Last Friday, AT&T finally enabled Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) support for the iPhone 3G and 3G-S here in the U.S. Now, users can send pictures, location data, contact information, voice memos, and video quickly and easily.
The MMS service is very easy to use. From the Messages app, you simply tap the camera icon on the bottom left, and the iPhone will prompt you to either take a photo or choose an existing image from your camera roll. You can also enter some text to accompany your picture or video, although the text and image will appear in separate balloons when they’re sent.
You can also send other helpful content via MMS, such as location data (via Maps), contact info (via Address Book), and voice memos (via Voice Memos). For instance, to send contact information, you simply open the desired contact, select "Share Contact", and then you will have an option to do so via either email or MMS.
To install the update, follow these simple steps:
- Make sure you’re running the iPhone 3.1 update.
- Connect your iPhone, go to iTunes, and check for software updates. You should be notified that there’s an update to the carrier settings for your iPhone.
- After installing that update, restart your phone by turning the power off. (Hold down the power button on the top of the device, and use the slider to power off when prompted.)
- Turn the power back on, and you should be good to go.
If you now have a camera icon to the left of your message entry field, then you have MMS installed correctly. You can read more here, watch an instructional video here, or consult Apple’s troubleshooting guide here.
Source: "MMS Arrives: What It Means for You" by Philip Michaels, Macworld.com.
