This error message appears as a popup at the bottom of the screen, mainly on Samsung phones. This guide will show you the most common reasons for the “download attachment from multimedia message” issue and how to fix it. Read this guide to know more.
“Failed to Download Attachment From Multimedia Message” – Most Common Reasons
Typically, you can download MMS attachments on your smartphone once you have access to a stable mobile network. However, you can encounter this error due to the reasons below:
1 “Failed to Download Attachment From Multimedia Message” – Most Common Reasons2 How to Fix the “Failed to Download Attachment From Multimedia Message” Problem2.1 Fix #1: Restart Your Android Device2.2 Fix #2: Switch to a Mobile Data Connection2.3 Fix #3: Clear Cache of MMS Service2.4 Fix #4: Delete Old Messages2.5 Fix #5: Enable Auto-Download or Auto Retrieve for MMS2.6 Fix #6: Reset the APN Settings on Your Smartphone3 Final Thoughts
Your device cannot download attachments over Wi-Fi unless the Wi-Fi Calling feature is enabled. The Messages app has a full or corrupted cache storage. Incorrect Access Point Network (APN) configurations. Misconfigured MMS settings. Insufficient phone storage.
How to Fix the “Failed to Download Attachment From Multimedia Message” Problem
If your MMS message is stuck on messages downloading and shows the “Failed to download attachment from multimedia message” error, you can try the following fixes below. Remember to review each fix and see which one is the most effective for your Android smartphone:
Fix #1: Restart Your Android Device
The first thing you can do when experiencing this error is to reboot your smartphone. This fixes most bugs and glitches that might occur on the Messages app. To reboot your smartphone, press and hold the Power button on the side of your Android smartphone and tap the Restart option. Once finished, try opening the Messages app and check if the error is fixed.
Fix #2: Switch to a Mobile Data Connection
If you cannot download attachments from MMS using Wi-Fi, try switching to a mobile data connection. Assuming that your network carrier supports MMS, you can easily download attachments from various messages you’ve received. To switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data on Android, follow the steps below: If there’s still an error, try switching the preferred network mode via Settings. To do this, proceed to these steps:
Fix #3: Clear Cache of MMS Service
Another fix that you can do is to clear the cache of the MMS service on your smartphone. Cache data can be corrupted over time, which can cause issues on MMS. To remove the MMS cache on your Android smartphone, proceed to the steps below:
Fix #4: Delete Old Messages
You can see the “Failed to download attachment from multimedia message” error once you’ve reached the limit for downloaded MMS messages. You can try deleting old messages and see if this solves the error. To delete messages on the Messages app, open the app and go to Menu > Delete Threads. Select the conversations you can afford to delete and choose Delete to confirm.
Fix #5: Enable Auto-Download or Auto Retrieve for MMS
The Auto-download/Auto retrieve feature for MMS allows your phone to automatically download all attachments or files sent by the recipient via MMS. To turn on this feature on your Samsung smartphone, follow the steps below: If your phone is using the Google Messages app, proceed to these steps:
Fix #6: Reset the APN Settings on Your Smartphone
The access point name or APN contains all the necessary mobile network configurations to help connect your device to the Internet via mobile data. If these settings are incorrect or outdated, it may cause errors in the MMS service. To reset APN settings on your Android smartphone, do the following:
Final Thoughts
Sharing files, photos, GIFs, and many types of media through MMS is widely used in Android smartphones. However, it’s possible to experience the “Failed to download attachment from multimedia message” error when your phone cannot save the attachments on an MMS message. Hopefully, this guide helps you to solve the “Failed to download attachment from multimedia message” issue on your phone. If these fixes were ineffective, try contacting your mobile carrier or phone manufacturer’s support hotline for further help.
