email doesnt work delete and reinstall the accounts from the Iphone.
    If MMS gets to 90% on the send then faults out get a new SIM card.

  • pete

    well i done did the update got the little camera by the message box but still cant send mms y not does any 1 know i got 3gs iphone running firmware 3.1.2 any ideas

  • Lenda

    I don't know who you are Jim BUT Verizon & T-Mobile both sux!! My AT&T iphone is great and works great even with the new MMS downloaded. Be patient and turn phone off for 30 minutes and then back on and all will be fine—if not download the app from your iTunes again!

    EXCUSE me Jim–AT&T has the most coverage–most business-and better phones than any of the other carries in my area!!
    SO SAVE YOUR DRAMA FOR YOUR MOMMA!!!!