Major iPhone MMS bug?

philiporeilly

I recently sent a plain text message (101 characters) to my Dad and he called me back to say that he couldn't receive MMS messages as his handset is really old. This alarmed me as I couldnt understand why I would get charged for an MMS instead of plain text message.

Apparently if you send a message to more than one contact, they are automatically sent as group MMS messages and it doesnt matter even if you use just plain text and under 160 charracters. I checked my account online and yes I am being charged for 11 MMS messages that should have been plain text messages. Thank god my Dad told me and I spotted this early.

I have sent a message to O2 and logged the issue on Apples Developer bug reporter website but I am interested if this is effecting others when sending texts to more than one contact.

For those of you worried about being overcharged you can disable MMS in SETTINGS > MESSAGES > MMS MESSAGING > OFF

abouttobebanned

Well spotted.

Purple Gorilla

Are you sure? I sent out a group-text (plain text) to 25 people yesterday. I'm on O2 Experience More (Free texts to any network) and it didn't charge me anything. It would've charged me if it was MMS

philiporeilly

Purple Gorilla wrote: »

Are you sure? I sent out a group-text (plain text) to 25 people yesterday. I'm on O2 Experience More (Free texts to any network) and it didn't charge me anything. It would've charged me if it was MMS

Definately charged for MMS on my account according to O2.ie My account page but I am not on the same plan as you. Can you test your iPhone if you have MMS enabled and put two contacts in a text message. Does it say group MMS message as like my screenshot above?

Mr Bloat

I just tested it now and I sent a plain text message to multiple people without it changing to a mms, and I have mms enabled and have sent some already.

I did notice, however that if I selected a email address instead of a phone number that it does indeed change to the mms screen you posted (for instance, if I type John in the To field of the message, it gives me the option to select John Mobile and John Email from the address book, if I select John Mobile, it's a text message, if I select John Email, it's a mms).

Maybe you're selecting a email address by mistake for one of your contacts in the group message?

(incidentally, sending a mms to an email address actually works, which would be cool if we couldn't already send emails from the iPhone and/or if we wanted to be charged 25cent for each one...:))

philiporeilly

Definately selecting mobile telephone numbers. Tested it with various contacts and as soon as you select the second contact it switches to group MMS messaging.

If you disable MMS in settings it sends as standard text message

Mr Bloat

philiporeilly wrote: »

Definately selecting mobile telephone numbers. Tested it with various contacts and as soon as you select the second contact it switches to group MMS messaging.

If you disable MMS in settings it sends as standard text message

It's certainly an odd one but I'm sitting here with two iPhones in front of me, both with the mms settings enabled and neither are having the problem that you are seeing. I'm not doubting you (especially as you have the screenshot to prove it ), I'm just saying I can't replicate it. I know you were/are using the jellysms method of tethering and I know that this method messes up the mms settings, perhaps this is the reason for your problem? Can the tethering be undone? Maybe you should try a restore if it can't?

philiporeilly

Have tethering enabled on a non jailbroken phone and yes it can be undone by restoring the original operator file which is available on jellysms.com/blog

Would be interested to know if this is effecting other iPhone users using tethering or not. Seems to be a bug which automatically switches text to MMS messages. Tethering could be it but it only enables one setting and all the rest are exactly the same for MMS / operator etc.

Open Messages, Type name of contacts and select two mobile contacts. Changes to MMS automatically?

Purple Gorilla

philiporeilly wrote: »

Definately charged for MMS on my account according to O2.ie My account page but I am not on the same plan as you. Can you test your iPhone if you have MMS enabled and put two contacts in a text message. Does it say group MMS message as like my screenshot above?

Just did it there and it doesn't say MMS Message. It just says New Message.

chrislad

Doesn't happen here if I select two contacts. Using an iPhone 3G running 3.0. No jailbreaks or anything.

jammer84

Doesn't happen here either - iPhone 3Gs

philiporeilly

Thanks for the replies lads and could be limited to my handset. I now have MMS disabled by default to be careful but everytime I try to send a message when enabled to more than one contact it automatically switches to group MMS.

Woud stil be interested in ths is effecting anone else with MMS enabled on their phone. Select messages, type two contacts and it should switch to MMS group message.

My Handset:
16Gb iPhone 3G
iPhone OS 3.0
O2 network and not jailbroken

Mr Velo

Just checked on my iPhone 3G 8GB, running 3.0 - not jailbroken.
Exactly as the OP states, as soon as i add a 2nd contact on a new message, it switches to Group MMS.

God Damn!

philiporeilly

Paddy_Fowler wrote: »

Just checked on my iPhone 3G 8GB, running 3.0 - not jailbroken.
Exactly as the OP states, as soon as i add a 2nd contact on a new message, it switches to Group MMS.

God Damn!

Thanks for the reply and at least I know its not limited to just my handset

seamus

Running 16GB iPhone 3G here on 3.0 and not jailbroken, can't recreate this. I haven't fiddled with tethering at all.

Basically what I'm doing is New Message -> Select two/more contacts. Doesn't change to MMS.

aidan_walsh

OP, is Settings > Messages > Show Subject Field On or Off?

vinnycoyne

Didn't happen to me either when I tested.

Did you happen to copy/paste rich (formatted) text into the Messages app? That might cause it to switch into MMS mode...

mad muffin

Hi I just had a look, 8gig iPhone on 3.0 and jailbroken. Doesn't change to MMS for more than one contact.

Not tethered or using jellymms.

philiporeilly

Thanks for the replies again.

aidan_walsh wrote: »

OP, is Settings > Messages > Show Subject Field On or Off?

This setting is off (default)

lackofcolour wrote: »

Didn't happen to me either when I tested.

Did you happen to copy/paste rich (formatted) text into the Messages app? That might cause it to switch into MMS mode...

No copying or pasting. Switches automatically after the second contact is selected and before any text is written. Tested by sending a few characters plain text and yes being charged for MMS.

Tested it several times selecting various mobile telephone contacts and happens each time (when MMS enabled in settings). Restarted iPhone to make sure not temporary bug and disabled / reactivated MMS in settings and still recreates bug.

Anyone else?

jammer84

Have you tried restoring the phone with just OS 3.0 installed and no other applications/settings changed?

edit: Maybe it is a third party app or setting that is causing this and it may not be the OS.

philiporeilly

May try this later but just got another response on the O2 forums from a user with the same fault in the last few mins. Will wait a while to see any common settings or apps etc which may be causing this.

Would recommend eveyone check though to be sure before you get a massive bill for MMS messages!

Mr Velo

Have just checked with 2 of my work colleagues - they get the same happening on their phones - automatically switches to New Group MMS as soon as they add the second contact.

philiporeilly

Paddy_Fowler wrote: »

Have just checked with 2 of my work colleagues - they get the same happening on their phones - automatically switches to New Group MMS as soon as they add the second contact.

Can you let me know if any of them do or do not have tethering enabled?

ggregg

I have 2 iPhones. Both do 2 different things. I got into apple this morning before I read your comments and they were notified by o2 about this. It is as I was told a problem with the data account. If you updated in first day or 2 of 3.0 release it will give you group mms for multiple text messages. I was told tomanualy change the cellular data info om my phone. I did this and now both work great. I can send you the info if you need it.

philiporeilly

ggregg wrote: »

I have 2 iPhones. Both do 2 different things. I got into apple this morning before I read your comments and they were notified by o2 about this. It is as I was told a problem with the data account. If you updated in first day or 2 of 3.0 release it will give you group mms for multiple text messages. I was told tomanualy change the cellular data info om my phone. I did this and now both work great. I can send you the info if you need it.

Thanks for the post and would be delighted if you could post the instructions here so that others with the same issue can fix.

thanks again
philip

Mr Velo

Thanks ggreg. If you could post the details it would be great.
I'm on Vodafone network and had to input the data network settings manually anyways - is it a case of taking them out.... restarting the phone, then inputting them again?

ggregg

I was only told about o2 settings. I will try my VODAFONE sim and settings and get back to you.

philiporeilly

Thanks again and please post the O2 Ireland settings if you have them handy.

ggregg

this is what worked for me on o2

philiporeilly

Changed those settings (and restarted phone to be sure) and still having the same problem. After selecting second contact, it automatically switches to MMS group message.

philiporeilly

ggregg wrote: »

this is what worked for me on o2

Not sure if it helps ggregg but it doesnt seem limited to O2 Ireland. One poster on the macrumors website claims he is having the exact same issue in Cape Town, South Africa.

philiporeilly

Apologies for the quality of this as I was using a webcam and typing on the iPhone upside down but a video is available http://explicit.ie/iphone-mms-bug.m4v showing the exact bug in action.

The APN settings were changed in this video to the screenshot you provided with no change even after restarting phone

ggregg

I found the followiing comment on an apple forum site and it dies work.

However I got the workaround that I can use the "+" button and select the contact and number one by one then it stays as SMS group messaging. It's a pain to select the contacts one by one while I can actually write up their names on the field.

Give it a go

fbradyirl

Hi Philip, I've discussed this with Daryll & there is a possibility that this is caused by the old (very first) O2_ie.ipcc tethering file which was posted on my www.jellysms.com/blog

I can't test it though as I have since restored my phone a couple of times. Maybe a restore will sort it for you?

The tethering file which has been on the blog the past couple of weeks doesn't have this issue.

Mr Velo

fbradyirl wrote: »

Hi Philip, I've discussed this with Daryll & there is a possibility that this is caused by the old (very first) O2_ie.ipcc tethering file which was posted on my www.jellysms.com/blog

I can't test it though as I have since restored my phone a couple of times. Maybe a restore will sort it for you?

The tethering file which has been on the blog the past couple of weeks doesn't have this issue.

Don't think that this is the issue - my iPhone is on the Vodafone network, bought in Italy - unlocked. I've never used the phone for Tethering but my phone and 3 others in the same office as me are having this problem.

philiporeilly

fbradyirl wrote: »

Hi Philip, I've discussed this with Daryll & there is a possibility that this is caused by the old (very first) O2_ie.ipcc tethering file which was posted on my www.jellysms.com/blog

I can't test it though as I have since restored my phone a couple of times. Maybe a restore will sort it for you?

The tethering file which has been on the blog the past couple of weeks doesn't have this issue.

Thanks for the reply. I installed the latest file from your website and verified in settings that it was changed but I'm still having the same problem. i will do a full restore tonight from home and see if that makes a difference.

fbradyirl

That's interesting Paddy. Looks like it could be a big ass bug in OS 3.0 then!

Ok Philip let us know how you get on!

Victor_M

Same thing here, well spotted, I have 3.0, 16Gb 3G with tethering enabled.

Looking forward to a fix for this, in the meantime it will cost a lot of people a lot of money finding out the hard way.

mad muffin

I just had a look at the video and entered the names by typing rather than using the plus and still it remains as a message and doesn't change to mms.

Although at one point I thought I had the bug because it changed to mms but I noticed I entered a name that had an email to it.

philiporeilly

mad muffin wrote: »

I just had a look at the video and entered the names by typing rather than using the plus and still it remains as a message and doesn't change to mms.

Although at one point I thought I had the bug because it changed to mms but I noticed I entered a name that had an email to it.

Definately pick mobile numbers each time so not email.

I was advised to do a complete restore and almost 2hrs later the phone is restored and all is working as it should be.

I clicked restore, which downloaded 3.0 os again from Apple and reinstalled. I then selected restore My iPhone from backup and all files were synced back.

What is strange though is that tethering is still enabled on the phone and MMS is working perfectly. If tethering is still enabled, the old operator file must have been restored with the backup?? Maybe this rules out the operator file?

thanks for all the feedback and assistance.

O2_Daryll

Sorry I did not post on here until now but I am glad you got sorted after the restore.

fbradyirl

I'm seeing this issue myself now on 3.0!

CivilEx

I think most of us are! Any ideas if the 3.1 beta sorts it out?

dave oc

Im hoping this issue gets sorted as I just have found this problem too. From what Im reading on other sites (google searches on the issue) people seem to think its related to the carrier settings file the iPhone uses? For example with networks that officially support the iphone like O2 I believe they have Carrier settings(IPCC files) which are downloaded to the phone when syncing, and its somewhere in this file that controls whether group messages are sent as MMS or SMS. By default its apparently set to MMS? Anyone hear about this or am I just talking crazy talk?

dave oc

Just so people know Ive found a solution to this and it doesnt need a jailbreak or anything. I used this site:

http://www.volkspost.info/ipcc_fw3/

It creates a custom .ipcc carrier that can be loaded through iTunes and fixes the group MMS bug. It will also enable tethering and fixes other little annoying things like the 'active diverts' pop up at the start of every call and makes the voicemail tab in Phone dial 171.

mad muffin

Dave6195 wrote: »

fixes other little annoying things like the 'active diverts' pop up at the start of every call and makes the voicemail tab in Phone dial 171.

Hmm weird, my phone doesn't have that pop up and when I press voicemail it dials 171 already.

dave oc

Im with meteor (factory unlocked iphone) and so no carrier file was auto downloaded to my phone, I had to input setting for MMS and DATA manually and some of these other settings werent set either.

dingding

I have a 16GB Italian (Unlocked) Iphone on three and I have this problem also.

Also have put in the Jelly SMS settings for tethering (Thanks Finbarr).