iPhone blocking message images from non-iPhones

[statsman]

Our friend has a relatively new iPhone that for some reason started blocking images within messages sent from non-iPhone (Android) users. Text-only messages are fine, as is the text within a message that also contains an image.

What type of setting/app would be controlling this?

 

[braumeister]

They need to go into Settings/Messages and turn on MMS Messaging.

 

[sengsational]

"Blocking" implies intent. Do you have information indicating it's purposeful or could it just be incompatibility? My big family does lots of texting and for a decade, there's always been someone calling out problems between different phone types, glitchy behavior, etc. This is what you get when they all want to have a feature someone else doesn't have.

Everyone should use Signal anyway, then they won't be spied upon.

 

[statsman]

They need to go into Settings/Messages and turn on MMS Messaging.

They are not seeing this setting or the Group Messaging setting that is usually in this menu. It's a new iPhone, so maybe the latest OS placed this option somewhere else or eliminated it completely?

 

[braumeister]

They are not seeing this setting or the Group Messaging setting that is usually in this menu. It's a new iPhone, so maybe the latest OS placed this option somewhere else or eliminated it completely?

In the current iOS (14.6):

Go into Settings.
Scroll down to the Messages app and tap it.
Scroll down to the SMS/MMS section and toggle on "MMS Messaging"

 

[statsman]

In the current iOS (14.6):

Go into Settings.
Scroll down to the Messages app and tap it.
Scroll down to the SMS/MMS section and toggle on "MMS Messaging"

As I indicated, this option is not there on their iPhone. The owner is quite adapt at finding these types of settings, and it doesn't appear to be buried anywhere in an active menu.

They are on Google Fi, and reading further, it appears from the past couple of years they are not alone in having this issue with receiving MMS messages from Android users.

 

[braumeister]

They are on Google Fi,

That might be a clue. Google chat settings have been implicated sometimes.

Take a look at this:
https://piunikaweb.com/2021/01/25/apple-iphone-not-getting-texts-from-android-devices-reasons-solutions/

 

[statsman]

That might be a clue. Google chat settings have been implicated sometimes.

Take a look at this:
https://piunikaweb.com/2021/01/25/a...texts-from-android-devices-reasons-solutions/

That one appears to deal with text messaging (SMS). They are able to receive text messages from Android users, which includes my DW and I. It's just the images sent via MMS that aren't getting through.

One suggestion includes performing a Reset All Settings (Settings -> General -> Reset) and reboot. Far be it for me to suggest to anyone to wipe out their phone's customization. They may have no choice and see if this works.

 

[braumeister]

I have no other suggestions, other than to contact Apple support. Be sure they are using the most current iOS.

 

[cathy63]

As I indicated, this option is not there on their iPhone. The owner is quite adapt at finding these types of settings, and it doesn't appear to be buried anywhere in an active menu.

They are on Google Fi, and reading further, it appears from the past couple of years they are not alone in having this issue with receiving MMS messages from Android users.

There are some cellular network settings they need to update to allow MMS when using an iPhone on Google Fi: https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6205096?co=GENIE.Platform=iOS&hl=en&oco=1

These settings are updated automatically on Android phones when you install Fi, but the iPhone requires manual intervention and a restart. They should have seen instructions to do this when they installed the Fi app, but if they skipped this step or if they did it wrong, then that could explain the problem. Have them double check.

 

[statsman]

There are some cellular network settings they need to update to allow MMS when using an iPhone on Google Fi: https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6205096?co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS&hl=en&oco=1

These settings are updated automatically on Android phones when you install Fi, but the iPhone requires manual intervention and a restart. They should have seen instructions to do this when they installed the Fi app, but if they skipped this step or if they did it wrong, then that could explain the problem. Have them double check.

I've passed along the instructions. I will let you know what happens.

FYI, Firefox is barking about the above link (had to go to my backup browser, Vivaldi, to see it). Searching through Google Support on Firefox to find this page, I ended up with a slightly different link:

https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6205096?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=iOS&oco=0

Not sure why the one I have is fine with Firefox but yours isn't. Just in case anyone else stumbles upon this thread in the future.

 

[statsman]

That did the trick. Most of the fields listed in the Google Fi help page were blank. As you indicated, setup must not have been done completely. Thanks!

 

[cathy63]

That did the trick. Most of the fields listed in the Google Fi help page were blank. As you indicated, setup must not have been done completely. Thanks!

Great! Happy to help. (That's weird about Firefox not liking the link I posted. It's o.k. in Chrome for me.)