Charged for picture messages-it's costing me 83p a time,please help

[Biba59]

I too have realised that I am being charged for picture messages, explanation was if wi fi signal not strong enough will be charged. I've only just noticed this and my home wi fi is EE why is this happening, as on whatsapp supposed to be free. I am having a refund when Bill produced. Not happy 

[bristolian]

It's the use of particular content in a message that triggers an MMS rather than SMS, and is therefore a phone function not a network one.

Most Android phones can be configured to use the Unicode alphabet which reduces the use of MMS, but your phone should always give an on-screen warning of "converting to MMS" or similar.

This applies to all networks, not just EE.

[Jenkins1]

Thank you for your reply. I use Apple devises, and haven’t come across pop up warnings, but will be sure to look out for them in the future. Never too old to learn!
Sent from my iPad

[Chris_B]

@Jenkins1  if your sending to a iPhone user and you have iMessage enabled ( blue text bubble ) it’ll go via data and is not charged if it’s a green text bubble it’s a text or MMS so can be chargeable.    On the iPhone you can switch off MMS is settings/messages.

[XRaySpeX]

@Jenkins1 It's quite likely that in the past you only sent pure texts. Once you start inserting emotions in them or attaching files they become MMS or Picture Msgs which are chargeable.

[rockridge]

Hi, I'm late to this thread so not sure if this will help - but, changed from i-phone to a new android phone contract a few months ago, both with EE, and have noticed these same charges appearing - so, I have a Motorola Razr 40 and have gone into Settings; gone into Network & Internet; gone into Calls & SMS and switched on Wi-Fi calling.

That should then make calls (and possibly texts/images ??)  via Wi-Fi when it's available rather than EE network (apparently?!)  - so should work through home Wi-Fi automatically, at least to test the theory (automatic connection is switched on to home Wi-Fi) - and might work generally through other available 'free' Wi-Fi when it's available too.

The phone's MMS was already switched off - so no messages can be sent by MMS now  (Please Note: turning off the MMS will  stop text messages being sent or received in the event that there's no network signal that would otherwise send them by SMS - so if MMS may be needed for emergency text messages please be aware of this situation)

So, will send some picture messages and see if I still get charged next month - If there's no charge then they have been sent via Wi-Fi calling (which has just been switched on via the process above) - and if there is a charge then the above process didn't work !

Thanks, Happy Days !

[XRaySpeX]

@rockridge : Calls, SMS & MMS sent by WiFI Calling cost exactly the same as if they were sent over the mobile network. WiFi Calling is just a routing method employed when the mobile signal is weak or non-existent. It is not a cost saver!

[bristolian]

To add, WiFi-calling does not replace EE's network, it complements it.

The access bearer - how your phone makes the initial connection - is changed from mobile to WiFi.

The onward connection is then to EE's core network, for connectivity to other operators and suchlike. WiFi itself does not have those onward connections, it's merely an alternate radio access technology.

[Rky]

WhatsApp and other messaging apps typically use data for sending messages, not traditional SMS or MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service).

- Even though your home Wi-Fi is provided by EE, if the Wi-Fi signal is weak or intermittent, your phone might switch to mobile data for sending messages, including MMS.  Please ensure both numbers are on iMessage if you don’t want to use WhatsApp and data is connected. If you are not on iPhone please check your outbox to verify if pictures are sent via sms which is called MMS when it sends multimedia like images etc

Contact EE Customer Support:

- Reach out to EE customer support to clarify why you're being charged for picture messages despite using WhatsApp, which should typically use data rather than MMS.

- To avoid future charges, continue using messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal that utilize data for messaging. 

[bristolian]

EE have never, to my knowledge, advertised WiFi or WiFi-calling as a means of avoiding call, text or messaging charges.

It is promoted as an alternative means of getting signal in poor indoor locations.

If you can show evidence to the contrary, you may have an argument.

[XRaySpeX]

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@Rky wrote:

- Ensure that your phone's Wi-Fi calling feature is enabled, as this can help maintain free or lower-cost messaging over Wi-Fi.

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No, it doesn't! It costs exactly the same as over the mobile network.

You're confusing WiFi Calling with the use of data-based apps like WhatsApp over WiFi. . An MMS is chargeable even when using WiFi Calling. Data-based apps like WhatsApp don't involve MMS; they have their own (data-based) messaging mechanisms.