How to fix a Google Pixel 2 XL that cannot send or receive MMS or multimedia messages? [Troubleshooting Guide]

This post tackles MMS problem on a particular device — the new Google Pixel 2 XL. Surfacing among the most prevalent issues faced by mobile device users to date is on messaging. Despite the fact that modern messaging apps are designed to be as robust as possible, many people still end up having some troubles like being unable to send or receive messages either SMS (text) or MMS (multimedia).

The latter seems more widespread given that MMS messaging involves a number of factors to work like network connection, mobile data, and other features to be enabled. Thus if something goes wrong with any of its associated factors, the messaging service itself becomes problematic. If by any chance you are having trouble sending or receiving MMS on the same Google device, then this post is for you. Read on to find out the possible causes and solutions to MMS sending and receiving problem on your Pixel 2 XL.

Before we move on, if you have other issues with your phone, visit our Pixel 2 XL troubleshooting page as we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this device. Find problems that may be similar to yours and use the solutions or workarounds we suggested. If you still need our help after that, then fill up our questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

Possible reasons why your Google Pixel 2 XL is unable to send or receive MMS

As mentioned earlier there are things that you need to consider checking and doing in order to use MMS messaging on your device as intended. All these are common MMS requisites regardless of which device you are using for as long as it supports MMS messaging.

To make things quicker, here is a list of possible reasons as to why you cannot send or receive MMS on your device. Consider looking into each of these factors when troubleshooting the problem on your end.

  • Phone is not set up for MMS messaging. Your device needs to be configured with MMS messaging functions enabled for you to be able to send and receive MMS. Contact your service provider for the correct information to enter during the MMS configuration on your device.
  • Picture is broken or corrupted. If the attached file is broken or corrupted, you are most likely to get an error when sending the message. When receiving, the attachment is most likely not viewable because it is broken in the first place. Should this be the case, try recreate the message with the file attachment then send it again.
  • Mobile data is disabled on your device. One of the requisites for multimedia media messaging to work is mobile data. It has to be enabled on your device.
  • Data roaming is turned off. If you can’t send or receive on your device while travelling internationally, it is possible that you haven’t turned on data roaming feature on your device. That being said, verify and ensure that data roaming is enabled on your phone.
  • Error on the receiving end. There are also some cases where the error on the receiving end. In this case, something needs to be configured or done on the recipient’s device.

As you can see, all probable causes are software-related. This denotes a higher chance for you to be able to fix the problem on your end. All you need is to try some workarounds until you get MMS messaging to work properly on your device. Read on to learn your options.

Potential solutions to MMS problems on your Google Pixel 2 XL

Here’s a rundown of possible solutions to various types of picture messaging (MMS) issues on your device. Test your device after performing each of the following methods to see if MMS is already working as intended.

Verify and ensure that you can make a voice call. If you can’t, then you need to deal with that problem first. Once that is fixed, you will most likely be able to send and receive MMS or picture messages on your phone.

Quit the Messaging app then relaunch

Just like other mobile apps, the Messaging app can also succumb into minor issues inflicted by some bugs or random software glitches. To rectify this problem, try to quit the app and then restart it. Doing so gives the messaging app a fresh start. The closing and re-opening trick has already done wonders to many people who were dealing with apps problems in mobile devices. So you might want to consider taking your chance and give it a try.

Reboot your Google Pixel 2 XL (soft reset)

If restarting the messaging app won’t do any good, try to perform a soft reset on your Google Pixel 2 XL. A soft reset is equivalent to a reboot. It doesn’t affect any of your critical data on the phone so it’s a safe process to begin with.

  • To do so, press the Power button for a few seconds then tap Power off. Wait for about 30 seconds then press the Power button again until the device boots up.

In the case where the display is frozen as the messaging app gets unresponsive, you can do a force restart which is done by pressing the Power button for about 20 seconds or until the device power cycles. Just like a soft reset, no data will be affected in the latter restart process so it is also safe. After the reboot, launch the messaging app then create a test MMS to send and receive. See if it’s already working this time.

Clear app’s cache and data

Temporary files that are stored as cache in your messaging app’s memory can become corrupted at times. When this happens, the entire messaging function can be affected. To rule this out from the possible culprits, try to clear cache and data of your messaging app, restart the app and then try to create a test MMS message to send and receive. Follow these steps to clear the messaging app’s cache and data on your Google Pixel 2 XL:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap Apps & Notifications.
  3. Tap See All Apps.
  4. Scroll to and tap to select the Messaging app that you want to clear cache and data from.
  5. Tap Storage.
  6. Tap Clear Cache or Clear Data.

Remember that Clear Data option will affect data from the messaging app including account usernames and passwords.Be sure to take note of this information beforehand.

Reset network settings on your Google Pixel 2 XL

MMS messaging involves and requires an active network connection for it to work properly. If something goes wrong with your mobile network like when your device has no network coverage or unable to acquire signal from the network, MMS messaging is likewise problematic. To fix any network problems inflicted by incorrect network settings, you can do a network settings reset. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap System.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Select Network settings reset from the given options.
  5. Tap Reset Settings.
  6. If prompted, enter the device’s password, PIN, or pattern for security.
  7. Tap Reset Settings again to confirm reset.

If necessary, reboot your device after the network settings reset then try sending/receiving MMS again.

Perform a factory reset (optional)

This reset should only be considered among the last options if all else failed to fix the problem and that you’re still unable to send or receive MMS on your device after trying all possible means to fix it. It is a tedious process since it will wipe everything from your device and then you will need to setup your device again afterwards. On the positive note, you’ll most likely be able to obtain solution and get MMS messaging back to work properly on your Pixel phone. If you wish to proceed with a factory reset, then here’s how it’s done using the Settings menu:

  1. Tap Settings.
  2. Tap System.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
  5. Tap Reset Phone.
  6. If prompted, enter your device’s passcode, PIN, or pattern to continue.
  7. Tap Erase Everything to confirm.

Another way to factory reset your Google Pixel 2 XL is through the hardware keys. This method is applicable when resetting unresponsive device.

  1. Power off your device completely.
  2. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously until the bootloader mode (represented by an Android with Start on it) appears. Release both buttons at once when you see this image.
  3. Use the Volume buttons to highlight or select Recovery mode from the given option.
  4. Press the Power button to confirm selection.
  5. The device will then flash the Google start screen briefly and then restarts in Recovery mode.
  6. If prompted with an image of a broken Android bot with No Command label on the screen, press and hold the Power button, and press the Volume Up button once then release the Power button.
  7. Select Wipe data/factory reset option from the Android Recovery screen. Use the Volume buttons to select the option.
  8. Select Yes.
  9. Wait until the factory data reset process is finished. It can take several minutes depending on the amount of data there is to reset.
  10. Select Reboot system now then wait for your device to boot up completely.

After the restart, you can proceed with the initial setup.

Seek More Help

Escalate the problem to Google Support if none of the aforementioned solutions is able to fix it. It might be a more complex problem in the software that needs to be dealt with an official software update. Do the same especially if the MMS problem starts after installing a new Android update on your device. It might be a serious post-update issue that requires an official fix patch from Google.

Or you can also contact your service provider/carrier to verify that everything is good with your account and that network services are all up.

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