When an Android device cannot download a file attached to an MMS or multimedia message, it displays a ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error. It also suggests trying and downloading the attachment later. If you are in a rush and need that attachment, this message can be quite puzzling and worrisome. However, you can easily solve it. 

Usually, this message appears as a pop-up at the bottom of the screen and gradually fades away. Even though this error is not concerning to the overall functioning of your phone, it can get annoying. This error often pops up again and again and again. You could be doing anything on other apps, and this message will pop up. 

There are many reasons for this ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message.’ However, they can be easily fixed. Read ahead to find out the causes and the solutions. 

What is MMS?

Multimedia Messaging Service is often referred to as MMS, and its main purpose is to help transfer over or move multimedia documents across the network and to different users. You can easily send and receive such documents whenever you want. Many also consider MMS to be the best way to send pictures and other media files through text messages.

In modern times, many alternatives have been developed. Whatsapp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger are a few popular ones. However, despite other options, many people still prefer to use MMS. They reason that it has all the necessary features needed. 

Like all other messaging platforms, MMS can also run into a few issues, that may impair its functioning. The main one that bothers people is the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error that appears mostly on Android phones. 

Let us look at what causes this ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error to occur.

What causes MMS attachments to not download?

When your MMS phone can’t download pictures in text messages on your Android phone, and it is constantly bombarding you with the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error, before solving it, it is important that you understand why the error has occurred. If you do so, you will be able to prevent it from happening again. 

One of the most common reasons for MMS not being able to download attachments and showing the error message is due to a poor internet connection. When your internet connection is not stable, the messages aren’t able to load, and MMS continuously sends the error message in an effort to correct the issue. Another reason is the cache data of an app and your phone. When the cache of your phone is full, MMS has no place to store the attachments being sent to you. Therefore, it shows the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error. Corrupted or outdated PRL and profile can also cause this issue to arise and for MMS to bombard you with error messages.

Now that we know the causes of the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message,’ let us move on to the solution.

Solutions for Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message

If MMS is showing the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message,’ there are a few solutions that you can use to fix the problem that does not need you to be highly skilled and knowledgeable about MMS. Here are the solutions.

Changing the Network or the Network Mode

If you are using Wi-Fi to access the internet and run MMS and it is showing the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error, you could try and switch up the network you are using. Furthermore, if the Wi-Fi calling option is not activated, you won’t be able to download the MMS attachment. The solution is to turn off your Wi-Fi and change your network mode to mobile data. Here is how to do so.

• Unlock your phone using the necessary passcode or pin, then use your finger to slide down from the top of the screen. Some quick access options should pop up.
• Tap the Wi-Fi sign to turn it off.
• Next, tap on Mobile Data to enable it.
• When the mobile data connection, try to download the attachment again.
• If the error is still present, open the Settings of your phone.
• In settings, tap the More option.
• Then, tap the Mobile Network option.
• Next, tap on Preferred Network Mode.
• There will be several options. Try them all out and see which option resolves the MMS issue.

Disable or Enable the Auto-Retrieve MMS Setting

Your phone has an Auto-retrieve feature that enables your phone to automatically download multimedia from various different messaging applications. This feature allows for text message downloading and media downloading without you having to do it manually. However, for your phone to do this, auto-retrieve has to be enabled. When it is, you will not even have to tap on the media to download it, and it will do so automatically. 

To resolve your issue, you can disable or enable this feature to see whether or not it was causing the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error. Here is how to do it.

• Open Messages and tap on the Menu.
• From here, tap on the Settings
• Here, there will be an option to disable the Auto Retrieve feature. Disable it if it was enabled.
• Restart your phone.

Once your phone has restarted, try downloading the attachment and see if the issue is fixed.

Disable the Package Disabler

Another solution to the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error is to disable the package disabler or any other similar service. Package Disabler is used to block bloatware apps. However, sometimes it blocks useful apps as well. If the package disabler is on and the Disable Bloatwareoption is on as well, your MMS attachments may have been misrecognized and blocked. To solve the problem, follow the steps below.

• Tap on the Package Disabler widget. If it is enabled, it will be red, and when you tap on it, it will turn blue.
• Once it is blue, open up MMS and see if you can download the attachment.

Re-booting your Phone

If your MMS keeps showing the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error, you can also try rebooting your phone. This is mostly the first thing you should try when you come across any kind of error or bug. Re-booting your phone is a sure-fire way of removing it. Rebooting also helps resolve any glitches within your phone as well. Here is how to reboot your phone to get rid of any kind of glitches that may be causing this error. 

• Press the Power button of your phone and hold it down. The power menu should open up. 
• Tap the Restart or Reboot option.
• Wait for the phone to restart.

Check and see whether or not the attachments have been downloaded.

Enable the Download Booster

The Download Booster allows you to download large files, mostly 30 megabytes or larger, faster. It does so by using both Wi-Fi and mobile data. The ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ may occur if there is a glitch in the network, and the Download Booster can help in this situation.

To enable Download Booster, follow the steps below.

• Turn on both, Wi-Fi and mobile data
• Open up the Settings of your phone and navigate to Connections.
• Here, tap on More Connection Settings.
• There will be an option that states Download Booster.
• Enable this option and restart your device.

Once your phone has restarted, check to see if the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error has disappeared.

Clear Cache and Data for MMS Service

MMS services make use of cache to perform their functions. If your MMS attachment is not downloading, there is a possibility that the cache or data is corrupted. When message downloading fails, it is best to clear the cache and data of the service. This may help solve the problem. Here is how to do it.

• Open the settings of your phone from the home screen.
• Tap on the Apps option.
• From here, navigate to the More button, which is located at the bottom of the screen. There will be an option to Show System. Tap on it.
• Next, you have to tap on MMS Service.
• Then you have to tap on Storage.
• There will be an option to Clear Cache and Clear Data. Choose both of them.
• Then, you have to restart your phone.

Once your phone has restarted, check and see if the MMS attachments have downloaded.

Clear the Cache Partition 

The Android OS uses a cache partition that is separate from the app cache of MMS. If you are faced with the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error or the 

‘message expired or not available’ message, you can probably resolve it by clearing out the cache partition. Once you have done so, restart your smartphone. This step helps get rid of any possible bugs. When your phone has restarted, check to see if the error pop-up is gone.

Disabling the IPV6 Protocol

IPV6 protocol was originally to allow more flexibility as compared to the IPV4 protocol. However, this protocol may cause problems when enabled and the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ can pop up. Here, disabling the IPV6 can easily resolve this issue. To do so, follow these steps.

• Navigate to the settings of your router. You can do so by using the IP address that is given on the back of the router.
• Check to see if you can download MMS messages.

Changing the Messaging Application

If your MMS is causing way too much trouble, you can change up your messaging application. Sometimes the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ is because of the messaging app you are using and changing it may help solace the problem. There are many apps that you can use like; Messages, Textra, and others. However, if you are using a 3rd party messaging app, you will have to switch to the default messaging app on your device. To do so, follow these steps.

• Open the Settings of your phone.
• Tap in the Application Manager.
• From here, tap on the More button. 
• Tap on Configure Apps next. 
• Tap in the SMS App next.
• A list of apps will open up. From here, select the app that you have downloaded to use as your default messaging too.

Once the changes have been made, check and see if the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error has been resolved. 

Reinstalling and Resetting the Carrier or APN Settings

Another option to fix the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error is to reinstall the carrier or fix the APN settings. Our phones use an Access Point Name or APN to connect to the internet. IF the APN Settings on your phone are not valid, you won’t be able to access the MMS attachments. Here is how to reinstall and reset the carrier settings.

• Open up the settings of your phone
• Tap on the More option
• Open up the Mobile network and navigate to Access Point Names.
• Next, tap on Menu and when the option pops up, tap on Reset to Default.
• Check and see whether or not the problem is solved. 
• If it is not solved, open up the Access Points Names settings. From here, delete all the unnecessary APNs.
• Add in a new APN.
• If your MMS settings messages are saved, you can make use of those messages to add APNs.

When you have completed these steps, check and see if the ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error is resolved. 

Updating the Profile and Preferred Roaming List 

The ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ error can also arise when the data profile of your device or the Preferred Roaming List database is corrupt. In such a situation, there would be an invalid PRL profile, and your phone may not download the MMS attachments. If that occurs, you need to update the profile and the PRL to solve the issue. Here is how to do it.

• Open the Settings of your phone.
• Navigate to the About phone.
• Here, tap on Systems.
• Next, tap on Update Profile.
• Then, tap on Update on PRL. 

Once you have completed these steps, restart your phone. The MMS issue should be resolved. 

Factory Reset

When none of the above methods works, you can try this method as a last resort. When you factory reset your phone, all the data and the settings will be deleted. Take care to back up all your essential files before you do this. 

Here is how to factory reset your phone.

• Go to Settings
• Tao on the Systems option
• From here, tap on Advanced.
• Then, tap on the Reset options. From there, Tap on Erase All the Data.
• An option to Reset Phone will pop up. Select it.

FAQ

What does MMS messaging mean?

MMS means Multimedia Messaging Service. It allows you to send attachments like videos, pictures, links, emojis, etc. Whenever you send a message that includes any of these, it is an MMS.

Why is my MMS not working on android?

The most common reason why MMS stops working on Android is because of connectivity issues. If your phone’s internet connection is not strong enough, you won’t be able to send or receive any MMS messages. Therefore, you could either fix the network connection or switch to mobile data to get it to work again.

How to download text messages from android?

If you want to download your text messages from your android phone, one way to do so is to convert them into a PDF. Follow the steps below to convert your text messages into a PDF.

• Download Droid Transfer
• Connect your phone to the app.
• Click on the Messages feature in the app.
• Select with chat you want to save.
• Click the Save PDF option.

How Do I Get to MMS Settings?

MMS options are typically found in the Messaging or Applications sections of the options menu. Depending on the device you are using, you may need to look under a separate menu option to locate the MMS settings.

MMS settings are usually accessible by going to the Settings menu, choosing Messaging or Applications, then scrolling until you find MMS settings. The MMS settings menu lets you enter the information required for MMS to function correctly, such as your carrier’s MMS gateway address.

Why am I receiving the Failed to Download Attachments From Multimedia Message error message?

If you deactivate Wi-Fi calling on your smartphone, the failed to download attachments from multimedia message error is going to appear. You can make use of your Wi-Fi connection instead of the cellular connection to transmit text messages and make video calls with this choice. 

Your network supplier could also cause this error, so try using a different SIM card. If the problem is originating from your phone, you might have a corrupt cache of the MMS service. It is also conceivable that the APN configuration needs to be corrected. 

Furthermore, the error could be caused purely by the messaging app that you are using. Despite the point that a variety of variables may have contributed to the error, correcting it should not be difficult.

Conclusion

The ‘Failed to Download Attachment from Multimedia Message’ can be quite bothersome as your phone makes it a point to remind you that it is not working every time you pick up your phone or do something on it. Fortunately, there are many solutions that you can try out to solve this issue. Follow the solutions in the article above to resolve this issue. One of them should help solve the constant pop-ups and allow MMS to download the attachments.

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