Samsung and Verizon MMS and SMS is useless. Look elsewhere. Carrier Specific.

[trcoppol123]

Known issue amongst every samsung and Verizon device. Please check out related articles. No answers from verizon, hours of run of the mill useless support, and no ownership/accountability.

https://community.verizon.com/t5/Android-General/Texts-stuck-quot-sending-quot-pictures-quot-downloa...

https://community.verizon.com/t5/Verizon-Messages/messages-stuck-quot-sending-quot-when-I-text-in-mm...

Tried on all messaging apps (Verizon Messages+, Samsung Default, Google Messages). Have cleared the data and cache, restarted phone, deleted old messages and nothing. Verizon support takes an hour to tell you to try to clear data and cahce and restart the phone....thanks.

Unbelievable.

[AARKOV7]

This has been happening to me for well over a year and I hit a dead end with Verizon every time.  Called them, got multiple people on the phone.  Nothing.  Did tech support through via text.  Even got to "Level III" support and they didn't have an answer.

My details:

Samsung S9

When I try sending MMS texts, it's almost like I get throttled.  If I have a group chat going, after a decent amount of texts come through, when I try replying in the group all my texts will say "sending."  I've actually identified there's a consistent time lapse.  It takes exactly 15 minutes to pass from the start when my MMS texts get stopped, then all of my MMS texts will send at once after those 15 minutes.  It's 15 minutes on the dot every single time.

During those 15 minutes, if I try sending SMS texts, they work.  If a MMS text to an individual, that doesn't work.

It's a running joke with my friends bc they know when my texts are stuck as the group chat continues and I've stopped responding, then 15 mins later they get a flurry of texts all at once.

I did all the usual playbook nonsense they recommended, clear cache, uninstall app, etc etc.  They told me I should upgrade my phone lol.

This is definitely not a phone issue since every other message app does the same, except for "internet" based ones like FB messenger, Telegram, etc where you're not texting a number, but sending messages over the internet.  This is a Verizon service issue they can't fix or at least identify there is a problem.

How they can't look at their service and see it actually happening is baffling.  I even had people on the phone or in chat while it was happening so they can try seeing it and they couldn't identify there was an issue.

Been a Verizon customer since 2003 and I'm getting ready to switch carriers.  I doubt spending $1K on a new phone will fix this.

[vzw_customer_support]

We definitely understand the importance of being able to utilize group messaging without any delays. I am aware this issue happens two times most often, one is if the messaging log is full, not just clearing the cache and cookies, but the actual log. This can create a lag in the time receiving the messages. The other situation I have seen this issue happen is when it's not all Androids in the group. Though I know it is common for separate users that use more than one type of brand of phone in a group, this is a know issue with both Apple and Android for group messaging regardless of provider. 

The two tests I would recommend is first putting a small group of people who are known Android users in a group, and seeing if they all receive and you can send messages without issue to them, if this seems to work you can continue to add them in until you see where the problem begins.

The other method we generally don't want to recommend, and it is an issue I personally had, where my message log was so full, it created a lag issue in some messaging services. That would be to clear the actual messaging history, as the whole thing due to the size can slow down a device. This issue does not happen as common this day and age as most phones can sustain a much larger abundance of messages, so I would recommend attempting to first option to see if it is a compatibility issues between Androids an iPhones. Please let us know if this information helps.

*Gert

[AARKOV7]

What I don't understand then is:

- Why do I never hear any iPhone users having the same problem?

- No other android users in my group texts have this issue where we have iPhone users

- There's been no triage done on specificity of phone / service / platform?

With all due respect, seems silly how such vague info is known on your own platform across phones that must be tailored to it.

[vzw_customer_support]

We thank you for that additional information and can understand your concern. Do you know of any other Android users in the group having the same phone using the same app? Without being able to verify the specific details, we wouldn't be able to answer why it is not happening on other phones. If it is an issue where it is happening, then we can narrow down what each device have in common other than it being an Android phone.

-Candice

[AARKOV7]

I just got a brand new Samsung S22 hoping it would solve the problem and it still does the same thing.  I mean come on, it's a $1000 phone that can't handle group texts?

My other friend who has a Google Pixel phone using Verizon does not have the same problem I do.

It's not an app thing.  I've used every app possible and the same issue exists.  Happens even on wifi.  This a problem on your service on how you send/receive messages.

I mentioned this to your rep at the Verizon store and he said it's Apple.  How can you have Apple products that don't work properly on your platform?

[vzw_customer_support]

Having your MMS go through is always essential. I'm sorry you're still having this issue. Did he mention in what way Apple was the issue here? Is this the same with anyone you're messaging?

-Andrew

[nightguy13]

Let's play "Divert the issue at hand and place blame on everything else"... Classic Verizon mantra. They won't fix anything, it's not message caching or message logs. That's a big ball of bologna. Nothing ever gets "too full". This happened on my s21 within an hour of buying it. Went to Verizon and they put in a ticket. Still no productive response from Verizon. 

Every thread that's opened with this issue they ways "offer more assistance in private messages" but when you receive those messages, there's never a solution.

You can see there are hundreds of threads open about the exact same issue dating all the way back to 2015. Fix ittttttt. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Nobody likes an issue diverted. When this occurs & the device is disconnected from wifi, what does your phone display as a signal(5G, 4G/LTE, 3G, 1X)?

-Joey

[AARKOV7]

5G or 4G depending on the coverage

[nightguy13]

They will never give a solution or tell you they don't have one. They will simply go around and around asking dumb questions that have nothing to do with the actual issue. MMS and Group texting on Android devices do not work on Verizon network due to the network ddos prevention measures. It thinks quick firing group texts that are between iphone and Android users are attacks and limit them after a certain amount. It will stop all MMS activity for 15 minutes on the dot. Then it will resume... But if you have a lot of MMS messages to receive that you missed while throttled, then it will keep blocking your traffic in 15 minutes blips until you stop receiving messages or it gets caught up.

I went a whole day in a work chat, our service in the office was down and we were communicating via group texts... Me and two other people had s21 uktras from Verizon and ended up not getting any of the correspondences from our coworkers. 

I had to communicate by switching my group texts to single messages so I would receive sms messages instead of MMS. My messages app looked like I was on a spam list. 🤦

[Drum916]

Just for funsies I got on with Verizon help Chat and also got no resolution. I did copy and share the link to this thread and the agent said they would open a ticket with their engineers. Excuse the eye roll, but a quick internet search reveals pages and pages of articles mentioning the mms issues Verizon has had since way back in 2016.

We have resorted to moving over to Whatsapp (also uses data by the way) to fluidly send and receive group messages - gifs, pictures, even videos with no problem. Do note that I nor other Samsung users can send pictures to a single recipient without significant delay. We have a pixel user in our midst and her messages will lock up in chatty group mms threads on verizon as well so this kills the device specific b***sh** as well.

We've all used the same apps, different apps, different platforms, blah, blah - and the only consistency is the crapshoot that is sending mms over verizon's network.

[Drum916]

As an update, the day after I posted this I received a text message from a Verizon tech telling me to add that number and one other to a group message and attempt to send messages. I did so and after 1 message the tech said something to the effect of, "Looks like you're not having any trouble sending messages." I then proceeded to send gif and message after message to this group chat until it quickly and promptly froze. I never heard another peep from the tech in that chat - it's been over 10 days. Maybe the messages are still locked up? More than likely they've abandoned helping me. Just last night I was trying to send a single picture to two other non-Verizon contacts and it sat at sending for hours on my end. On their end, they received the picture 6 times. Other providers look more and more attractive every day.   

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello Drum916. We know the importance obe being able to send picture messages. We surely don't want to lose your business over this. You mentioned that your filed a ticket with our Network Engineers. Please send us a Private Note so we can take another look into this for you. 

Tanisha VZW_S

[Drum916]

Who I am guessing are your network engineers keep repeating the process explained above. A number will text me, tell me to add them and several other numbers to a group chat and proceed to send pictures. They reply that all pictures were received. How do they know how many I sent? How do they know when they were sent/how long it sat as sending before finally going through? They don't and the replies come off as condescending. To add injury to insult, once they say they've received all the pictures, they go silent and mark the ticket as resolved.

No one seems to understand or want to acknowledge that this has been a network problem since 2016 - a very simple internet search and even Verizon's own message boards will show that. Having a laggy group text chat with me where you keep telling me you are receiving my messages does not resolve this. You cannot see that I've been locked out of the group chat on your end, which happens every time. This is not phone or account specific so sending me a PM or text message does nothing to address the much larger issue here. My ATT friends don't have this issue. My T-Mobile friends don't have this issue. Just me and my Verizon friends.

[AARKOV7]

In the last two months since I've posted here, the issue seems to have gotten even worse.  Even SMS messages to single people are getting messed up.

I'm absolutely dumb founded in 2022 there could be so many issues with simply texting.  I had an easier time with flip phones with sending group texts, MMS, etc.  Truly amazing we have $1000 phones on 5G networks struggling to send/receive texts like this.

I've been with Verizon since 2004 and I'm just about on the brink to leave over technology that should be boiler plate at this point.

I've heard from Verizon people that it's an Apple issue.  Not sure if they mean on Verizon network or Apple in general, but I was told it's how Apple has to convert Android messages and that's what triggers that 15min delay.

But then I have friends with Android devices on Verizon who don't have issues so it doesn't seem like a global issue.

Verizon - How can you seriously allow this to happen for so long without any resolution?  We're talking about TEXT MESSAGES, not some abstract new technology we're trying to use.  Totally ridiculous.

[AARKOV7]

Is Verizon going to continue ignoring this like it isn't happening?

[strakerc]

It's 2023 and this issue still exists. Just in case anyone else reads this and is wondering...

[vzw_customer_support]

We're sorry to hear that you're still having issues. We'll send you a Private Note shortly.

~Jesse

[09upda]

I have this same issue multiple times a day.

Spoke to multiple techs multiple time and you get the same scripted answer.

If I remember correctly, Verizon refuses to upgrade their MMS protocol.  This is the only way they can market their mms app (message +).

[AARKOV7]

He said it's how Apple throttles and queues messages on your system.

But regardless what he said, he's just a sales rep.  Since there are no answers anywhere, I'll take any theory as gospel.  Your technical people should be able to address this rather easily.

Please read my earlier reply in this thread for all the details.  Many people are experiencing the same thing.

My flip phones back in the day handled group messages/MMS texts better than this.