Signal Android can be configured as your default SMS/MMS app in addition to supporting end-to-end encrypted messages and calls with other Signal users.
- Learn how to distinguish when communication is private (Signal message) or insecure (SMS/MMS).
- See steps for troubleshooting insecure MMS below.
See additional steps for:
Insecure MMS
Insecure media and group messages (MMS) are transmitted through your mobile plan and incur fees as set by your mobile plan.
- Confirm you have SMS (text) or MMS (group and media) as part of your mobile plan.
- Check the credits on your mobile plan to send SMS/MMS. Add credits if your balance is empty.
- Confirm that you are connected to your mobile network.
- Enable Signal Settings
> SMS and MMS > 'WiFi Calling' compatibility mode and try again. - Confirm all the application permissions are enabled for Signal.
- For some devices, restart your phone and view the message again.
- Check your other SMS/MMS app. Even if the other app is not open, it may retrieve the MMS before Signal can.
- Signal has a size limit of 300kb for sending MMS.
- Reconfigure the APN settings for your phone.
- You may need to repeat this after every OS update and this impacts any MMS app on your phone.
- Steps to resolve vary by model phone, OS, and provider. Search for your provider specific support page or follow from the list below:
- Google-Fi users can switch the underlying carrier. Here are some dialpad shortcuts you can use to switch out the carrier that’s backing your Fi connection.
- To see your current carrier info: ##fiinfo##
- Switch to T-Mobile: ##fitmo##
- Switch to Sprint: ##fispr##
- Switch to US Cellular: ##fiusc##
- Switch back to automatic: ##fiauto##
- Temporarily remove Signal as your default messenger and set it back.
- In Signal, tap your profile > SMS and MMS > tap SMS Enabled to select another app then return to Signal and tap SMS Disabled to set Signal as your default SMS app again.
- In Signal, tap your profile