When you send SMS or multimedia messages, does an error message that says “Message not sent” appear in your Android device’s notification tray? Use the answers in this tutorial to figure out how to fix the problems that are producing this SMS-related issue on your phone or tablet.
This mistake can appear on your screen for a variety of reasons. Likewise, there are several options for resolving the issue. Let’s get started.
1. Check The Balance Of Your Sim/account
Short message services are charged at specific rates by all mobile carrier networks (SMS). Check your account balance to make sure you have enough money to pay for the SMS. It’s also worth noting that SMS rates are calculated per message segment and sometimes by character count. If you want to send a long text that goes beyond your cell carrier’s one-message character restriction, make sure you have enough money in your carrier account to cover the cost of the entire SMS.
Check to see if your special/dedicated SMS package is live, meaning it hasn’t been cancelled or expired. The ‘Message not sent’ problem on your Android device could potentially be caused by a downtime or service outage on your carrier’s end. If you have enough money in your account, you can try some of the additional options listed below. If the problem persists, you should contact your mobile service provider.
2. Turn On The Airplane Mode
A problem with your Android device’s cellular connectivity may prevent messages from being delivered to the intended recipient (s). Enabling Airplane mode and then disabling it after a few seconds will refresh your mobile networks and resolve any connectivity issues that are producing the ‘Messages not sent’ error.
From the notification panel, toggle on Airplane Mode, or go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced and toggle on Airplane Mode. Wait 5-10 seconds before turning it off again.
3. Force Messages To Stop
It’s natural for Messages, like any other Android app, to periodically glitch or cease responding to certain requests. When this happens with Messages (or other apps on your iPhone), force-stopping the app restores its functionality quickly and easily.
To force-stop Messages on your Android device, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Select ‘Apps and notifications’ from the Settings menu.
Step 2: Choose App info or All Apps, depending on your phone’s brand and operating system.
Step 3: Select Messages from the list of programmes on the left.
Step 4: Select OK on the confirmation screen after tapping the Force Stop symbol.
4. Clear The App Cache Of Messages
If the cache directory of the Messages app contains corrupt files, the app may malfunction. Clear the app’s cache, resend the message, and see if it’s received. Close the Messages app and proceed with the instructions below.
Step 1: To access the Messages app info menu, long-press the Messages icon on the home screen or app tray and tap the enclosed I icon on the context menu.
Step 2: Choose ‘Storage & cache’ from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Finally, press the Clear cache icon to clear the cache from the Messages app.
5. Verify Permission To Send Sms
Check that Messages or your default messaging app on your Android smartphone has authorization to send and receive SMS and MMS messages. While the official Messages app (by Google) that comes with your Android smartphone has this permission set by default, you may need to provide it to third-party SMS apps explicitly.
To see if the impacted Messages app has SMS permissions, follow the instructions below.
Step 1: Select Privacy from the Settings menu.
Step 2: Select Permission Manager from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: Select SMS from the drop-down menu of permissions.
Step 4: Verify that the Messages app is listed in the Allowed list.
If Messages (or your third-party messaging app) isn’t listed in the Allowed or Denied sections, use the instructions below to give it SMS authorization.
Step 1: On the home screen or app tray, long-press the Messages icon and select the enclosed I icon from the context menu.
Step 2: Select Permission from the Messages app’s information screen.
Step 3: Select SMS from the drop-down menu.
Step 4: Make sure the app’s SMS Access is set to Allow.
Checks For Ore Troubleshooting
Check that the recipient’s phone number is correct if the error remains after trying all of the remedies given above. Make sure your phone’s cellular data is turned on if the message includes a multimedia attachment (pictures, movies, GIFs, etc.). Because multimedia messages (MMS) rely on cellular data rather than Wi-Fi, this is the case. Before you may send multimedia messages, some cell carriers even demand you to purchase a specific MMS subscription. To be sure, verify with your network provider. Finally, restarting your phone may be able to resolve this issue.
