AT&T iPhone MMS Arrives Today -- Here's a Walkthrough!
Today's the day everyone on AT&T has been waiting for -- MMS lands now. Well, now-ish, because AT&T is doing a rolling roll-out, and we'll see how the network holds up.
AT&T MMS Update: We know you’ve been eager for this service so we wanted to offer a quick update on the launch plans for MMS on Friday, Sept. 25. Late morning, Pacific Time, on Friday, the new carrier settings update enabling MMS should be live and ready to download through iTunes. We’ll provide the steps and all of the details you need right here at that time.
If you're waiting for MMS to come your way -- whether to use or just to check off your AT&T bucket list -- check out our MMS for iPhone walkthrough after the break so you're ready when yours lights up. And when it does light up, let us know when and where in the comments so we can cheer (and those nearby can lose their minds with anticipointment!)
iPhone 3.0/3.1 MMS Walkthrough
Messages is the new SMS, and is renamed to signify the addition of MMS (multi-media messaging service). It allows, in the case of the new iPhone OS 3.0 software, for you to receive, vCards (contacts), audio, location, and -- for iPhone 3GS only -- video to be sent using the Messages interface to any other smartphone or feature-phone that supports MMS and those file types.
Once you receive an MMS, you can tap the icon in the message bubble to get a better look at it. In the case of a contact, you'll see a page similar to what you get when you call up a contact in Phone, except at the very bottom you'll have extra, saving and sharing related options that we'll cover later in the Phone app section.
Location opens in Google Maps as you'd expect, audio and video in iPod, and images pop up full screen where you can tap the share icon to Save Image -- but strangely not re-share it...
When it comes to sending MMS, only picture sending can be initiated from within the Messages app itself. Everything else starts a "share" function from another app (i.e. Share Contact is in Contacts, Share Location is in Google Maps, Share Audio is in Voice Recorder, etc.)
There are two ways to insert a picture into MMS. The first is to tap the camera icon, bottom right. A requester will ask if you want to Take Photo or Choose Existing. Take Photo will call up an embedded version of the Camera app. Frame your picture, tap the camera icon, look at the preview and either hit Retake to try again or Use to insert the picture into your MMS window. (If you want to erase it later, just backspace over it like you would a text character you want to delete)
Choose Existing will call up an image picker (like the Photo App). Pick an Album, pick a picture, and tap Choose to confirm.
The second way to insert a picture into MMS is to paste it...
The new, system-wide Cut, Copy, and Paste service has also been introduced into Messages. It works in a similar way to the implementation in the Notes app, and we'll cover it more fully there. One difference is that double tapping a previous SMS will give you the Copy popup allowing you to duplicate the entire contents of the SMS to the clipboard. Tapping on an empty entry box will launch the Paste popup, so you can stick the contents back down in an message of your own. If the entry box already contains text, double tapping will select the closest word, and double tapping an holding will select the closet word and popup the loupe.
Again, we'll cover this more fully in the section for the Notes app.
Messages also now includes line-item deletion and forwarding. Tap the Edit button at the top right, select the messages you want -- as many of them as you want -- and then hit the red Delete button at the bottom, or the blue Forward button beside it. Edit still isn't the most elegant name for the combination of deletion and forwarding, mind you, but the functionality is consistent with the Mass Edit feature introduced for Mail in iPhone 2.0.
Lastly, Apple has also answered the call for pervasive landscape-style keyboards, and Messages is one of the text-entry apps that received it. For those who want a Cadillac-wide typing experience, enjoy!
(Note to Apple: a way to "lock" the iPhone in portrait or landscape mode would be appreciated, especially when typing while reclining and every little angle change sends the UI spinning.)
Still no MMS for AT&T users. That's being released on September 25 (though whether it will require an iPhone 3.1.1 update, or just a new carrier file is unknown).
With iPhone 3.1 you can tap the action button at bottom, left to save them to the camera roll, just like you could previously do with pictures under iPhone 3.0.
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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Yes!!!! My poor blk life will never be the same again!!! Thank you AT&Crap!!!
I'll be checking... And checking..... And checking....
If MMS has that much effect on your life then you have significantly more problems than AT&T not having MMS.
Yea I wish the iPhone had a "lock in landscape or portait setting" cause when Im laying in the bed I get tired of the phone screen rotating everytime I turn or move.
I have hope that AT&T will pull this off with ease, but a voice keeps telling me not to expect to have data service - or service at all - for the better part of the day.
@ Chris LOL!!! That's funny"
Chris, go F---- yourself.
Yours truly, Michelle
It's on an popping in hsv, al. I am using the AT&T 5.1 ipcc file that I loaded a few days ago.
@Chris lol that was a good one
@"Michelle": Assuming that you made it to about 8th grade and have gone through sex ed I would also assume you know it's impossible for one to do that to oneself. But if my assumption is wrong and you missed sex ed because you were too busy getting busy then allow me to enlighten you with this post. You can't do that to yourself. Although that would be a better alternative to some of the people having kids these days.
@Chris: Can a company do that to itself? I would like to say, "AT&T, go F--- yourself". (If they screw up MMS).
@Barak: Learn to spell your name right.
@chris - I think you're my new hero. ha.ha.
@sommerface: Glad I could be of service.
I wonder which is really the sadder thing, someone checking every hour to see if MMS is finally working on their phone,
-or-
someone making fun of above people by trolling a comments section of an online article about checking every hour to see if MMS is finally working on your phone.
LMAO @ Chris!!!!
@spook: I wasn't intending to troll but I got dragged into it. Besides what else do I have to do at work?
According to AT&T Late summer = september 25 late morning = 5 pm eastern time? Or may be LATER????? Thank you AT&T look like you guys have such great communication
Ooh yall are getting wild in here" this blog is supposed to be conserative lol
AT&T Rocks
I've been using MMS for a couple weeks now via the carrier file update that was posted on many blogs. It's been working great between iphones, but I'm seeing problems sending to friends with "Lesser" phones. A friend on sprint, using a flip phone of some sort, can't see most of the pics I send because they're too big. Even pics take with the iPhone camera. Since there's no way to resize your pictures on the fly (that I am aware of), I have a feeling this is going to become a major issue in the coming days/weeks. I'm not sure what the correct fix is here, but I could possibly see one or more of the following being implemented into the messaging app:
it auto sizes the image/video/sound to make it more compatible before sending.
it allows for re-size.
it looks at media size and warns against sending large items and that they may not arrive.
Ideally, other carriers would fix the problem on their end and allow larger files.
It will be interesting to sit back and watch what happens. Either way, it's nice to have the capability. Just sucks to send a picture and get the message back... "Can't see it!"
Yea I'm waiting my new MMS... I'm here in Clarksville, IN.
If text and mms messages are data and all iphones must have a data plan why is it legal or ethical for them to charge a separate fee for the service?
Will AT&T 5.1 carrier update come via Apple Software Update?
How much video can iPhone 3GS uses send via MMS, you email 60 seconds, so I would imagine much less?
Just sent my first MMS using 3.0.1 and the updated carrier bundle that's been floating around earlier this summer. Didn't want to upgrade to 3.1 and lose the tethering!
Sorry to see it has taken so long for you guys to get MMS. Here in Sweden, MMS has been functional since the initial release of iPhone 3G.
Why is everyone so worried about this update. AT&T rarely follows through with their promises so please don't expect today to be any different. They will probably make sure some aspect of mms doesn't work so their fragile network won't fold because of a picture.
j in sofla: SMS messages are data sent over the control channel of the cellular connection. It's not quite the same thing as using your internet connection. It's more like making a phone call, but instead of making a voice connection, you just shove some text in there.
MMS, however, is an SMS and a special link that tells the phone to download the picture over a regular data connection. Isn't that right (someone will probably know)?
I personally believe, that all US Americans should finally have MMS for things like such as maps of the Iraq and South Africa.
Holy sweet lord almighty! I've had the hacked ipcc file for weeks now and finally today, my first MMS picture went through!!!!!!!
And I believe Miss South Carolina is the Miss Teen USA contestant that you are referring to and such as.
At this time the new download has not been made available yet in Denver.... Still checking.....
Dear AT&T,
MMS T1TS or gtfo.
Thanks.
MMS should have been launched with the original 2g iPhone 2 years ago. Point blank, period.
Stupid free flip phones with a 1x1 screen have such capability, why shouldn't the iPhone during it's debut in 2007?
I have 3.0 jailbreak.. If I have to give up what I have just to update to MMS.. Believe me there will be no MMS anytime soon on my radar.
@Chris: if you have to continuously log on just to worry about what other people think and badger people on a web site you have significant problems with your life.
Been working solid for about 18 hours now. It's pretty quick too. About 7-10 seconds to receive from another person and for them to receive mine and that was out of network.
Oh and I was using the carrier file that was posted in yesterday's comments.
ummmm its 10 and i see no itunes update!!!
its 10 they tricked us the one and only thing we all have been waiting for did we make enough noise
still no update in missouri
ok im pissed off it said 10 am and nuthing with the itunes update aint nuthin happened?? smh
i would say it will be closer to 12 central thats about the time they rolled out 3.0
Late morning Pacific time could mean 2:59p Eastern time.
Well i just got a txt here in NY from ATT about the MMS. But i have no carrier update file avail.
10:14 AM EST, no iTunes update yet, no MMS with iPhone 3G S OS 3.1 and AT&T 5.1
to richxps what part of ny are you in
Big John, im in westchester
10:14 AM EST, no iTunes update yet, no MMS with iPhone 3G S OS 3.1 and AT&T 5.1 Miami, FL.
I just connected my phone to itunes, it started bugging out, disconnecting and reconnecting, syncing and disconnecting, I was getting excited, it finally stopped and still no mms :-/
@bre bre - They are staggering the rollout. Meaning not everyone will get it at the same time.
7:20am here in Portland, OR. No update as of yet...
richxps im in beacon not to far from poughkeepsie
Miami mike said: Sep 25th @ 07:20 am Yea I wish the iPhone had a “lock in landscape or portait setting” cause when Im laying in the bed I get tired of the phone screen rotating everytime I turn or move. ME 2 mike
10:20 AM in Erie, PA - No update yet
Why does everyone get South Carolina and North Carolina backwards? Maps of Argentina would be good on the iPhone.
10:21. Boston. Let's do this already.
I am sick of hearing about MMS. I use a thing called e-mail. I am not willing to pay more to send pictures if I can email them for free. I also don't have the attention span of a fly where I need to check my phone every second. I just want tethering so if I need to send a letter via email I can type it up on my computer and then email it using the expensive data plan I am paying for.
just got a text from AT&T saying network failure has caused MMS to be rolled back untill October 9th. More details to follow. kidding...
I won't be able to get it until I reach home tonight since stupid iTunes will want to erase everything off my iPhone at work if I try updating through it.
Finally, chicks will be able to sext me without me going through the travesty that is viewmyessage.
LISTEN UP EVERYONE.
I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY. ON MY ITUNES, I WENT FOR CHECK FOR UPDATE, AND 2 UPDATES POPPED OUT. ITUNES 9.0.1 AND IPHONE CONFIGURATION UTILITY 2.1. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE UPDATE WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR!
this will be for iphone 3g and not only for 3gs to rite?!
10:14 AM EST, no iTunes update yet, no MMS with iPhone 3G S OS 3.1 and AT&T 5.1 location: Miami, FL.
@Miami Mike @Joseph
Just jailbreak and there's an SBSettings toggle to lock portrait or landscape.
@M. Sanford How's that whole "soulmate" thing working out for ya?
Still waiting
Is 10:26 am Miami fl and no mms
Everybody send an MMS picture of their junk to AT&T. Either that or a big turd floating in the toilet...
Anybody have AT&T's mobile number?
HAHAHAHAHAH!!! The word T U R D got censored!!!
Still no update available in Dallas.
10:28 AM in Cincinnati, no update. When I clicked on the link above, it directs you to AT&T facebook page. It states the update would come LATE morning PST time. Not EST!
Those iTunes 9.0.1 and utility 2.1 updates are old. We are waiting for "carrier file update" or "at&t update", something like that
LISTEN UP EVERYONE.
I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY. ON MY ITUNES, I WENT FOR CHECK FOR UPDATE, AND 2 UPDATES POPPED OUT. ITUNES 9.0.1 AND IPHONE CONFIGURATION UTILITY 2.1. I BELIEVE THAT’S THE UPDATE WE’RE ALL LOOKING FOR!
Not quite. The iphone config utility is a bussiness organization tool for small bussinesses that provide iphones for their employees, but keep waiting it'll be there sometime in the afternoon if your on the east coast.
Let's remember it's Apple that has to publish the AT&T update through iTunes.
this wont hit until this aft for East coast people...10 am PST is 1 in the aft poeple!!!!! thats when it starts to roll out could be evening.
Does anyone have a link to the 5.v carrier file? i can find all kinds of forums talking about it, but I cant find the actual file!
nothing in NY, this wait can kill you
I downloaded the iTunes 9. 0. 1. And the iPhones 2.1 and I have the camera logo to the left of my text screen! But no pic are sending!
I know this is slightly off topic and I apologize for that, but if someone in the NY area (long island preferably) could email me this evening at josh12@me.com on if they noticed any problems with the ATT network that would be extremely appreciated. I am considering dumping my Tour to go back to an iPhone and curious to see if ATT updated their network to a point that this load will not effect the network.
Thank you in advance.
I GOT MINE ON ITUNES!!!!
I have all those apps up to date, iTunes 9.0.1.8, Config Utility 2.1, iPhone OS 3.1, Carrier 5.1 but still no MMS. 10:36 AM Miami, FL.
Late morning is probably next month according in AT&T's world.
AT&T's plans for rolling out the service on Friday, with deployments scheduled in groups to begin at 10:00 AM Eastern time and new groups being activated on an hourly basis after that in order to slowly ramp demand and gauge service performance.
Still nothing in Hoffman Estates IL
TSB3, It's already 10:41 Eastern Time, no update, I'm guessing you meant pacific, which would be... 1PM EST?
DJ Josh, an at&t rep just told me that.
Battle1 where are you in USA???
I hate this waiting game...
AT&T please flip the switch already..!!! I am so tired of the viewmymessage text.
Rome wasn't rolled out in a day, neither will mms. AT&T will botch this.
NOTE: If anyone has MMS working please state where you are in the country..... Thanks!
patience is a virtue people you have gotten by so long without mms what the heck is the big deal
Nothing yet in Metro Detroit
Patience is a virtue I have no time to learn.....
Wait a second... There are fees to use MMS??? Can someone explain? I have unlimited text on AT&T...
OMG the wait is killing me!
11:00AM EST here in VT, hoping customers are more patient then I...
Brian-
MMS is included in the AT&T iPhone text packages. Each one counts against your limit... 250, 1500, etc...
Here at Austin, Texas and no update yet.
Nothing yet here in San Francisco....this is driving me nuts!
11AM in NYC- no mms yet.
Just got the phone with AT&T rep. I was told that mms will available at 2:30pm eastern time. WTF
no update. charlotte, nc. 11:04 am est