How to fix Galaxy S9 Plus texting issue: can’t receive MMS

Welcome to another troubleshooting article for today! In this post, we bring you some of the #GalaxyS9 issues we receive for the past few days. We plan on answering more S9 issues in the coming days so be sure to check our blog from time to time.

Problem #1: How to fix Galaxy S9 Plus texting issue: can’t receive MMS

Phone will not receive picture messages through text. Network error occurred will come up when trying to download pictures. I can send pictures through text. I can receive through every other method and have no problems downloading pictures from other apps. I mainly communicate with 1 person who sends pictures and she has an iPhone. I have the samsung s9 plus on t mobile network.

Solution: There may be an issue with your phone’s network settings causing this problem. The most likely culprit may be the Access Point Name or APN settings. By default, your S9 Plus should automatically configure the APN settings once you insert the SIM card. To fix your issue, the first troubleshooting step that you want to do is to reinsert the SIM card. If that won’t work, or if you’ve already tried it before contacting us, proceed to the next step.

Turn on Mobile data

Keep in mind that MMS needs cellular data connection in order to work. Be sure to turn on mobile data before you attempt to download MMS.

Reset network settings

Resetting network settings resets all data connections back to the out of the box factory defaults. The following changes will occur by performing a Reset of network settings.

Stored Wi-Fi networks will be deleted.
Paired Bluetooth devices will be deleted.
Background data sync settings will be turned on.
Data restrictive settings in applications that were manually turned on/off by the customer will be reset to the default setting.
Network selection mode will be set to automatic.

To perform a Network reset, follow these steps.

From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
Tap General Management > Reset > Reset network settings.
Tap Reset settings.
If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Manually change the APN settings

If you are not sure if the APN settings are correct of not, you can check the APN settings yourself by doing the following steps:

Open Settings app.
Tap Connections.
Tap Mobile Networks.
Tap Access Point Names.
Select the correct APN.
Configure values as necessary.

Make sure to get the correct APN from your carrier ahead of time.

Double check Message Center number

Sometimes, texting problems are caused by incorrect Message Center Number. Like in the previous troubleshooting step, be sure to get the correct MCN from your carrier if you want to edit it.

Open Samsung Messages app.
Tap More options at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Tap Settings.
Tap More settings.
Tap Text messages.
Tap Message center.

Contact your network operator

If all the suggestions above won’t work, be sure to get firsthand support from your carrier. They are the proper authority in this situation as they have access to important information we don’t have. The cause of the issue may be network- or account-related.

Problem #2: Galaxy S9 can’t receive all text messages from Verizon

2 days ago my S7 stopped allowing me to receive text messages from several people for the last 2 days. I’ve been back-and-forth to Sprint and upgraded my phone to an a S9. I am still unable to receive a great deal of messages. We have spoken to customer service Samsung directly and use the new app they provided for troubleshooting. Nothing has worked. Through today’s research we are realizing a lot of the messages I am missing are coming from Verizon customers. I am not sure why I’m not receiving their messages but they can receive mine.

Solution: Text messaging is a complicated process and involves a lot of moving parts. There are many factors to consider in troubleshooting your issue so there’s no direct way to know where the issue lies. It can be due a service disruption within your network, device, or in other third parties involved. If you’re not getting messages from VErizon users only, it’s possible that the cause is most likely outside your device and hence, beyond your ability to fix. It may be Verizon-specific that affects contacts you’re trying to get messages from. We suggest that you continue working with your network operator so they can narrow down possible factors. If they’ve already exhausted all possible troubleshooting on their end, the cause may be external. Make sure to let your contacts know that you’re having issues receiving their messages via other means. For instance, you can temporarily use third party apps like Facebook Messenger or other apps to let them know.

Problem #3: How to fix Galaxy S9 texting issue: unread messages not showing on top, missing badges on apps

I think cleaning my app caches & data screwed up my notifications… having issues with all social apps – IG, Snap, WhatsApp & my texting app. If several people have texted me, I now have to scroll through til I find unread ones, whereas before any contacts with unread messages showed up at the top. I have no idea how to change what settings to make it go back to doing that!

Also, unread messages on all social apps no longer show notifications on the app icon on the home screen once the app has been opened, even if no messages were read. I have gone through all my notification settings and just can’t figure this out. Please help?

Solution: Text messages may be sorted incorrectly if your phone’s date and time is incorrect. Make sure that you set your phone to use your network’s date and time so your messaging app will sort messages correctly (unread ones on top).

For your second issue (missing badges on apps), the problem may be caused by a corrupted system cache. Make sure to clear the cache partition to fix it. Here’s how:

Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key to highlight “wipe cache partition.”
Press the Power key to select.
Press the Volume down key to highlight “yes” and press the Power key to select.
When the wipe cache partition is complete, “Reboot system now” is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

If clearing the cache partition won’t work, you can also delete the data of BadgeProvider app. This app is responsible for all notifications including badges or numbers on icons. It’s possible that this app may have developed a bug. To fix it, you want to return it to its defaults. Here’s how:

Open Settings app.
Tap Apps.
Tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
Select Show system apps.
Find and tap your app.
Tap Storage.
Tap Clear Data button.
Restart your S9 and check for the problem.

Problem #4: Can’t sign in to Pokemon Go account in Galaxy S9

My father switched from an iPhone to the galaxy s9 today and we have been trying to log into his pokemon go account and every time that we try it does not work. So I tried to log in creating a new account to see if I can log out of that account to log into the actual account we wanted and while I was able to sign into the new account when it asked me to catch a pokemon it loses gps. I looked in the settings and it appeared that the app was allowed location. If you might be able to assist in this it would be appreciated. Tyler Carroll

Solution: You want to make sure that you are entering the correct username and password for your dad’s Pokemon Go account. This is the only logical explanation why you are unable to log in. If you are not sure of your dad’s email or password, we suggest that you visit Pokemon Go’s official troubleshooting site.

If you encounter other issues, make sure to contact the app developer directly for support.