topic Re: Tracfone and texts in Electronics

Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

missy1 — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 01:30:36 GMT

My tracfone says "unable to send message to xxx-xxx-xxxx". (when I send a text with a picture). My memory is not full.

I have plenty of minutes. It's a LG phone.

thanks

Re: Tracfone and texts

x Hedge — Sat, 21 Oct 2017 23:37:51 GMT

Are you trying to send a text to a landline phone number, @missy1?
Are you trying to send a text outside of TracFone's service area?.
Are you trying to send a text to someone who has no 'Messages' app on their device? -or uses an app with restrictions?
Can you email or phone the party at that number, so you can verify it's a working number?

Is your TracFone an older 'single bucket' model, where your minutes aren't designated specifically for talk-text-data?

Re: Tracfone and texts

missy1 — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 01:16:44 GMT

@x Hedge

I can send texts, but I can't send the text with a picture.

Re: Tracfone and texts

Venezia — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 01:52:26 GMT

@missy1- Do you have your phone set to just wi-fi? I've always had to have the data (3G or 4G, whichever you have) turned on to send any photos. Never have a problem when I have that setting.

My last four Tracfones have been LG (current one is the Premier) and I only ever had a problem when the data was switched off.

Re: Tracfone and texts

missy1 — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 02:14:11 GMT

@Venezia I will try that. thanks

edit: yes it was already on wifi. I guess I will have to call tracfone.

Re: Tracfone and texts

Venezia — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 02:05:01 GMT

@missy1- Let us know, if that works for you!

Re: Tracfone and texts

Venezia — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 14:08:38 GMT

@missy1 wrote:
@Venezia I will try that. thanks

edit: yes it was already on wifi. I guess I will have to call tracfone.

@missy1- No, not wi-fi; you have a setting for wi-fi and a separate setting for data. Both need to be switched to "on". I don't know which phone you have, but you should be able to look through the settings to find the one I'm talking about.

And you don't need to worry that having the "data" set to on will use up your data instead of defaulting to wi-fi. If you're home, for instance, and have wi-fi, your phone will still use that. It's just for things like sending photos or if you're where there is no wi-fi, that it will use the data.

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

x Hedge — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 14:41:39 GMT

@missy1,

To send a text with an attached photograph or sound bite you need to get your text ready to send, tap mobile data on, then send the text, and turn your data off as soon as the transmission is completed.

Don't waste your mobile data by leaving it on all the time.

There are specialty apps that send messages over WiFi instead of the phone lines but both the sender and the receiver have to use the same app

I'm assuming you're sending a typical text which uses phone lines for transmission. In that case having WIFI on or off while sending a text makes no difference.

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

Venezia — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 14:49:00 GMT

I leave the data on all the time and my phone never uses that, when wi-fi is available. I still have pretty much the same amount of data that I've had for the past several years, since I don't use it for much else.

My phone definitely defaults to wi-fi when it's available.

Re: Tracfone and texts

x Hedge — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 15:01:29 GMT

@Venezia wrote:
@missy1 wrote:
@Venezia I will try that. thanks

edit: yes it was already on wifi. I guess I will have to call tracfone.
@missy1- No, not wi-fi; you have a setting for wi-fi and a separate setting for data. Both need to be switched to "on". I don't know which phone you have, but you should be able to look through the settings to find the one I'm talking about.

And you don't need to worry that having the "data" set to on will use up your data instead of defaulting to wi-fi. If you're home, for instance, and have wi-fi, your phone will still use that. It's just for things like sending photos or if you're where there is no wi-fi, that it will use the data.

It depends on your settings.

I have the feeling that someone who doesn't know mobile data is needed to transmit a text with attachments also hasn't restricted background data useage on all apps, opted to prevent automatic updates, and defaulted to WiFi.

Also, I'm disturbed by the fact my newest phone has the ability to override my setting, and I periodically find my group data restriction to apps has been turned off!

Re: Tracfone and texts

x Hedge — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 15:15:42 GMT

@missy1 wrote:
@Venezia I will try that. thanks

edit: yes it was already on wifi. I guess I will have to call tracfone.

@missy1, your question re sending a text w an attachment is a basic, 'HOW-TO use a phone' question.

You can see the user manual for your make/model at the TracFone Website.

If that fails, I'd suggest asking here first before calling TracFone's cs. Asking them to teach you how-to use your phone seldom goes well.

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

missy1 — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 16:54:42 GMT

Thank you all for your help.

Yes, I do know how to send texts with pictures, on my other Tracfone.

This newer phone is sending texts, but won't send them with pictures for some reason.

I have tried to send pictures to more than one person.

They are both prepaid LG phones. (look similar)

I am looking at both phones, and the settings appear to be the same.

There is no seperate setting for data. I even looked on the text settings. I just have a wifi icon.

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

x Hedge — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 17:16:58 GMT

Hmmm ... looks like an older model.

Is that a single bucket or a triple bucket phone?

Didn't I ask that in the first reply? I meant to.

When you look at your balance does it just show minutes (single bucket), or does it show talk-text-data (triple bucket)?

Is your other phone a flip phone or 'feature' phone,

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

missy1 — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 17:38:32 GMT

@x Hedge wrote:

Hmmm ... looks like an older model.
Is that a single bucket or a triple bucket phone?
Didn't I ask that in the first reply? I meant to.
When you look at your balance does it just show minutes (single bucket), or does it show talk-text-data (triple bucket)?

Is your other phone a flip phone or 'feature' phone,

Both of my phones are not flip phones. (look like the picture, have the same icons)

I have triple minutes on each one, for the life of the phone.

They both show minutes only. (balance)

I am just frustrated I can't send a picture with a text.

thanks again

@x Hedge

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

x Hedge — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 17:58:20 GMT

Sorry to interrogate you @missy1, but in this case icons, whether same or different doesn't matter.

In this case triple minutes, double minutes, or single minutes don't matter.

FYI both your phones are single bucket.

Since we don't have a model number we can only rule out possibilities by asking a series of questions.

TracFone sold some early touchscreens that looked very much like yours, but despite their appearance they operated as feature phones and were not smartphones.

Here's the next question :

Have you ever received a text with an attachment on that phone? If so did the picture just appear or did you have to tap something to make the picture show up on-screen?

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

LOLLI — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 21:00:11 GMT

i am having the same prob with my tracfone lg fiesta not my first tracfone and have called their service dept several times about this issue and they are stumped, they even sent a new sim card but it did't help. love the phone otherwise can send photos in emails but not able to send or recieve any in text has anyone had this issue an was able to solve?

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

crazy4bears — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 22:23:05 GMT

LOLLI, is your tracfone a LG Fiesta 2? Would like to know because I purchased one from HSN and haven't activated it yet. I have read some other people are having the same issues with this phone and I don't want to keep it if you can't send pictures.

Thanks!

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

LOLLI — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 11:55:26 GMT

yes that's the one I have love it otherwise.

tracfone is out of ideas after MANY calls, even tried a new sim card, waiting now for HSN to send a replacement phone and I will see if that was the prob. Where did you here of others having trouble? I also posted on the HSN forum yesterday

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

crazy4bears — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 19:33:31 GMT

Just by reading the reviews on the phone.

Re: Tracfone and texts (that include a picture)

bargainsgirl — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:12:46 GMT

Same exact thing is happening to me just in the last few days!! NEVER had a problem before!!