Failure to download attachment from multimedia message

We have countless number of applications available that help us share countless multimedia files. Many of us share several files daily with the help of these kinds of apps in our daily life(I might share this article with one of these applications too). These applications help us to transfer many important files without any cost at all. The best thing about these services is that they do not require access to a secure network or Wi-Fi, which means that you can use these things in those areas where you do not have access to any kind of network

“Failure to download attachment from multimedia message” This problem is faced by many users these days. Now, this problem can arise due to several reasons. I know it’s kind of frustrating but the good thing is that this problem can be solved very easily and anyone can solve it, it’s a piece of cake. Mostly it’s just fixed by allowing auto downloads on your message’s app and you need to follow other methods. And in this article, I am gonna show you many ways to fix this ‘’failed to download attachment from multimedia messages” of yours. 

Main causes behind the ‘’failed to download attachment from multimedia message”

First, let us understand the main causes behind the ‘’Failure to download attachment from multimedia messages”

Many MMS attachments can not be downloaded by several Android devices because of a feature provided by Wi-Fi is Wi-Fi calling feature. If it is enabled, many devices face this error. This feature is known to be the root cause of this problem. MMS service’s cache/data corrupted, MMS settings configured incorrectly and many small issues in the messaging apps that you are using are other problems behind the reason for this error.

What is MMS?

I have used and will use the word MMS many times in this article. MMS is a short form of Multimedia Message Service, we all know about SMS right? It is similar to SMS but the thing is that SMS only allows you to send text messages whereas, MMS allows you to send multimedia content like pictures and videos, audio files, phone contacts, etc from your smartphone. Yeah, It is something next level to SMS. Some of you are using this feature daily but not exactly knowing about it.

How to fix ‘’Failure to download attachment from multimedia message”

Multiple ways to fix the ‘’failed to download attachment from multimedia messages” problem:

• Changing the network mode
• Restart your smartphone
• Wipe out the Cache files 
• Remove old messages
• Toggle the Auto Retrieve Feature to Enable/Disable
• Clear the Cache Partition
• Reset the APN Settings
• Enable the Download Booster
• Disable the Package Disabler
• Factory reset 
• Disable IPV6 Protocol
• Update your profile and PRL
• Switch the messaging app

Note- the procedure to do these things on my smartphone is a little different and I am sharing screenshot images from my device so please don’t get confused. The information I have written is the same for almost all android smartphones so follow the information to fix the issues. 

The above solutions are in brief as follows:

Changing the network mode:

if you are using the Wi-Fi you can go for turning off the Wi-Fi and shifting on to your mobile data since you can not download the multimedia fiel with Wi-Fi network if you have turnen on the Wi-Fi calling feature. Sometimes these kinds of simple tricks work like a charm. In order to change the network modes on your phone follow this guide written below:

• Pull/Slide down from the top of your smartphone’s screen to access the Notification panel or in some smartphones Notification Panel is accessed by sliding upward from the bottom of your smartphone’s screen. 
• Switch Off the Wi-Fi and then Switch on your Mobile Data.  
• Open the MMS again and check if the “failed to download attachment” issue is resolved or not.
• If it still is not fixed, then go to the “Settings” option of your device. 
• Search/look for ‘Connections” options, open it and then tap on “More.”
• Tap on the “Mobile Networks” and then locate “Preferred Network Mode”
• Click on the “Preferred Network Mode” and choose different modes like “LTE’’
• Return to the MMS attachment and check if it now opens or not.

Restart your smartphone:

I used to do this whenever I faced an issue when I was a kid(I still do this). You will surely think of Restarting your device when changing the network mode of your phone did not work for you. The process is quite simple and it really does resolves these tiny bugs in your phone. The instructions to restart your phone are: 

• Just with one button you can do it. Press and hold your phone’s power button and wait foor the moment options of Restart/Reboot and Power Off are visible 
• Click on the Restart/reboot option and wait until your smartphone restarts.
• Now, go back to that MMS file and look you if you are still not able to download the file or not..

Wipe out or clean out the Cache files:

what you need to do is just clean the Cache files of the application which you are using to send MMS, whether it is a social media app or messaging app. This method might work to solve the error. Here are the steps to wipe out or clean the Cace files:

• Open the “Settings” and then proceed to the “Apps”       
• Choose the MMS service application, which you are using to send the MMS.
•  Now, restart your phone and once the restarting is complete then try downloading the MMS again.
• You know what to do next, try downloading that MMS now.

Remove old messages:

Sometimes we don’t check that we have passed the certain storage limit which results in not being able to download any multimedia message on your device. It is recommended to delete your old multimedia message to free some of the storage. Follow the steps mentioned below to remove old messages from your phone

• Open the Message app on your device.
• Locate the Menu option and click on it.
• Tap the Delete Threads Options. 
• Then, you have to tick all the checkboxes besides all the messages you wish to remove
• Then, click on the Delete options to delete checkboxes.
• Now, give a shot to download any multimedia message and verify if you are still facing the issue or if it has been resolved.

Toggle the Auto Retrieve Feature to Enable/Disable:

In the MMS app there exists a feature to auto download multimedia message, The feature is called the Auto Retrieve or Auto download Feature. You can try enabling and disabling this feature but consider that this feature can cause the “failed to download attachment from MMS’’ error and it can also cause many different errors. Still, if you wish to Enable/Disable the auto retrieve feature, the instructions are written below here for that:

• Launch the MMS app which you are using on your device.
• Go the Menu option 
• Next open the Settings option.
• Open the Multimedia settings
• Then from the list Enable/Disable the Auto-retrieve option by toggling the switch. 
• Then you will have to restart the phone once and then try downloading the message.

Clear the Cache Partition:

In all our Android phones there are cache partitions, which are used for various system operations. Now, the corrupted Cache partition may be the reason behind your not able to download the attachment from multimedia message issue and deletion of this cache partition may solve this error. Here are the instructions on how you can clear the Cache partition:

• First, clear the Cache partition of your phone
• Then Restart the mobile and then attempt to download the multimedia message.
• Go to that MMS and download it and look if the problem is still there or not

Reset the APN Settings:

APN stands for the Access Point Names. Resetting your APN may solve your problem if we’re not able to download the attachment on the MMS. The complete guide steps are written below to readjust the APN Settings of your smartphone. Here:

• Open your smartphone’s Settings
• Tap on the Connections option.
• Next tap on More Connection Settings
• Click to the Mobile Networks option
• Next, go to the Access Point Names option
• Tap on three vertical dots, which are located at the right corner of the top
• Select the Reset to Default option. 
• Now, Restart your phone and check if the error message is gone or not
• Turn on Download Booster:

This trick allows you to download files, which are larger than the size of 30MB with using both the Wi-Fi connection and mobile data. Although the download booster is mostly seen in smartphones of the Samsung brand, however, this feature may be on your smartphone too. You need to check whether your smartphone has this feature or not. The Download Booster lets you download multiple applications on the Google Play Store, Galaxy app store, etc. You may be able to download the MMS by enabling the Download Booster. Here is how you can enable the download booster: 

• Turn on both the Wi-Fi and mobile data.
• Open your phone’s setting
• Click on connections 
• And then click on More Connections settings
• Click on Download Booster
• You need to toggle the switch in order to enable the Download Booster.
• Restart your phone, after it has been restarted then try downloading the multimedia file 
• Check if the issue is fixed or not.

Disable the Package Disabler:

Users have the advantage to block bloatware applications. This utility is known as a Package disabler. If your device has “Disable Bloatware” enabled then it will stop a lot of important apps and system and application services. This might be the reason you are unable to download Multimedia files on your smartphone because it could have marked the multimedia files services on your smartphone, considering it as bloatware. Disabling the package disabler, it might fix the problem. Follow these instructions to disable the package disabler:

• Click on the package disabler widget. If its color is red that means it is enabled and if blue then it is already disabled.
• Tapping it is going to change its color, making it enabled or disabled. Disable it by tapping and ensure that the color is blue
• Now, try to Download the multimedia message and see if you still face the problem    

Disable IPV6 Protocol:

You might be facing a “failed to download attachment from multimedia message” error because of the IPV6. If the IPV6 protocol is enabled in the router, whose connection is currently being in use for downloading the Multimedia files then it will cause errors. You should disable the PV6, which might help fix the problem. If you want to disable IPV6, do the following: 

• First of all, disable the IPV6 protocol on your router, and to do so,
• Head to the settings of the router via the IP address, you can find it labelled on the back of your router.
•  Now, try again to Download the multimedia message and check if the issue is solved or not

Update your profile and PRL:

PRL can also be the reason behind the issue you are facing. An old, invalid or corrupted PRL can stop the MMS services. Updating the PRL and profile might help you solve the failed to download attachment from the MMS problem. To update PRL and profile go through these: 

• Head to the smartphone’s Settings
• Search the About Phone option
• Click on System 
• Click on the Update Profile button
• Select the Update PRL option
• After these steps Restart your phone after it has been restarted then try downloading the multimedia file 
• Have a look at the issue, whether it is solved or not. 

Switch the messaging app

One of the easiest options on this list and I highly recommend you to follow this option before trying out the hard options. What you need to do is just download another messaging app from the google play store because sometimes the issue is not in your smartphone but it is in your messaging app. You will find multiple messaging apps on Google Play Store, you just gotta choose what you like and download it. Go along with these steps to switch the messaging app:

• Launch Google play store app
• Search for messaging apps
• Choose from various apps
• Download and install it
• Now, try downloading the multimedia file using this application 
• Check if the issue is fixed or not

Factory reset:

Only use this method when you have tried all the methods to solve the issue, consider it as your last resort to solve the error. I am telling you to consider it as a last resort because factory resetting your smartphone will result in the deletion of all your data and all your settings are gonna back to default. Make sure you backup all your essential files so you do not lose them. Use this method at your own risk. Follow the steps mentioned below to perform this action:

• Open your smartphone’s setting 
• Click on the system.
• Tap on Advanced 
• Now, click to the Reset option
• Click on Erase All the Data, your phone will start resetting.
• Once the phone has been reset. Now, check if this helped you to Download the multimedia message.

Conclusion

Although the above-listed solutions should work to fix the “Failure to download attachment from multimedia message” error just in case all these ways do not work for you then I have got another solution for you. I know this might sound odd but reporting your phone for lost and then report back as found after 15 minutes. Many users have confirmed that this method worked for them. Keep in mind that your phone might get locked out too, so I recommend that you should consult a professional before using this solution.