Can't Send or Receive Picture (MMS) or Group Texts on Android? How to Fix It

Plain texts go through, but picture (MMS) messages won’t send or download, or group texts arrive as separate one-to-one messages instead of one thread.

Why: MMS and group texts ride on mobile data (not Wi-Fi or plain SMS), so they break when data is off, when the group-MMS setting is disabled, or when the Messages app or APN settings get scrambled. These fixes go fastest-first.

Settings paths vary by maker (Samsung One UI vs Pixel). Wording below follows Google’s docs for the Google Messages app.

Fix 1: Turn on mobile data and check signal

MMS needs an active cellular data connection — it won’t download over Wi-Fi alone on most carriers.

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Mobile data (Samsung: Connections > Data usage) and turn Mobile data on.
2. Confirm you have signal and aren’t in airplane mode.
3. Reopen the message and tap Download on the picture; send a test picture to yourself.

Fix 2: Turn on group MMS

If group replies split into separate threads, the group-MMS setting is off. This is the specific fix for broken group texts.

1. In Google Messages, tap your profile/Menu > Messages settings > Advanced.
2. Tap Group messaging and choose Send an MMS reply to all recipients (group MMS).
3. Heads-up: MMS files can’t exceed about 8 MB (1 MB for international), so very large photos or videos may fail — send a smaller file or a link.

Fix 3: Confirm the default app, then clear the Messages cache

MMS only works through your default texting app, and a corrupted cache is a common cause of stuck downloads.

1. Set the default: Settings > Apps > Default apps > SMS app, and pick Messages (or your carrier’s app — just pick one).
2. Clear the cache: Settings > Apps > See all apps > Messages > Storage & cache > Clear cache.
3. Restart the phone and try sending again.

Fix 4: Reset APN settings

The APN tells the phone how to reach your carrier’s MMS server; a wrong or scrambled APN blocks all picture and group messages.

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs/Mobile network > Access Point Names (Samsung: Connections > Mobile networks > Access Point Names).
2. Tap the Menu (⋮) > Reset to default.
3. Restart, then send a test MMS. If it still fails, ask your carrier for the correct MMS APN values — they vary by network.

FAQ

Plain texts work but pictures never download. That’s the classic MMS-over-data problem: turn on mobile data (Fix 1) and tap Download on the message; if it persists, reset the APN (Fix 4).

Group replies come in as separate messages. Turn on group MMS (Fix 2) — that’s exactly what it controls.

It broke right after I switched from an iPhone. Turn off iMessage on the old phone (or deregister it) so your number routes texts to Android, then resend.

Sources: Google Messages Help — Fix problems sending, receiving, or connecting to Google Messages, Google Fi Help — I can’t send or receive text messages (SMS/MMS)