How to fix HTC U11 that cannot send or receive MMS or picture messages? [Troubleshooting Guide]

Need help with your HTC U11 that stopped sending or receiving picture messages or MMS? If so, then this post is for you. Read on to learn what’s preventing your HTC device from sending or receiving MMS and how to fix it.

Contemporary devices like smartphones are here to make simple things way better. Back in the day, cellphones are only capable of sending plain text messages or SMS. But now, that plain texting has augmented into a complex messaging with an advanced messaging feature called multimedia messaging or MMS service. With MMS, users are now able to send messages with images, videos, and graphical stuff. But just like any other smartphone features, MMS is also not exempted from issues as many factors can adversely affect the service. Network issues appeared to be the common trigger. Texting relies on network availability so if something goes wrong with the network, chances are you won’t be able to send or receive messages either SMS or MMS on your device. SIM card errors that occur when the SIM card is damaged is also one of the possible reasons as to why SMS and MMS don’t work as intended. Account problems, software glitches, and incorrect settings on the phone are also among the probable causes.

Before you perform any of the given solutions below, make sure that your phone is connected to or getting good signal from your network. If your HTC U11 is not getting a signal or showing network errors like No service or No signal, then you will need to deal with network problems first. Once the network is fixed, create a test MMS to send and receive then see if it works.

Another thing you need to verify is your account status. Usually, carriers will temporarily disable outgoing services to accounts with unsettled issues. You may need to contact your carrier to verify and ensure that your account is good and that all your services are active.

In the case where you cannot send MMS on your HTC U11, try to make sure that the attached photo or entire message does not exceed the message limit. If you are attaching and sending a high-resolution video, you may need to compress the file first. Refer to the steps on how to compress MMS message on HTC U11 below.

Before we proceed, if you are looking for a solution to a problem with your Note8, make sure to drop by our HTC U11 troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues reported by our readers about this new device. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work or if you need more help, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

What to do when your HTC U11 stops sending or receiving MMS or picture messages?

The following are helpful workarounds for you to try if you are having trouble sending or receiving MMS with your HTC U11. Don’t forget to create a test message after performing each method so that you’ll know if the problem if fixed or not. Try the next applicable solution if the problem persists after the first or prior methods.

Before you begin, check and ensure that cellular data is enabled on your phone. Note that a cellular data is required for you to send and receive MMS on your device. This means that your phone must be connected to your cellular data network.

To check, head over to the Home screen then tap Apps-> Settings-> More-> Data Usage. Tap the Mobile data slider to turn it on or off. Again make sure it’s on.

If you already have it enabled but still unable to send or receive MMS, try these subsequent methods.

First method: Restart your phone (soft reset).

Minor glitches on the messaging app or the device’s firmware are often resolved by a reboot or soft reset. It’s as simple as turning your phone off for a few seconds and then turn it back on. No data will be affected or erased in the process so it’s safe. And here’s how it’s done:

Press and hold down the POWER button for a few seconds or until your phone powers off.
Leave it powered down for about 30 seconds.
After the elapsed time, press the Power button again until the startup menu shows up.
Then tap Restart.

Create a test MMS message after your phone reboots then see if you can now send it. If you are able to send a test MMS message at this time, try to send your previous MMS message again then see if that will work too.

Second method: Compress your message before sending.

As mentioned earlier, high-resolution images usually come in huge file size. So if your message contains high-resolution photos as attachment, try to compress the file before sending it. You can use WinZip to compress the file using WinZip on your computer before attaching it to your message. Once the file is compressed, try to send it as an attachment with these steps:

Tap the Apps icon from the Home screen.
Tap Messages.
Tap the + icon to create new message.
Enter a contact name, phone number or email address of your recipient in the To field.
Tap the area that says Add text then enter your message.
Tap the Attachment icon (paper clip) and then select the attachment type.
Browse for and select the item that you want to attach to your message.
Once the file is attached, tap the three dots (menu icon) to view options for replacing, viewing, or removing attachment.
Tap the black Arrow Right (send icon) to send the message.

Note: If you’re phone is dual SIM, tap the Send icon Slot 1 or Send icon Slot 2 to send the message. The recipient will then have to unzip or extract the attached file on your message in order to view it.

Third solution: Remove and reinstall SIM card.

Removing and reinserting the SIM card usually helps fix SIM-related or network-related errors including failure to send or receive messages. If you wish to try it, here’s how it’s done:

Be sure to power off your device completely.
While it’s turned off, hold your device face up.
Then, insert the tip of the tray eject tool into the tray eject hole. The eject tool usually came with your phone. If you don’t have it, then you can use a small bent paper clip instead.
Be sure not to insert the tip of the tray eject tool into the microphone hole as it may damage the water-resistant microphone mesh and void the warranty.
Gently push the tip all the way into the hole until the tray ejects and then pull the tray out.
Remove the SIM card and carefully check it for any sign of damage like scratches or dents. If everything is okay, place the SIM card back into the tray.
Make sure that gold contacts are facing down and that the cutoff corner is aligned to the notch on the holder.
Then carefully Insert the tray. Make sure it is facing up so that your SIM card doesn’t fall out. You can hold the tray with the outer card holder between your fingers and then steadily slide it all the way into the slot.
Verify and ensure that the SIM tray is inserted and properly secured in place.

Important note: that you’re using a standard nano SIM card on your device. A modified card is a bit thicker than that standard nano SIM card so it may not fit properly on the SIM card tray and worst, may damage the card slot.

Turn on your phone then try to create a test MMS message to send and receive. See if are now able to do both this time.

Fourth solution: Configure or reset APN settings on your HTC U11.

Working on the APN settings like an APN settings reset can also help deal with network service problems including with MMS sending or receiving. If you wish to give it a try, here’s how it’s done:

Tap the Apps icon from any Home screen.
Tap Settings.
Tap Mobile data.
Tap Access Point Names.
To add new APN settings, tap the Menu key then tap New APN.
To reset your APN settings, tap the Menu key and then tap the Reset to default option.

Contact your carrier to find out the right APN settings should you wish to re-configure the APN settings on your HTC U11 instead of having it reset.

Alternatively, you can reset the network settings on your HTC U11 to resolve any incorrect network settings that might have caused problems to your mobile data network. Doing so will likewise restore your APN settings to defaults. Here’s how:

From the Home screen, tap the Apps icon.
Tap Settings.
Tap Backup & reset.
Tap Network settings reset.
Tap Reset settings twice to confirm action.

After the network settings reset, reboot your device then try to see if that fixes the problem with your phone’s MMS service.

Fifth solution: Factory reset your HTC U11.

A factory reset will remove all data on your phone storage including your downloaded apps, accounts, logins, and personal information. On the positive note, it can potentially eliminate system errors caused by incorrect settings configuration, bugs or malware. Overall, it will give your device a clean first start. Should you wish to give it a shot, be sure to back up your data then proceed with these steps:

Tap Apps from the Home screen.
Tap Settings.
Tap Backup & reset.
Tap Factory data reset.
To prevent erasing media or other data from your SD card, make sure the Erase SD card option is not selected or unchecked.
Tap Reset phone to confirm.

After the reset, setup your device then try to see if you can now send and receive MMS on your HTC U11 as intended.

Other Recommendations

Change the recipient’s number. If the problem you’re dealing with is on sending MMS, make sure that you are entering a 10-digit or 11-digit phone number. It might also help. If you are sending an MMS message internationally, make sure that you are entering the country code of your recipient correctly. You can do a quick search online to find the correct country code if necessary.
Erase and re-enter contact. If you cannot send MMS on to a specific contact, try to delete that contact and then re-enter it. Again make sure to re-enter the contact with the 10- or 11-digit phone number.
Check and install software update. If you haven’t already, check for any available software update for your device. Software updates generally offer new and enhanced features and likewise bug fixes to address existing bugs. That said, it would be worth a shot to upgrade your phone with the latest firmware version available.
Contact HTC Support. If your HTC U11 stopped sending or receiving MMS after installing a new update, then it’s probably an update bug that’s causing conflict. If none of the above solutions is able to fix the problem, then you should contact HTC Support to report this issue and likewise to let them tagged it among other post-update problems that need to be addressed in the next firmware update rollout.
Contact your carrier. If the problem is caused by a bad SIM card like when you’re unable to send or receive MMS and prompted with No Service, or other SIM-related errors, contact your carrier to escalate the matter for them to assess. If necessary, you can request a SIM card replacement. Also confirm with your carrier if your phone number or account status is active and that data is enabled on your account.

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