Expert: DebiN - 11/19/2009

Question
I have several friends that all seem to have trouble sending MMS from their Motorola Q's.  They also cannot send it as an attachment with an e-mail but they can receive them that way only.

Answer
Hi Joe -

On the Motorola Q, you only have two message options - one is an SMS and the other is an email. Since MMS messages use the data network, they are not the same as text (SMS) messages that use the voice network. On some SmartPhones, there are three ways to send, SMS, MMS and Email. On the Q, it considers MMS similar to email and only allows you to send from the Email screen or the SMS. So, to start an MMS message on a Q, you go into the Email screen and then you choose your friends MMS address (versus an email address) and this is how the message goes out as an MMS. So if they start the message as an email, use their friends MMS address (i.e., phone number @ carrier - they can choose the address from the contact and it will put it into the To line properly) and then to add an attachment, they just choose Menu, Insert, Picture (or Voice Note or File) in the Message area of the email. If they try to go to the SMS screen, they will not be able to send an MMS or insert anything since the SMS area is only for text messages.

The reason that they receive MMS messages as emails is the same reason that they have to send them that way, the Q only distinguishes between SMS and Email and MMS is lumped into the email category. Unlike a BlackBerry for example, where the SMS and MMS are created and saved into the same area. If you think about it, since MMS is actually data, it makes sense that it is saved and created similar to an Email and that is likely why Motorola chose to do it this way on the Q. However, someone should have explained this to your friends when they bought the device because it is definitely confusing, especially if you don't know the technical aspects of these messages. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN