Can’t Send or Receive Pictures on iPhone [Fixed]

The iPhone is known for being one of the best phones, especially known for its excellent camera. Since many people own iPhones, it’s quite common to use them for capturing photos. Similarly, it’s even more common to want to share those photos with friends, family, and loved ones, particularly if they are taken in picturesque locations or turned out exceptionally well.

However, it can be frustrating if you try to send these photos and encounter a “Not Delivered” message with a red exclamation mark instead of Delivered. This happens a lot (as many other iPhone users have reported), and it’s quite common. So you don’t need to worry. I’ve got you covered.

In this article, I will guide you through the reasons why you might not be able to send or receive pictures on your iPhone and provide solutions. I’ll focus on addressing issues with sending or receiving pictures via Text Message, iMessage, or even through WhatsApp Messenger. So, without any further ado, let’s get started!

Reasons Why Your iPhone Won’t Send or Receive Pictures

Before beginning troubleshooting for your iPhone, if pictures are not being sent or received, it’s important to understand the reasons behind it. Identifying these reasons will help us pinpoint the specific issue in our device or application that’s causing the inability to send or receive pictures. Once we determine the exact cause, we can then find the appropriate solution to resolve it accordingly.

However, there are a couple of reasons why your iPhone might not be able to send or receive pictures. Here are the most common ones:

1. Internet Connection: Sending and receiving pictures requires a data connection in iMessage or social media platforms, either through Wi-Fi or your cellular network. Make sure you have a stable connection to send or receive pictures on your iPhone.

2. MMS Messaging: To send or receive pictures through text messages, you need to enable MMS messaging on your iPhone. Also, MMS messages have size limits set by your carrier, so make sure that the photo file is not too large.

3. iMessage: If you’re trying to send or receive pictures to other Apple users via iMessage, make sure that iMessage is enabled for both you and the recipient.

4. Storage Space: If your iPhone is running low on storage space, it might not be able to send or receive pictures.

5. Carrier Issue: Possibly it might be a temporary issue with your carrier’s service.

6. iOS Update: Occasionally, iOS updates or bugs in Apple ID can lead to the iPhone experiencing issues with sending and receiving pictures.

You might have already discovered the potential reasons why your iPhone is not sending or receiving new pictures. If so, you can directly jump to that particular troubleshooting step and follow it to resolve the issue. Otherwise, you can also try each fix step by step to address the problem. But, by the end of this article, the result will be in your favor.

Fix iPhone Can’t Send or Receive Pictures in Text Message

If the message bubble you send appears green, that means the recipient is getting an SMS instead of an iMessage. There could be various reasons for it, such as you or maybe the recipient has iMessage turned off, or possibly the recipient might be an Android user, or perhaps the person you’re trying to chat with may not have strong Internet access at the moment.

A green bubble with ‘not delivered’ indicates your iPhone may have trouble sending pictures via text, usually sent through MMS.

Enable MMS Messaging

If you wish to send pictures to someone who isn’t using an Apple device, you can do so through MMS Messaging. Follow the below steps to enable MMS Messaging.

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on Messages.
3. Turn on MMS Messaging.

If the option isn’t available, your carrier may not support it. However, if you’ve previously had access but it’s now missing, refer to a dedicated article to resolve the issue of missing MMS Messaging on your iPhone.

Check Cellular Network

If you have enabled MMS Messaging but are still having trouble sending or receiving pictures on your iPhone, A weak cellular network might be the culprit. Here’s how you can check or fix it:

1. Look at the Signal Bars: More bars generally mean a stronger signal. If you have very few bars, that could be the reason your pictures aren’t going through.

2. Try Moving to a Different Location: If you’re indoors, try going outside or moving to a different part of the building. Sometimes, cellular reception can be spotty in certain areas.

3. Check for Network Outages: You can contact your cellular provider or visit their website to see if there are any reported outages in your area.

Reset Network Settings

Resetting network settings can be a solution if you’re having trouble sending or receiving pictures on your iPhone, but it’s important to be aware of what it does before proceeding.

Resetting network settings will erase all your saved Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth connections, VPN & APN settings, and cellular settings. This means you’ll need to re-enter all your Wi-Fi passwords and re-pair your iPhone with Bluetooth devices. Now, follow the steps below to reset the network settings.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on General.
3. Scroll down all the way and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Hit Reset.
5. As soon as you tap on Reset, a popup will appear. Choose Reset Network Settings from them.
6. Enter your passcode in a new window.
7. Tap on Reset Network Settings again to confirm.
8. Wait until your iPhone restarts; its network settings will reset to default.

Call Your Carrier

If you’ve already tried the workarounds mentioned above but are still facing issues sending pictures to a non-Apple user via text, then contacting your carrier directly might be the next step. They may be able to provide a solution, as the problem could be due to an issue on their end. They are likely to offer the best resolution to this problem. They will let you know whether your carrier offers MMS messaging.

Fix iPhone Can’t Send or Receive Pictures in iMessage

If you are having trouble sending or receiving pictures via iMessage, you can try these twelve working methods mentioned below. So, without any further delay, let’s dive in!

Check Internet Connection

If you want to send any text or media via iMessage, you’ll need internet access. If you’re unable to send or receive texts or pictures through iMessage, the first thing you should check is your internet connection. Make sure that the internet connection on your iPhone is stable.

If you’re connected to a WiFi network, ensure that the WiFi network is strong. If the WiFi connection you’ve connected your iPhone to isn’t strong enough, try disconnecting from WiFi and sending the picture using your mobile data instead. If you’re still unable to send texts or media on iMessage even after turning on mobile data, try turning off mobile data and then turning it back on. If the problem persists, turn on Airplane Mode and then turn it off, and try again.

Make Sure You Enabled iMessage

As with MMS messaging, if you want to send or receive pictures on iMessage to another Apple user, obviously, you need to make sure that you have enabled iMessage on your iPhone. Follow the below steps to do so.

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and go to Message.
3. Turn on the toggle right to iMessage.

Check If the Recipient Has iMessage Enabled

Once you’ve confirmed that you enabled iMessage and that is working properly but you’re still experiencing issues sending or receiving pictures, the next step is to check if the person you’re messaging also has iMessage enabled. To do this, you’ll need to check the color of the message bubble.

Since you’ve already enabled iMessage in the aforementioned workaround, ideally, if the message bubble you sent is blue, it means the recipient also has iMessage enabled. However, if the message bubble color is green, it indicates that the recipient hasn’t enabled iMessage and your message is being sent in SMS format.

Check System Status

The iMessage server might be experiencing downtime at this moment, and the issue might not be with your iPhone. To confirm this, you can visit the System Status page of Apple’s official website and see if iMessage is down. If the system status page displays a green dot next to iMessage, it indicates that the iMessage server is working perfectly. However, if that’s not the case, please wait until Apple fixes it or skip to the next solution.

Force Restart The iMessage App

Force quitting the iMessage can be a simple yet effective solution that helps fix glitches and bugs that might be the cause behind your iPhone not sending or receiving pictures. Follow the below instructions to do so.

1. Swipe up all the way to your iPhone’s home screen until you enter recent apps.
2. Find iMessage and remove it from the recent apps list by swiping it up.
3. Wait a few minutes and relaunch iMessage to see if you are now able to send photos.

Check The Photo File Size

Large file sizes can be one of the reasons why you can’t send or receive pictures on iPhone. If you’re sending pictures through regular text messages (MMS), your carrier might have a limit on the size of the file you can send. Either you are sharing pictures via iMessage and the media size is exceptionally large, it may take a long time to send and use a lot of data, or it may even happen that the image fails to send altogether.

Follow the below steps to check the file size you want to share:

1. Launch the Photos app.
2. Choose the image you want to send.
3. Swipe up to see the metadata, and you will be prompted with the file size.

Try reducing the photo file size before sending it if the file size is too large.

Pro Tip: To send Low Quality Images automatically, follow the below steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Messages.
3. Scroll down all the way and turn on the toggle right to Low-Quality Image Mode.

Delete Every iMessage Chat on Your iPhone

If you haven’t cleared your iMessage chats for a long time, it can lead to a temporary glitch that may cause you to not send or receive pictures on your iPhone.

iPhone. To resolve this, delete all iMessage chats and start a new conversation with the contact you wish to share a picture with. This could potentially solve the issue. Follow the below steps to do so.

1. Open the iMessage app on your iPhone.
2. Hit the three dots in the upper right corner.
3. Choose Select Messages when a small popup prompts.
4. Select each iMessage chat.
5. Finally, tap on the Delete button at the bottom right corner of the screen.
6. Confirm the deletion by hitting the Delete button again.

Pro Tip: Alternatively, you can select all the chats in one go by tapping the first message with two fingers and scroll it all the way > Delete > Delete.

Follow the steps below to delete chats from the Recently Delete folder.

1. Tap on Filters at the upper left corner.
2. Go to Recently Deleted.
3. Hit Delete All.
4. Confirm by tapping Delete [number] Messages.

If you want to avoid such problems in the future, regularly delete unnecessary chats like OTPs, transactions, etc., from iMessage or set them to delete after a certain time automatically. To do so, follow the below steps.

1. Launch Settings.
2. Go to Messages.
3. Scroll down and hit Keep Messages under the MESSAGE HISTORY section.
4. Choose how long you want to keep your messages (30 days or 1 year), or select Forever if you don’t want them to auto-delete.

Check Your iPhone Storage

Storage shortage is one of the reasons you failed to send or receive pictures on your iPhone. The picture needs to be downloaded and saved on your phone before you can view it. Hence, it’s important to verify if your iPhone’s storage is at capacity. If it is, it’s even more important to free up space by deleting unnecessary data, apps, and media files to be able to send and receive pictures on your iPhone. To check iPhone storage, follow the below steps.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Tap iPhone Storage.

If all your data or apps are important to you, and you prefer not to delete any data from your iPhone by choice or for any other reason, then you’ll need to purchase iCloud storage on your iPhone to share media files.

Restart Your iPhone

When was the last time you rebooted your iPhone? It’s probably been a long day back, isn’t it? Many individuals tend to overlook doing this, but regularly restarting your device is crucial to prevent issues such as difficulty sending or receiving pictures on your iPhone.

Restarting your iPhone is a commonly used solution to resolve such glitches. To do so, follow the below steps.

iPhone 8 and Later Models

1. Prеss and hold thе Powеr button along with еithеr thе Volumе Up or Down button until Powеr mеnu prompts.
2. On thе Powеr mеnu scrееn, swipе thе slidе to powеr off all the way to power off thе iPhonе.
3. Wait for at least 30 seconds.
4. Finally, press and hold the start button to start your iPhonе again.

iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus

1. Press and hold both the power and volume down buttons simultaneously.
2. Keep holding until you see the Apple logo on your iPhone screen.
3. Wait for your iPhone to restart.

iPhone 6s and Previous Models

1. Hold the home and power buttons together.
2. Keep holding until the Apple logo appears.
3. Wait for your iPhone to restart.

Sign Out With Apple ID and Sign In Again

Signing out and signing back in with your Apple ID can be a solution to try if you’re having trouble sending or receiving pictures on your iPhone.

However, it’s important to be aware of a potential downside before proceeding. Signing out of your Apple ID might temporarily interrupt other Apple services like iMessage, FaceTime, and iCloud until you sign back in and your device refreshes. If you’re comfortable with that, here’s how to do so.

1. Launch the Settings app.

2. Tap on your Apple ID at the top of the screen.

3. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.

4. Enter your Apple ID password or verification code if prompted and tap Turn Off at the upper right corner of the screen.

5. As soon as you sign out of your Apple ID, a new window will open, stating that you should keep data copied on this iPhone. Below, you’ll find options to keep a copy of Contacts, Health data, Keychain, and Safari. You’ll need to toggle on the ones you want to keep a copy of, then tap Sign Out.

6. Tap Sign Out when confirmation pops up prompt.

7. Restart your iPhone (Optional but recommended).

8. Once you’ve signed out, return to the Settings app.

9. Tap Sign in to your iPhone.

10. Choose your sign-in method:

• Use another Apple device nearby for a faster sign-in.
• Enter your Apple ID (email or phone number) and password manually.

11. Follow any on-screen instructions to complete the sign-in process.

Try Sending Pictures to a Different Contact

Even after attempting so many troubleshooting steps, if the issue persists, it’s worth considering sending the picture to another contact to determine whether the problem is limited to a particular contact or not. If you’re unable to send pictures to other contacts as well, proceed with common troubleshooting steps (Another heading in the article).

If you can successfully share pictures with other contacts, it’s possible that the person you’re trying to send pictures to has blocked you, which could be why your messages aren’t being delivered. Read the article to see if someone has blocked you. Another reason could be that the number has been deactivated for so long.

Contact Apple Support

If you’ve tried these steps and still can’t send or receive pictures, then contacting Apple Support might be the next best step.

Bonus Tip: Fix iPhone Can’t Send or Receive Pictures in WhatsApp Messenger

If you’re experiencing difficulty sending or receiving pictures on WhatsApp Messenger, the following six solutions can help address the issue.

Check Internet Connection

Internet connection should be strong to send or receive pictures in WhatsApp Messenger. Use another app or browser to check if the internet connection is weak. If they load properly, you likely have a strong internet connection. If your internet connection is not strong, then try turning cellular data off and on. If you’re on Wi-Fi, try switching to cellular data and see if that makes a difference.

Force Quit and Relaunch the WhatsApp App

Force quitting and relaunching the WhatsApp app can potentially fix the iPhone can’t send or receive pictures in WhatsApp Messenger. To do the same, follow the below steps.

1. Close the WhatsApp app.
2. Swipe up on your iPhone’s home screen to access recent apps.
3. Locate WhatsApp and swipe it up to remove it from the recent apps list.
4. After a few minutes, reopen the WhatsApp app to check if you can now send photos.

Close Background Apps

If you’re using multiple apps simultaneously on your iPhone with limited storage space, WhatsApp might have trouble sending or receiving pictures. To resolve this, just close the background apps and then reopen WhatsApp to try sending pictures again.

To close background apps, swipe up from the bottom of the home screen and pause in the middle. Then, swipe up on the app’s preview to close it.

Update WhatsApp Messenger

The problem might be related to the app’s functionality if you have trouble sending pictures via WhatsApp. To resolve this, it’s recommended that WhatsApp be updated.

If a lot of people are facing the same issue with the WhatsApp application on their iPhones, Meta developers might have released an update containing bug fixes and enhancements. Follow the steps below to update WhatsApp.

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone.
2. Tap on your profile picture in the top right corner of the screen.
3. Scroll down to see a list of available updates.
4. Find WhatsApp Messenger in the list of apps whose updates are available.
5. If an update is available for WhatsApp, you will see an Update button next to it.
6. Tap Update to install the latest version of WhatsApp Messenger.

Offload WhatsApp

Offloading WhatsApp can fix issues with sending or receiving pictures on iPhone by refreshing the app and clearing any potential glitches. This process reinstalls the app without losing data. So, offload WhatsApp on your iPhone and then reinstall it again to resolve the issue potentially.

Pro Tip: Before you offload WhatsApp, It’s important to back up your WhatsApp chats. To do so, Open WhatsApp > go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > and then finally Back Up Now. This will ensure your messages are saved to iCloud.

1. Go to iPhone Settings.
2. Tap on General.
3. Select iPhone Storage.
4. Scroll down and find WhatsApp on the list of Apps.
5. Tap on WhatsApp.
6. Hit the Offload App button.
7. As soon as you click Offload App, a confirmation prompt will pop up, and you will have to click on Offload App again.
8. Click on the Reinstall App button.
9. Wait patiently while the app reinstalls. After that, verify if you can send pictures to any contact through WhatsApp.

Uninstall and Reinstall WhatsApp Messenger

If you’ve Offloaded the app and still can’t resolve the issue, you should delete the app and reinstall it. There might be a bug within the app itself that can only be fixed by reinstalling it. To do so, follow the below steps.

1. Swipe left to go to App Library.
2. Find WhatsApp in the Social category.
3. Press and hold it until a menu prompts.
4. Choose Delete App.
5. As soon as you click Delete App, a confirmation prompt will appear, and you will have to click on Delete. This will uninstall WhatsApp from your iPhone.
6. Launch App Store.
7. Hit the search icon in the bottom right corner of the screen.
8. Search WhatsApp in the search bar.
9. Click the download button to reinstall the WhatsApp Messenger App again.

Common Troubleshooting: Can’t Send or Receive Pictures via Text Message, iMessage, or WhatsApp on iPhone

So far, you’ve attempted all troubleshooting methods for text messages, iMessage, and WhatsApp applications, but the issue remains unresolved. Here are some common troubleshooting steps that everyone can try, whether facing problems with sending pictures via text message or iMessage or experiencing issues on WhatsApp.

Check for iOS and Carrier Updates

If you’re experiencing issues sending or receiving pictures on your iPhone, checking for iOS and carrier updates can potentially fix the issue. New iOS versions often include bug fixes and improvements that can address problems with messaging, including sending and receiving photos. Updating to the latest version ensures you have the most recent fixes.

Carrier updates can sometimes address issues related to cellular data connectivity, which is necessary for sending and receiving pictures (often through MMS, iMessage, or any other messenger platform). To update your iPhone to the latest iOS and Carrier, follow the below steps.

Points you should remember before starting to update your iPhone:

1. Make sure that your iPhone has enough storage space to download the update.

2. The updating process may take a few minutes or more, so be patient.

3. Before start updating your iPhone, ensure that the device has a charge of over 20%, as the software update may take up to 20 minutes or more. If the charge is below 20%, you won’t be able to proceed.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Hit General.
3. Tap on Software Update.
4. Verify if there is any update available.
5. If an update is untaken, you can see a button labeled Download and Install or Install Now.
6. Press the button to initiate the download and installation process.
7. Allow your iPhone to restart once the update is completed.

Rеsеt All Sеttings

It is possible that adjustments to your iPhone’s system settings may be causing issues with sending or receiving pictures. If that’s the case, you should reset all settings so that the settings you may change will reset to their default. Here’s how you can do so.

1. Open Settings.
2. Hit General.
3. Scroll down and tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap on Reset.
5. Choose Reset All Settings when a small pop-up menu prompts.
6. Enter the passcode of the iPhone.
7. Confirm Reset by tapping Reset All Settings again when the confirmation popup prompts.

Factory Reset Your iPhone

You should reset your iPhone immediately if you’ve already tried all the aforementioned methods. After the reset, your iPhone will be restored to its original, as if it were a brand-new device.

Before restarting your iPhone, ensure you back it up using iCloud or another storage service. Also, remember to unpair your Apple Watch from the iPhone if it’s paired. These steps safeguard your personal data and prevent potential issues.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Navigate to General.
3. Scroll down and select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
5. You’ll be prompted to a new window, tap Continue to proceed.
6. Tap Erase iPhone when a confirmation popup appears.
7. Enter your iPhone passcode, Apple ID password, or both if required.
8. Be patient, as the resetting process takes time. After a short time, your iPhone will restart and display the setup screen.
9. Once your iPhone restarted, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
10. Check whether you are now able to send or receive pictures on your phone or not.

Conclusion

If you were unable to send or receive pictures on your iPhone, it was important to solve this problem as soon as possible because taking and sending pictures is quite important in our day-to-day lives. Many times, we need to send important media for work as well. So, in that case, if you couldn’t smoothly send or receive pictures, it could lead to problems. I assure you that if you honestly followed the troubleshooting steps mentioned above, this issue would definitely be resolved. Thanks for reading; cheers!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I send pictures from iPhone to Android?

To send a picture from your iPhone to any Android device, you can either use MMS messaging or a third-party application like WhatsApp, Messenger, or Telegram to send the picture instantly to the Android device.

2. Could third-party apps be causing Can’t Send or Receive Pictures on iPhone?

It’s possible. Try sending and receiving pictures using the default messaging app. If it works, one of your third-party apps might be causing the issue. Consider uninstalling recently installed apps to see if that resolves the problem.

3. Why is it important to back up my iPhone before troubleshooting?

Backing up your iPhone ensures that your data is safe. If anything goes wrong during troubleshooting, you can back up your iPhone using iCloud or iTunes/Finder on your computer.

4. What if I’m experiencing problems only with certain contacts?

If you’re having trouble sending or receiving pictures with specific contacts, it could be an issue on their end. Send this article to them and ask them to check their settings and troubleshoot their device.

5. After upgrading to a new iPhone, I’m unable to receive pictures from my old phone – what’s causing this issue?

Ensure iMessage is disabled on your old phone to prevent it from trying to send iMessages to your new device. To disable iMessage on your old iPhone, go to Settings > Messages, then toggle off the iMessage option.