How to fix Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS | can’t send MultiMedia Messaging Service (MMS)

Many Android users report texting issues all the time to us. In this troubleshooting article, we provide solutions to Galaxy Tab A users who find that their MMS won’t send. This type of problem can require a wide range of troubleshooting steps to try to narrow down reasons for the problem. If you have no idea how to kick off the troubleshooting, learn how below.

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How to fix Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS | can’t send MultiMedia Messaging Service (MMS) 

If you find that your Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS for no apparent reason, there are a number of factors that you must look into. This guide will help you with that.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #1: Turn on mobile data

MMS needs mobile or cellular data to work. If your Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS, make sure to turn cellular data on. This can be done easily. Here’s how: 

  1. On any screen, pull down the notification bar from the top of the screen.
  2. Tap on wifi icon (signal) to turn it off.
  3. Tap Mobile Data icon (up and down arrows) to turn it ON.

To confirm if mobile data is working, open any app that needs internet connection to work like Youtube. If videos play on mobile data connection, you should be good to go.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #2: Confirm mobile data is activated on account

If mobile data is not working even though you’ve already turned it on, that’s probably due to an issue with your account. At this early stage in your troubleshooting, make sure that you verify there’s no account issue as far as mobile data or cellular data is concerned. To do that, insert your SIM card to another compatible phone or tablet. If mobile data works in the second device but not on your Galaxy Tab A, there might be an issue with your tablet. Continue with the troubleshooting below to figure out what is causing it.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #3: Check for error

If your Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS and there’s an error message when it happens, the next move is to do a quick Google search about the error. You’ll need to do this to see if there’s an online solution that you can try. Errors are usually helpful in fixing issues so be sure not to skip this suggestion.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #4: Force quit messaging app

Restarting the app with a problem is usually effective in fixing issues. In your situation, you want to force quit the messaging app to see if a bug is causing it to not send MMS.

Below are the two methods to force close an app:

Method 1: Close an app using Recent Apps key

  1. On your screen, tap the Recent Apps soft key (on the left of the Home middle button).
  2. Once the Recent Apps screen is shown, swipe left or right to look for the app. It should be here if you managed to run it previously.
  3. Then, swipe up on the app to close it. This should force close it. If it’s not there, simply tap the Close All app to also restart all apps.

Method 2: Close an app using App Info menu

Another way to force close an app is by going within the app’s settings itself. It’s a longer way compared to the first method above but it’s equally effective. You want to use this method if you plan on doing other troubleshooting for the said app like clearing its cache or data. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap the More settings icon (three-dot icon, upper right).
  4. Tap Show system apps.
  5. Find and tap the app.
  6. Tap Force Stop.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #5: Restart device

Another basic way to fix Android issues is restarting a device. You must do this if your Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS at this time. Press the Power button on your tablet to access the Power menu. Then, select Restart to reboot the tablet.

Another way to restart the device is by pressing and holding the Volume Down button and the Bixby/Power key at the same time for 10 seconds or until the device’s screen turns on. This simulates the effect of having disconnected the battery from the device. If this works, this may unlock the device.

If doing the regular restart won’t help, then try this:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Down button first and don’t release it.
  2. While holding it down, press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep both keys held down for 10 seconds or more. 

The second restart procedure tries to simulate the effects of removing the battery pack. On older devices, disconnecting the battery is often an effective way in fixing unresponsive devices. If nothing changed though, proceed to the next suggestions.

Rebooting your device regularly at least once every week can be beneficial. If you tend to forget things, we suggest that you configure your phone to reboot on its own. You can schedule it to do this task by doing these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Device Care.
  3. Tap the 3-dot at the top.
  4. Select Auto restart.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #6: Clear app cache and data

Another troubleshooting step that you can try in this case is to clear cache of the messaging app. This can help if the app misbehaves due to outdated or corrupted cache. Here’s how it’s done: 

  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Apps icon.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap Apps.
  5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  6. Select Show system apps.
  7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
  8. Tap Storage.
  9. Tap Clear Cache button.
  10. Restart the device and check for the problem.

If deleting the Facebook cache won’t help, follow it up by restoring the data of the app. Before you do this, be sure to create a backup of your text messages to avoid accidentally losing them. 

  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Apps icon.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap Apps.
  5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  6. Select Show system apps.
  7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
  8. Tap Storage.
  9. Tap Clear Data button.
  10. Restart the device and check for the problem.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #7: Update apps and software

If you’re using the default Samsung Messages app to send and receive MMS, then you want to make sure that the app is fully updated. Since you can’t install this app from the Play Store, you can only update it within the app itself. Here’s how:

  1. Open the Samsung Messages app.
  2. Tap More settings icon at the upper right (three dots).
  3. Select Settings.
  4. Tap About Messages.
  5. Tap Update button. If there’s no Update button, that means that the app is fully updated.
  6. Check for the problem.

While in this troubleshooting step, be sure to also check for updates for the rest of your apps via the Play Store. If your Android OS has a pending update, be sure to click on the update notification to go ahead and install it. You can also manually check for system update via Settings > Software update.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #8: Reset app preferences

Most apps require other apps or default services in order to work. If an app can’t make use of a necessary default app, it may not work. To ensure that default apps and services are enabled, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  4. Select Reset app preferences.
  5. Restart your Tab A and check for the problem.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #9: Clear network configuration

Texting issues may sometimes work after refreshing the current network configuration. If you haven’t tried this yet, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap General management.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Tap Reset network settings.
  5. Tap Reset settings to confirm.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #10: Reinstall app

If you are having trouble with a messaging app that you installed, try to delete it and install it back up.This is usually effective in fixing app issues. Just make sure to back the messages up that you don’t want to lose. You can use Samsung Smart Switch to create a backup.

To uninstall an app:

  1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Tap Apps.
  4. Ensure All is selected (upper-left).  If necessary, tap the Dropdown icon (upper-left) then select All.
  5. Locate then select the appropriate app. If system apps aren’t visible, tap the Menu icon (upper-right) then select Show system apps.
  6. Tap Uninstall to delete an app.
  7. Tap OK to confirm.
  8. To uninstall app updates (This option is only available when an update has been installed.)
  9. Tap Uninstall Updates.
  10. To confirm, tap OK.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #11: Delete old conversations

If your Galaxy Tab A still won’t send MMS at this time, it’s possible that your messaging app may have run out of storage space. If you are fond of texting or sending and getting MMS, this can potentially be the reason for the problem. Here’s what you need to do to get rid of texts (steps are only applicable for Samsung Messages app): 

  1. Open Messages app.
  2. Go over your list of messages and find the ones you can delete. Prioritize old or large (with media attachments or MMS)  conversation threads.
  3. Select a particular message or text.
  4. Tap DELETE at the top.
  5. Tap Select messages to delete all conversations in that thread.
  6. Tap Delete at the bottom.
  7. Tap Delete again to confirm.

If you want to delete multiple threads at the same time:

  1. Open Messages app.
  2. Press and hold one conversation.
  3. Tap ALL. This will delete everything. If you want to NOT delete particular threads, tap each of them to exclude them from the deletion list.
  4. Tap Delete at the bottom.
  5. Tap Delete to confirm.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #12: Clear cache partition

Making sure that the system cache is fresh can also be a good potential solution to try in this case. Android may sometimes encounter old or outdated files in the system cache which may lead to performance issues. Keeping the system cache fresh may resolve the issue you’re having. To refresh the system cache, you need to clear the cache partition. Here’s how to do that:

  1. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time for 5 seconds.
  3. Release the Power and Volume Up buttons.
  4. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. 
  5. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  6. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  7. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  8. Press the Power button to go ahead with clearing of cache partition.
  9. After clearing the cache partition, press the Power button again for Reboot system now.
  10. That’s it!

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #13: Check for rogue apps

Sometimes, a bad third party app may prevent other apps from working normally. To check if you installed a poorly coded app, restart your device to safe mode. While running on safe mode, all third party apps will be suspended so if MMS works normally, you can bet a third party app is behind it. To boot the device to safe mode:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Power key.
  3. When Samsung appears on the screen, release the Power key.
  4. Immediately after releasing the Power key, press and hold the Volume down key.
  5. Continue to hold the Volume down key until the device finishes restarting. This may take up to 1 minute. Just be patient to wait for it.
  6. Release the Volume down key when you see Safe Mode on the device.

Remember that third-party applications are disabled in this mode so what you can use are pre-installed apps. If Galaxy Tab A can send MMS normally on safe mode only, that means that the problem is due to a bad app. Uninstall the app you recently installed and see if that will fix it. If the problem remains, use the process of elimination to identify the rogue app. Here’s how:

  1. Boot to safe mode.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
  4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
  5. If your Galaxy Tab A still won’t turn on normally (but works on safe mode), repeat steps 1-4.

In order to return to normal mode or turn off safe mode:

  1. Press and hold the Power key.
  2. Tap Restart.
  3. The devices restarts in normal mode.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #14: Factory reset

Wiping your phone by doing a factory reset should be performed if your Galaxy Tab A still won’t send MMS at this stage. Be sure to create a backup of your personal data before doing it.

Below are the two methods on how to hard reset or factory reset your Galaxy Tab A.

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Tab A via Settings Menu

Under normal circumstances, factory reset under Settings menu should be the primary way for you. It’s simpler to do and does not require pressing hardware buttons, which some users may find difficult to do.

  1. Create a backup of your personal data and remove your Google account.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Scroll to and tap General management.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
  6. Read the information then tap Reset to continue.
  7. Tap Delete All to confirm action.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Tab A using hardware buttons

If your case is that the tablet is not booting up, or it boots but Settings menu is inaccessible, this method can be helpful. First, you need to boot the device to Recovery Mode. Once you successfully access Recovery, that’s the time that you begin proper master reset procedure. It may take some tries for you before you can access Recovery so be patient and simply try again.

  1. If possible, create a backup of your personal data ahead of time. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  2. Also, you want to make sure that you remove your Google account. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  3. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
  4. Press and hold the Volume Up button and the Power button at the same time for 5 seconds.
  5. Release the Power and Volume Up buttons.
  6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. 
  7. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  8. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  9. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  10. Press the Power button to confirm factory reset.

Galaxy Tab A won’t send MMS fix #15: Get help from network operator

Not all texting issues are fixable on an end user’s end. If none has improved after a factory reset, you can assume that there’s no issue with the device at all. At this point, you want to make sure that you seek help from your network operator so they can take a look at the issue as well.

 


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