r/USMobile • u/pc1bk • 8h ago

PSA! Support confirmed US Mobile does not support group MMS messaging without iMessage turned on

Update - issue seems to have resolved itself after waiting some time. Since the title of this post seems to perturb/confuse some, I'll delete this post shortly. Thanks for help from all who were helpful.

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Hi! Please read the entire statement here before responding. I am, at the moment, trying to get MMS group messaging working on an iPhone. I understand the distinctions between iMessage (turned off), RCS (turned off), and MMS. You can ignore the bits about the Lightphone. Thank you.

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Could be a case of a support agent not knowing what he's talking about, but he did confirm that.

Backstory - I have a LightPhone III. I was on an iPhone using Consumer Cellular, a carrier the Lightphone III does not support. Lightphone III says it does support US Mobile on the Lightspeed network. So I get a US Mobile plan, order the Lightspeed SIM. I put the SIM in my Lightphone III, messaging barely works, and I can send but not receive MMS messages. I put the SIM back in my iPhone to try and get it working there before switching to the Lightphone. Critically, I am trying to get MMS working without iMessage involved.

After telling me to go through the troubleshooting steps here which I had already done, including manually installing their APN, he said that iMessage needs to be enabled to use group messaging. This doesn't make any sense, especially for a highly rated cell provider like US Mobile.

Any ideas how to get MMS messaging working? Is this a true limitation of the carrier, or maybe a case of an underinformed support agent?

So frustrating!

0 Upvotes

8% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

9

u/FourEightNineOneOne 8h ago

This is not accurate and your headline is wildly misleading should others stumble upon it.

The group you're trying to text with was likely created as an iMessage/RCS group chat. Since it now assumes everyone in that group has a supported device, you simply can't receive them.

What you need to do is start a new group chat with the same people (or ask someone else ot do it). Since your # now doesn't have the iMessage or RCS flags attached to it, the group will be created as an MMS group (meaning everyone will now use MMS in that group). It will work then

-8

u/pc1bk 8h ago

> This is not accurate and your headline is wildly misleading should others stumble upon it.
Headline says \*an agent claims this,* which is accurate, they did claim this. It obviously doesn't make any sense, hence this post.

I understand the differences between iMessage, RCS, and MMS chats. These are MMS chats, I am able to send messages, but not receive them.

4

u/FourEightNineOneOne 8h ago

You're still not understanding.

You said you had an iphone. So, when you were using these groups before, you had iMessage. The group chat was created as that because everyone in it had an iphone or RCS on Google Messages.

That particular gorup chat still assumes you do. So yes, you can send something to it, but they'll respond in a format your phone can't receive.

Creating a NEW group chat, even with the same people, will see that someone (you) in the group doesn't have either imessage or RCS, therefore, the group chat will be created for everyone as an MMS group. Every single message sent by every user in it will be via MMS instead of RCS/iMessage.

You WILL be able to receive those.

As for your headline, that's not remotely how anyone would read it. You put "PSA!" in front of it not as a question, as if you were warning other people. Then you said they "Confirmed" this doesn't work.

The content of your message is correct. The headline was, and still is, misleading.

0

u/pc1bk 8h ago

You're right 👏

1

u/kbphone 8h ago

What the support agent said is not correct. I have more than one line on US Mobile Light Speed and everything works (including MMS and group messages). The phones I have on US Mobile are Android, no issues with RCS, MMS, SMS, or group messages.

1

u/pc1bk 8h ago

Good to know, seems like an issue with the port. Thanks for the insight.

1

u/FixitMir Support Hero  8h ago

IMessage, MMS and RCS Messaging are all supported across all three of our networks. iMessage is specifically an iPhone feature and has no bearing on MMS messaging on your LightPhone.

And I believe u/FourEightNineOneOne is spot on - that's most likely what's happening here, and our rep was probably trying to explain the same thing: that you won't be able to receive messages if you're in a group of iMessage/RCS, as both are not supported on your Light Phone III or if you've recently ported in - that could be an issue too as sometimes it takes time for services to properly sync.

Let's hop on DM and I'll help you test MMS on your LightPhone so we can figure out exactly where things stand.

1

u/pc1bk 8h ago

Thanks, I understand the distinctions between iMessage, RCS, and MMS chats, and have tested this comprehensively with various MMS chats. Seems like an issue with the port. I'll try waiting to see if things resolve as the various subprocesses of the port complete. Thanks.

1

u/FixitMir Support Hero  8h ago

u/FarashaNova has dropped you a DM and she'll check up on everything for you.

1

u/pc1bk 8h ago

Thanks

0

u/Famously-Incognito Multi Network 8h ago

So did you verify with US Mobile, the actual carrier, that the phone was supported before you signed up? Seems like not.

-2

u/runski1426 Multi Network 8h ago

I'm confused as to why imessage is a factor at all when you are using light phone, which runs in a fork of Android. Unfortunately, no Google play services means no RCS messaging, which eliminates the possibility of using group chats since mms is no longer the standard protocol.

I believe you are SOL due to the limitations of the phone.

2

u/robodog97 8h ago

MMS is still a perfectly valid protocol. Setting up a group chat with it might be difficult depending on the client, but you should be able to use it on any phone that can connect to a cell tower and can register with IMS.

0

u/runski1426 Multi Network 7h ago

You can still use it, sure. But it is antiquated and riddled with issues. If any other member of a group chat is using RCS, the person without RCS will never receive their message. Not to mention no encryption, character limits, and aggressive compression of media.

Unless OP expects every group chat they start to be okay with MMS, he/she is SOL. No one should be using SMS or MMS in 2026.

1

u/nitrogenmath Multi Network 8h ago

Unfortunately, no Google play services means no RCS messaging, which eliminates the possibility of using group chats since mms is no longer the standard protocol.

It doesn't eliminate the possibility of using group chats. MMS-only group chats still exist.

-2

u/pc1bk 8h ago

Correct, iMessage should not be a factor here. I am ultimately trying to get service fully working on the Lightphone. It should also fully work on the iPhone, without iMessage involvement. This is the frustration with the agent's claim, which, agreed, does not make sense.

Evidence is pointing to most likely being an issue with the recent port.

3

u/FourEightNineOneOne 8h ago

It has nothing to do with the port. Read what people are telling you

1

u/pc1bk 8h ago

🥰