Signal-android: Error downloading MMS message, tap to retry

[jreslock]

I have:

• [X] searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• [X] read https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Android/wiki/Submitting-useful-bug-reports

---

Bug description

Error downloading MMS message, tap to retry on Signal 3.29.6

Steps to reproduce

• Receive MMS message from non-signal user.
• Try to click on the message to download the contents.
• Tap to retry when an error is shown.

Actual result: I receive the error described in the issue title over and over.

Expected result: MMS message is successfully downloaded.

Screenshots

Omitted

Device info

Device: OnePlus 2
Android version: 6.0.1
Signal version: 3.29.6

Link to debug log

[jeremymasters]

removing my report since it looks like phone was just misbehaving...had happened right after installing 3.29.6 and lasted several hours. my apologies.

[autojim]

Happening quite a bit on my S5. Highly annoying as it keeps retrying, even if you delete messages or indeed the entire conversation.

But one example: https://gist.github.com/c55f15162cc077efc73e166fc761cb12

[autojim]

FOLLOW-UP:

After growing tired of the endless automatic attempts to resend the failed MMS messages to my phone's Signal app, I switched my default messaging app back to the OEM messenger application. This cleared the queue of the residual messages, which were part of a group text a contact of mine initiated. They were not media messages, but apparently group texts are sent as MMS messages, and Signal was unable to process slightly more than half of them, setting up the endless cycle of repeat-send-attempts.

I am a caveman mechanical engineer who can't code his way out of a paper bag regardless of its moisture content, but perhaps a future release of Signal could address this, please?

[hotpocket]

Just two of these in a row. I asked the sender and she said she sent the msg days ago... Not sure if that matters

[autojim]

Seems to retry on a 12-hour basis.

I've had to switch back to Messenger for primary use, with Signal only for other Signal users.

[Gingernaut]

I have this issue constantly. I deleted the app and reinstalled and MMS worked for some time, then the issue came back. I've been forced to use a non-secure app as my default messaging app now. Please address this issue.

[hotpocket]

Is there any way to attempt to debug this? I was thinking if there was a dump of the malformed MMS I could get to, I maybe could post that somewhere.

[jreslock]

Update on this:

I found that in my case the issue was my carrier (AT&T) mismatching my phone's EIN and not allowing the MMS downloads.

The OnePlus2 has 2 SIM card slots, each with a unique EIN. I had been traveling abroad and moved my AT&T SIM to the other slot. This confused the carrier somehow and caused major issues with MMS. Once I called AT&T to get them to correct the EIN it was fine.

[hotpocket]

This can not be the case with me as the issue is intermittent (I actually got one of these errors again yesterday)

There was some SNAFU about MMS when initially when I got my phone with tmobile where they had me enter a url to download mms messages from, and then the MMS flowed (before signal)

Upon reading the "how to submit a bug" docs, I attempted to download the mms again (to make it fail so i could submit a debug log) but it succeeded this time... the odd thing is that the image originally showed from user A, but after it downloaded it showed it came from user A as part of a group conversation with A, B & C

[onesweetpea2000]

I have a Blu Vivo XL and everytime I view MMS photos I have to verify that cellular data is on and WLAN is off. I reboot it and then everything works great. The pictures stay when I turn my WiFi back on but I can't receive any new MMS info. It doesn't take that long but since I kept forgetting what I was doing I actually have a piece of paper reminding me on those two complicated steps stuck on the back of my phone case :) Hope it's as easy for everyone else as it is for me.

[hotpocket]

had this happen again from two different contact that usually text me in a group thread ... i got these errors separately although i suspect they got deinterlaced because i received two separate MMS download requests from two separate contacts that, like I said, usually communicate with me in a group text. they do not use signal. captured debug log here. https://gist.github.com/anonymous/934cc665053bbe90ac05b288e9cae210

[Rasmis]

I get this too. I've tried connecting and disconnecting wifi, rebooting the phone, selecting download this and that. Nothing works.

[onesweetpea2000]

What I found out is that if I turn off Wifi (WLAN) and leave cellular data on - then reboot it works great, everything downloads great. It's a pain but at least I get to see the pictures.

Good luck

---- Rasmus Malver [e-mail] wrote:

=============
I get this too. I've tried connecting and disconnecting wifi, rebooting the phone, selecting download this and that. Nothing works.

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[Rasmis]

Doesn't work for me. Tried again, no result.

[onesweetpea2000]

What a shame. I'm sorry. Who makes your phone? I'm using a Blu product.

---- Rasmus Malver [e-mail] wrote:

=============
Doesn't work for me. Tried again, no result.

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Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub: What
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[Rasmis]

Samsung Gi9195

[campbeln]

This happens with a large percentage of my MMS messages on MotoG3, it makes Signal unusable.

[sarahfg]

This happens so consistently for me. So frustrating!

[erichiggins]

Experiencing this issue with Signal 4.14.10 on a Pixel 2, running Android 8.1.0

[zksteel]

Same on Motorola Moto X Play: Android 6.0.1 and Samsung Galaxy S4: Android 4.4.2, both running Signal 4.14.10 ver. currently. This issue annoying me and my friends for half a year. Devs, will it be fixed soon? When?

Additional info:
I found that last corrletly downloaded MMS were 8 Apr 2017. It's hard to determine when it started, cuz I delete old messages (limit 200). I always updated Signal app when when a newer version came up.
I think also that telecommunications provider is not a problem. Me and my mate, both we are using "Play" (wikipedia), for him everything works great (With newest version of app too). Play uses domestic roaming, so i tried fix MMS issue by allowing for all types of MMS in "media auto-download" option for roaming. It didn't help. And everything works half year ago so... .

EDIT:
debug log -
https://gist.github.com/anonymous/ae63f328d5e113ac19349a3e7f49d1e0

[hotpocket]

Submit a debug log like I did so the devs have something to go on. The easier it is for them to figure out the more likely it is to get fixed.

[zksteel]

I peek at logs and started digging in code. In my case issue occure because I use application with "Signal messages and calls" disabled (I disable it cuz me and my friends had problem with to long time between sending and receiving an SMS - sometimes few hours).
When MMS arrive, You guys check:

if (!TextSecurePreferences.isPushRegistered(context)) { throw new MmsException("Not registered"); }

I don't have to much time to dig deeper, but why you need GCM for just downloading MMS like standard apps do (which not using Google Services).
I think you can just somehow skip it, and download MMS like dozen apps on market do.

With "Signal messages and calls" enabled, MMS are downloaded and displayed correctly.

[amadib]

I dont experience the same issue where I have to retry but I have to manually download each image, even if I have it set to automatically download MMS. Is this the same issue or another?

[JERW86]

I am having this issue with 4.16.3.
Android 7.1.2
Debug Record

[douglasg14b]

same issue...

4.16.9
Android 8.0

https://hastebin.com/miyomubite

[automated-signal]

GitHub Issue Cleanup:
See #7598 for more information.