Forum Discussion
Why am I randomly not receiving texts?
A few months ago it came to my attention that I was not receiving certain messages from what seemed like a single person (they showed me their phone proving they in fact had sent me these messages). Then it happened with another friend. Both these individuals have iPhones and are on T-Mobile. I'm an Android user.
It is seemingly completely random, sometimes even in the middle of a conversation, selective texts sent seconds or minutes apart will not come through.
So far I have tried:
- Changing to the stock texting app (I normally use Mood)
- Clearing the text app cache
- uninstalling and reinstalling Mood
- changing the SIM
- T-Mobile advised me to do some kind of reset (which all it did was make me have to put in all my WiFi passwords again)
- full factory reset
- Confirmed APN settings
- Bought another damn phone.
Annoying that I could never figure out wth was happening, but no matter, it seemed like things were working. Well, the problem has returned, and it's very difficult to troubleshoot or know when it's happening because it's not like there's an error message. I don't find out until days or weeks later, and I imagine sometimes never at all. People think I'm just ignoring them.
I have also had issues where texts come in very delayed, I'm talking anywhere from like a half hour to 24 hours later.
These are just regular old sms texts, usually brief ones too, not group chats media etc., if that matters.
Is it possible that that I am momentarily losing service when these messages are being sent and they just kind of disappear into the void? lol
Solutions?
Alright. Filing a Trouble Ticket with our Tech team is best route to go. They'll need specific examples of text messages that failed, and that'll help them look into what's going on.
rchaudry wrote:
MMUSTX wrote:
After extensive troubleshooting with T-Mobile and Apple, it was identified that SMS messages send with iPhone 12 Pro from T-Mobile to AT&T and Verizon is not going through. iMessages works fine. Devices changed and the issue still persist. The issue is with SMS from T-Mobile to AT&T & Verizon numbers. T-Mobile to T-Mobile SMS works fine most of the time. A ticket is opened with T-Mobile advanced tech team to further investigate and waiting for a resolution. It is a good idea for Verizon and AT&T customers contact the respective services to troubleshoot if you are missing the SMS messages.
I highly doubt that’s the issue because because all 3 of the people i’m having problems receiving text messages from… are also T-Mobile customers.
It was tested several times from different devices. People who have iMessage works with no issues. The issue is definitely with when I send text from T-Mobile to Verizon or AT&T numbers, I get SMS but when reply it goes but not received by my friends. Some of T-Mobile to T-Mobile text also could be missing.
My conclusion after several trouble shooting is either T-Mobile digits issue or SMS from iPhone to android issues or could be due to using international eSim for few days on the iPhone and then switching to T-Mobile eSim when back in US.
BB10 wrote:
I experienced same problem when my source was sending me a verification code for security purpose. I called T Mobile customer Service. She found out that the sender number is blocked from sending me a message. Typically, if it is a corporate entity who is sending messages such as this, the company uses 'short code' as sending number. Apparently, T Mobile has blocked numerous short codes for some reason, my guess is to filter unsolicited msgs. I asked t mobile customer service to unblock all 'short code' numbers. This should correct some of my problems such as Institutional text msgs. If you rely on text messages to receive COVID vaccine related msgs, you may want to fix this. My problem was COVID related notification issue in order to complete registration.
Thanks for sharing this. I have had this issue isolated to verification codes for several years. After reading this post I called T-mobile and asked them to allow short code numbers and it worked immediately. Oddly the number I tested on showed as a normal phone number, not a short code. This was also isolated to my phone line in our family plan.
Hola
I have no issues in getting SMS message, but when I reply to those SMS messages where it goes from my iphone, but the receiver never gets my SMS message. This affects my friends who are on android phone, international SMS to iPhone who is not using iMessages and short code messages to doc office etc. The interesting aspect is, I take the T-Mobile SIM out and put a Verizon SIM and those SMS goes and receiver gets it.
So this is something with T-Mobile SMS application and it is affecting one phone line in my account. The other two Phone lines works normal.tmbileuser wrote:
This one is easy. has done it to some of my android (mostly lg’s)
download google messages from the play store. keep wifi off after you download it and install it.
install it, accept and permit all necessaries access to your phone.
simply go to and enable chat features, it will either ask you or go under settings, in the messages app. accept whatever! let it set up until it says ready to use or chat features are active.
This sounds like they're referring to RCS.
I'm also experiencing this issue. Sharing my situation:
I used Google Messages until it bugged last week, and conversations would not load. Chat features (RCS) was on. I didn't hear from contacts that my messages weren't being received for over a year with my Nokia 7.1. (But also I've sent fewer messages in 2020...)
I switched to the Textra app and started hearing about missed messages again this week. I did not disable RCS after switching, but Google Messages was bugging out on me so maybe the setting was disabled.
In a group chat of 5, with me as the only android user-- One ios was connected to my same WiFi, Two was driving, Three was connected to my same WiFi, Four was in a facility and using data. One and Two didn't get my group text through Textra. Three and Four did.
Based on the info above, is this then an android issue. I have iPhone 12 Pro and T-Mobile is the carrier. I get all the SMS send to me from all type of smart phone and all carriers. But when I reply to those SMS, the SMS goes from my iPhone but the receiver never gets those replies from me. The reply SMS I send is getting tracked with time & date in my T-Mobile account, which means it went from my iphone.
But what about some iPhones owners not getting my reply SMS but they do get it when iMessage is on, when iMessage is off the SMS never reach them even though it went from my device.It's an iPhone problem with receiving messages. But I'm not sure if it's isolated to tmobile iPhones.
TMobile is recording that the messages are sent (from both iPhone and Android).
The setting for "Send as sms" instead of iMessage was on for the iPhones in my situation.
Pennsylvania wrote:
It's an iPhone problem with receiving messages. But I'm not sure if it's isolated to tmobile iPhones.
TMobile is recording that the messages are sent (from both iPhone and Android).
The setting for "Send as sms" instead of iMessage was on for the iPhones in my situation.
Like I stated above, I receive SMS & iMessage fine whether it is iPhone or android. When I reply to the SMS to people who do not have iMessage, it goes from my iPhone, but the receiver never get my reply SMS. T-Mobile has records of these SMS replies with date & time stamp in my online T-Mobile account, which means it went from my iPhone. I changed the devices, tested it and the SMS replies are send from my side but the receiver never gets it. The interesting aspect is when I remove T-Mobile Sim on these devices and insert a Verizon SIM, the receiver gets my reply SMS. So i don't think it is a device issue. It is either a T-Mobile SMS issue or android issue vs T-Mobile.
An update:
SMS messages that I replied or send in the form of pictures or screenshots are received by those who were not receiving my SMS messages before. The SMS that I am typing using my keypad and sending are still not received by the receiver.
This seems to be a T-MOBILE problem, not a given phone issue.
I have this same problem, from other T-MOBILE customers who text me, regardless of which phone brand they use.
