Picture messaging
Picture messaging is a great way to show your creativity and share all the fun things you get up to with your friends and family.
Content navigation
Get started
It's as easy as pie
Setting up picture messaging is simple. In fact, if your mobile can show pictures, all you need to do is send one picture message. That's it. Now you're ready to receive them as well.
Read on if you're not sure whether you have a picture messaging phone.
Can my phone send and receive picture messages?
All camera phones can send and receive picture messages and some phones that don't have cameras can, too. Look for 'picture messaging' in the messaging section on your mobile to see if yours has it.
Even if your phone can't show pictures, you can still see picture messages - you simply have to look at them online instead of on your mobile.
If your mobile can't show pictures and someone sends you a picture message from a T-Mobile phone, you receive a text with a password and a web address - www.t-mobile.co.uk/pmcollect - where you can look at the picture message. It'll only be available online for 14 days, so make sure you save the picture to a computer if you want to keep it.
If you have a picture messaging phone but you've still received a text instead of a picture, it's probably because:
- you haven't activated picture messaging - send a picture to yourself or a friend who's received a picture message to get it working
- your message settings are incorrect - get the right settings sent by text.
How do I activate picture messaging?
All you need to do is send a picture message to yourself! Or to a friend who's received a picture message before. Once you've done this, you'll receive a 'Welcome' picture message from T-Mobile which means you're all set up and ready to start messaging.
If you don't receive a 'Welcome' picture message from us, it probably means your phone doesn't have the right settings. Don't panic! We can text the settings you need straight to your phone. Get your settings sent by text.
Who can I send picture messages to?
As well as friends and family members with UK mobiles, you can send pictures to:
- all mobiles on UK networks - even when the phone's owner is abroad
- any email address
- some mobiles on networks in other countries
What it costs
Less than a stamp
These aren't special offers, just the normal cost. And don't forget, receiving a picture message is always free.
Pay monthly
Sending a picture message costs a lot less than you think. For pay monthly customers it's only:
- 20.4p to send a picture message in the UK
- 20.4p to send a picture message when abroad in Europe
- 20.4p to send a video message (at home or abroad in Europe)
Pay as you go
The cost of sending a picture message on pay as you go varies depending on the price plan you're on, but it's usually either 20p or 30p. Check your What it costs brochure to find out the cost on your plan.
Going abroad
Go on, rub it in
Heading to a land far, far away? Make sure everyone knows how much fun you're having - sending picture messages from abroad starts at just 20p. Check the costs and coverage for more info.
Can I send and receive picture messages when I'm abroad?
You can send and receive picture messages in lots of countries. All you need to do is check which networks support picture messaging (don't forget to note them down).
Find a network that will allow you to picture message in the country you're visiting.
When you arrive, make sure your phone is connected to one of the networks you wrote down. You'll know which network you're on because you'll get a text message that tells you - change to another network in your mobile settings if you need to.
Can I send picture messages to friends abroad when I'm at home?
Yes, as long as they have a UK mobile or they're a customer of one of the networks listed below. Remember: they'll need to have picture messaging activated for it to work.
| Country | Network |
|---|---|
| Australia | Telstra |
| Austria | ONE |
| T-Mobile Austria | |
| Croatia | T-Mobile Croatia |
| VIPNet | |
| Czech Rep | Telefonica O2 |
| T-Mobile Czech | |
| Denmark | Telia Mobile |
| Finland | TeliaSonera |
| France | SFR France |
| Orange | |
| Germany | T-Mobile Germany |
| O2 | |
| Greece | Wind |
| Vodafone | |
| Hungary | T-Mobile Hungary |
| Vodafone | |
| Ireland | Vodafone |
| Italy | TIM |
| Vodafone | |
| Japan | DoCoMo |
| Malaysia | DiGi |
| Malta | Vodafone |
| Montenegro | T-Mobile |
| Netherlands | T-Mobile Netherlands |
| Norway | Netcom |
| Telenor Mobil Norway | |
| Poland | ERA Poland |
| Polkomtel Poland | |
| Portugal | Optimus |
| TMN | |
| Vodafone | |
| Serbia | Telenor |
| Slovakia | T-Mobile Slovakia |
| Slovenia | SI mobil |
| South Africa | Vodacom |
| Spain | Telefonica |
| Vodafone Spain | |
| Sweden | TeliaSonera Mobile |
| Switzerland | Sunrise |
| Orange | |
| Thailand | AIS Thailand |
| Tunisia | Orascom Telecom |
| Tunisie Telecom | |
| Turkey | Vodafone |
| USA | T-Mobile USA |
FAQs
Receiving
To receive a picture message, you must send one first. Send a picture message to yourself or a friend who's received a picture message before. You should get a 'Welcome' picture message from us shortly afterwards which means you're all set up.
Some phones without cameras can still send and receive picture messages. If you have this type of phone, activate your picture messaging by sending a picture or wallpaper that's stored on your phone.
Sending
Follow these steps if you've tried sending a picture message and:
- you haven't received a 'Welcome' picture message back from us
- the message you tried to send stayed in your outbox
- you got a message on your screen telling you the settings are incorrect
Step 1 Get us to text you the right picture messaging settings.
Step 2 Once you've got the settings, turn your phone off then on again.
Step 3 Try sending a picture message again.
Still not working? Here's what else may be causing the problem.
See if you can make calls
If you can't call, then you won't be able to send picture messages.
If you're a pay as you go customer this may be happening because you don't have enough credit. Even though sending a picture message only costs 20p, pay as you go customers need at least 40p credit and U-Fix and Mix It customers need at least 28p credit to send a picture message. Topping up should fix the problem.
The picture message may be too big
There is a size limit on picture messages. Most phones automatically resize pictures so they're small enough to send. However, with certain phones you may need to go into your picture messaging settings and select a smaller resolution.
Sending a picture to an email address is a handy option when you aren't sure if someone has a phone that shows pictures, or if they don't have a mobile at all. Here's how you do it.
Step 1 Create your picture message as normal.
Step 2 When you go to send, your phone may give you a choice to send as a 'picture message' (or 'multimedia message') or as an 'email'. Don't choose to send as an email. Always send as a picture message or multimedia message.
Step 3 Type in an email address and press send.
Tip: It's even easier to send if you've already stored your contact's email address with their phone number.
If your friend replies to your email message, you'll receive it as a message on your mobile.
Find out more about Picture messaging
If you'd like to print out pictures from messages to display on your wall, or if you want to save them in an online album to show your friends and family, you'll first need to copy them to your computer.
To save your pictures to a computer and keep the full quality:
- take the memory card out of your phone and put it in your computer's card reader
- use the data cable and software that came with your phone to copy them over
- transfer them via Bluetooth or infrared (if your computer can do this)
Tip: You can buy a card reader to fit your memory card from most mobile phone and computer stores.
You can also send pictures to an email address. However, because your phone resizes picture messages when it sends them, the quality won't be as good. Sometimes it's better to have a smaller picture though - like when you want to it in an online album.
Got a text message that says you've been sent a picture message? To view the message, visit www.t-mobile.co.uk/pmcollect and enter your mobile number and the password from the text. The picture will only be available for 14 days so make sure you save it to a computer if you want to keep it.
Answer centre
Top FAQs
Forums
Having a problem and can't find the solution?
Discuss it with other customers on our forums
