How to send picture messages (MMS) from your iPhone

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
The iPhone supports SMS-based text messages, not MMS messages, and therefore does not natively support picture messages. That doesn't mean picture messaging is impossible, explain the folks over at Art of the iPhone.



They've posted a short workaround that takes advantage of the hidden email address used by mobile phones to facilitate text messaging. To obtain the text messaging email address of your mobile phone, or your friend's mobile phone, check the list of email domains for the various US wireless carriers (below).



Alternatively, you can have your friend send an MMS message to your real email address (such as a .mac or gmail account). Their phone's text messaging email address will be the one listed in the "From:" field, which you can then add to your iPhone's contact list for quick messaging capabilities.



You're now ready to send your first iPhone MMS message. Simply select a photo from your iPhone's Photo Album, drop it into a new email message, and address the email to your friend's text-messaging email.



Text messaging email addresses for US carriers



The Xs should be replaced with your friend's 10 digit mobile phone number:



Alltel = [email protected]

Amp’d Mobile = [email protected]

AT&T = [email protected]

Boost Mobile = [email protected]

Cingular (AT&T) = [email protected]

Einstein PCS = [email protected]

Nextel = [email protected]

Sprint = [email protected] or [email protected]

T-Mobile = [email protected]

US Cellular = [email protected]

Verizon Wireless = [email protected]

Virgin Mobile = [email protected]

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    I've had absolutely no luck with this.
  • Reply 2 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I've had absolutely no luck with this.



    Seriously? I've used email to send non-pix messages for ages. Never had a need to send pix messages. It isn't always instantaneous though. Sometimes the txt will come through a good 5 to 10 minutes later, not sure why. Rarely more than 5 minutes late though.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    [Edit]
  • Reply 4 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by technosmurf View Post


    I may be wrong on this since I've never used this method before, but I thought that there were several significant disadvantages to sending SMS messages to a friend's email gateway:

    - your message doesn't have your phone number attached, so they can't instantly reply to your message using their phone

    - the mobile provider inserts their own message at the beginning of your SMS (something like "this message sent to you by Verizon Email Link" or something like that), so that eats into your 160 character limit.



    This is about MMS not SMS, I think it's very cool if it works. Anyone have a list of the UK addresses?
  • Reply 5 of 12
    You realize how much easier this would be if we had copy and paste...or if it was already integrated into the phone.
  • Reply 6 of 12
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Has anyone gotten this to work? I haven't.

  • Reply 7 of 12
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    I never used MMS in my life, but I'd be the first to admit how ridiculous this whole thing is. Apple; add it and allow it to be turned off, God damn this is stupid.
  • Reply 8 of 12
    [Edit]
  • Reply 9 of 12
    Yes it does work. I can confirm it works with the verizon address, T mobile address, and the AT&T address. I tried all 3 of these providers MMS emails myself with friends and family and they all worked. I wish the iPhone had copy/paste so I could save all the address' rather than remembering them. Anyway I have an example Photo I hope the link works but this is the best way I have found of saving the eamils so you can use them whenever to send pictures.





    Save as an email address but when it gives you the option to label it as Home/Mobile I added custom 'MMS' and after that the option is always there. It does take 5-10 minutes before the recipient can view it. When you have a picture you want to send you click (email photo) then type the beginning of the phone number in the recipient field when it asks who you want to send it to and if its saved in your phone as it is in this example you should see the name pop up so you can select it quickly and easily.



    NVM the link i previously posted does not work. Does any body know how I post pictures with my post here on apple insider? I wanted to give you a picture showing how I did it on my phone but I don't know how.
  • Reply 10 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Daniel0418 View Post


    Yes it does work. I can confirm it works with the verizon address, T mobile address, and the AT&T address. I tried all 3 of these providers MMS emails myself with friends and family and they all worked. I wish the iPhone had copy/paste so I could save all the address' rather than remembering them. Anyway I have an example Photo I hope the link works but this is the best way I have found of saving the eamils so you can use them whenever to send pictures.





    Save as an email address but when it gives you the option to label it as Home/Mobile I added custom 'MMS' and after that the option is always there. It does take 5-10 minutes before the recipient can view it. When you have a picture you want to send you click (email photo) then type the beginning of the phone number in the recipient field when it asks who you want to send it to and if its saved in your phone as it is in this example you should see the name pop up so you can select it quickly and easily.



    NVM the link i previously posted does not work. Does any body know how I post pictures with my post here on apple insider? I wanted to give you a picture showing how I did it on my phone but I don't know how.



    Daniel:

    Just tried your suggestion and awaiting to see if it works. Nice idea about saving this as an email!!





    Edit:

    The attempt failed. Daniel - clearly I'm doing something wrong here.







    Have no idea how to post a photo and hope someone tells you how.



    When solipsism can't do something, that is a bad sign.



    Did try the ATT address yet it came back as failed. Note: I replaced real phone number below with xxxx's.



    ----------------

    Final-Recipient: RFC822; <[email protected]>

    Action: failed

    Status: 5.1.1

    Remote-MTA: dns; localhost.localdomain (127.0.0.1)

    Diagnostic-Code: smtp; 550 Invalid recipient: <[email protected]>

    ------------

    It was interesting to see this rerouted to a cingularme.com address.
  • Reply 11 of 12
    I use this method of sending and receiving MMS messages from all my friends and it works fine except for Sprint. I receive MMS from Sprint phones but cannot send to them. Well, my iphone does send them to the address but they never receive them. I've also noticed when you receive an MMS from a Sprint phone it doesn't come from the phone number but rather an email address assigned to the phone by Sprint. For instance if John Smith sends me an MMS and his number is 1234567890 instead of [email protected] it comes from [email protected]. Regardless if I try to send to either his number at that address or the email address his MMS comes from, he doesn't receive my MMS. I've also tried using the @messaging.sprintpcs.com version. Nothing works. Anybody know of specific issues with Sprint and a workaround?
  • Reply 12 of 12
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dherweck View Post


    I use this method of sending and receiving MMS messages from all my friends and it works fine except for Sprint. I receive MMS from Sprint phones but cannot send to them. Well, my iphone does send them to the address but they never receive them. I've also noticed when you receive an MMS from a Sprint phone it doesn't come from the phone number but rather an email address assigned to the phone by Sprint. For instance if John Smith sends me an MMS and his number is 1234567890 instead of [email protected] it comes from [email protected]. Regardless if I try to send to either his number at that address or the email address his MMS comes from, he doesn't receive my MMS. I've also tried using the @messaging.sprintpcs.com version. Nothing works. Anybody know of specific issues with Sprint and a workaround?



    I don't remember where I found this info a few nights ago--but if you are using a Yahoo account to send from iPhone to Sprint it seems to be the problem. I just added my Gmail account and sent to the [email protected] addy and it worked. Am getting ready to try sending to a Nextel and Verizon and see if it works (those didn't work with Yahoo for me). I have been able to send to TMobile and ATT.
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