Issue with android phone sending MMS, but only when on home WiFi

By jnelsoninjax
in Smart Home, Network & Security

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Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
Posted

So this is truly a head scratcher to me. My mobile provider is Xfinity mobile, who is an mvno of Verizon, and ever sense I upgraded to my Pixel 4A (5G) I have been having issues while trying to send MMS messages, mainly they don't work (fail to send 9 out of 10 times) but if I shut off WiFi and just use mobile data, I have no problems at all sending MMS messages. My providers only solution is to reset network settings on the phone, which is pointless considering I bought the phone from them and only used their service, so resetting the network settings is pointless. But I have diagnosed the issue down to the home WiFi network, it only fails to send when on the home network. I am connected wireless to the 5GHZ WiFi, and even dropping to the 2.4GHZ does not resolve the issue. I am completely confused by this and can not begin to figure out what to look at. I have reset the modem and router a few times just to make sure that is not the issue, but it had not made any difference. The modem and router are both ones that we have purchased and do not belong to Xfinity. Everything else wired and wireless work flawlessly, so I can not fault the ISP in this situation, but it makes me really wonder why.

Grand Master

Mindovermaster Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted

This might be a long shot, but, here I go.

 

After reading this: https://community.t-mobile.com/accounts-services-4/mms-not-sending-10163

 

It might actually be your APN...

Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
  • Author
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 03:59, Mindovermaster said:

This might be a long shot, but, here I go.

 

After reading this: https://community.t-mobile.com/accounts-services-4/mms-not-sending-10163

 

It might actually be your APN...

Expand  

Not likely considering I have only used this phone on Xfinity and I have reset the network settings which would reset the APN

Grand Master

Mindovermaster Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 04:13, jnelsoninjax said:

Not likely considering I have only used this phone on Xfinity and I have reset the network settings which would reset the APN

Expand  

OH, OK, then I'm like you.. confused.

Proficient

devn00b

Posted
Posted

So i sorta have the same issue. Mine however, is when receiving with signal on wifi, MMS fails. If I turn off wifi click the MMS i receive it fine.

 

One thing I found that works on my wife's phone (I dont get many MMS so have yet to test) was from this website HERE.

 

Quick TLDR

1) Enable Developer Mode (Settings->click the build # several times to enable dev menu)

2) After doing that, scroll to the option that says “mobile data always active” and enable it.

3) Profit?

 

Hopefully that helps.

Grand Master

Nick H. Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted

Also, go into your Wifi settings, select the three dots and press on the advanced options. Make sure that "Switch to mobile data" it turned on. It will use your mobile data when the wifi connection is slow or unstable. Who knows, that might kick it in to gear...

Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
  • Author
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 04:42, devn00b said:

So i sorta have the same issue. Mine however, is when receiving with signal on wifi, MMS fails. If I turn off wifi click the MMS i receive it fine.

 

One thing I found that works on my wife's phone (I dont get many MMS so have yet to test) was from this website HERE.

 

Quick TLDR

1) Enable Developer Mode (Settings->click the build # several times to enable dev menu)

2) After doing that, scroll to the option that says “mobile data always active” and enable it.

3) Profit?

 

Hopefully that helps.

Expand  

That option was already enabled.

  On 11/06/2021 at 11:53, Nick H. said:

Also, go into your Wifi settings, select the three dots and press on the advanced options. Make sure that "Switch to mobile data" it turned on. It will use your mobile data when the wifi connection is slow or unstable. Who knows, that might kick it in to gear...

Expand  

That option is enabled as well. I need to point out that it is only on the home WiFi network that I have the issue. If I am in a store with WiFi it works just fine.

Grand Master

Nick H. Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 12:59, jnelsoninjax said:

I need to point out that it is only on the home WiFi network that I have the issue. If I am in a store with WiFi it works just fine.

Expand  

Ah, ok! I missed that bit, or thought that it had only been tested on home WiFi and mobile network, not another WiFi.

 

Do you have another mobile device that can send/receive MMS? Does it suffer the same issue?

Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
  • Author
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 13:13, Nick H. said:

Ah, ok! I missed that bit, or thought that it had only been tested on home WiFi and mobile network, not another WiFi.

 

Do you have another mobile device that can send/receive MMS? Does it suffer the same issue?

Expand  

The other two people in the house with phones do not seem to have the issue, and they are on different providers, and both are using Pixel 3's. The last time I spoke with Xfinity mobile about this issue they suggested that I should contact Google regarding the issue as they stated that everything is fine on the network side, but this was prior to my diagnosing the issue down to the home WiFi

Grand Master

Mindovermaster Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 16:03, jnelsoninjax said:

The other two people in the house with phones do not seem to have the issue, and they are on different providers, and both are using Pixel 3's. The last time I spoke with Xfinity mobile about this issue they suggested that I should contact Google regarding the issue as they stated that everything is fine on the network side, but this was prior to my diagnosing the issue down to the home WiFi

Expand  

That's their fault, not Google's sheesh..

 

Was it working before you switched to your Pixel 4? Or weren't you using Xfinity prior?

Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
  • Author
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 17:22, Mindovermaster said:

That's their fault, not Google's sheesh..

 

Was it working before you switched to your Pixel 4? Or weren't you using Xfinity prior?

Expand  

Yes it was working with the Pixel 3a XL, I never noticed the issue until I started using the 4.

Grand Master

Brandon H Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted

sounds like a bug with the Pixel 4 then to me; like the toggle for Wi-Fi Calling in the menu isn't being respected.

 

I'd report it to google if you haven't already. maybe they already have a fix in the works that just hasn't been pushed out yet

Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
  • Author
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 17:35, Brandon H said:

sounds like a bug with the Pixel 4 then to me; like the toggle for Wi-Fi Calling in the menu isn't being respected.

 

I'd report it to google if you haven't already. maybe they already have a fix in the works that just hasn't been pushed out yet

Expand  

WiFi calling works just fine, it is just MMS and just on our network, if I switch to mobile network or use any other public WiFi it works fine. Regardless of where the problem is, how would I go about reporting this issue to Google?

Grand Master

Brandon H Supervisor

Posted
  • Supervisor
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 17:38, jnelsoninjax said:

WiFi calling works just fine, it is just MMS and just on our network, if I switch to mobile network or use any other public WiFi it works fine. Regardless of where the problem is, how would I go about reporting this issue to Google?

Expand  

that's kind of what I'm getting at though, maybe the MMS protocol isn't honoring the setting causing it to not auto toggle itself to mobile data like it should

 

bugs and issues about pixel devices can be reported with the info here https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/6398243?hl=en

 

definitely odd and since it seems isolated to your device it makes me think maybe a firmware issue with the Pixel 4 rom in combination with something on your network blocking MMS traffic on it.

The 2 other devices on your network as well as your last phone may have been auto toggling themselves to mobile data for MMS if there's something with your network.

 

that's my thought process at least for what may be up

Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
  • Author
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 17:43, Brandon H said:

that's kind of what I'm getting at though, maybe the MMS protocol isn't honoring the setting causing it to not auto toggle itself to mobile data like it should

 

bugs and issues about pixel devices can be reported with the info here https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/6398243?hl=en

 

definitely odd and since it seems isolated to your device it makes me think maybe a firmware issue with the Pixel 4 rom in combination with something on your network blocking MMS traffic on it.

The 2 other devices on your network as well as your last phone may have been auto toggling themselves to mobile data for MMS if there's something with your network.

 

that's my thought process at least for what may be up

Expand  

OK, thanks for the link, I submitted feedback via the phone and also posted a question in the forum. Perhaps I will get a response.

Grand Master

Mindovermaster Global Moderator

Posted
  • Global Moderator
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 17:56, jnelsoninjax said:

OK, thanks for the link, I submitted feedback via the phone and also posted a question in the forum. Perhaps I will get a response.

Expand  

Let us know, bud. :)

Grand Master

jnelsoninjax

Posted
  • Author
Posted
  On 11/06/2021 at 18:36, Mindovermaster said:

Let us know, bud. :)

Expand  

Yeah , not a problem, I want this resolved and will gladly share the fix (if any)

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