Check out these troubleshooting tips to fix the issue of photos and videos failing to send via iMessage so you can get back to sharing moments with loved ones.
While the solutions here are for an iPhone, many of them also work for iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro.
1. Try sending a non-photo message
If you’re unable to send media, try to send a simple text-based iMessage to that person or someone else and see if it goes through. If it does, move to the remaining solutions below. If it doesn’t, explore these solutions to fix iMessage not working on your iPhone.
2. Wait for a while if the file size is huge
Sometimes, the size of the picture or video you’ve captured can be large, and if combined with a slow internet connection, this can increase the processing time. In this case, try waiting a bit longer, but if that doesn’t work, move on to the next solution.
3. Make sure you have a reliable internet connection
It’s possible to see Wi-Fi or strong cellular signal bars at the top right of your iPhone screen, but the internet may have quietly stopped working in the background, causing outgoing photos to get stuck in the Messages app.
To fix this, put your iPhone in Airplane mode, wait for 15 seconds, and then turn Airplane mode off. Now, return to the Messages app conversation where the photo or video is being sent, and in a short while, it should be successful.
If you’re in a public place, your iPhone might not be using cellular data but instead has connected to a free Wi-Fi network with no internet access. So, check that. If you need more help, go through our dedicated guides on fixing cellular data and slow Wi-Fi on your iPhone.
4. Quit and reopen the Messages app
User-generated glitches can cause the app to malfunction, so try closing the Messages app and reopen it. Do it a couple of times and see if that helps.
5. Restart your iPhone
If temporary issues are causing the photo or video to fail, turning off your iPhone and turning it back on is an effective solution. Definitely, do this before moving further.
6. Free up space on iCloud and iPhone
If your iCloud or iPhone storage is full, you might have trouble sending and receiving large files via iMessage. So, quickly check both these things and explore easy tips to make space on your iCloud and your iPhone.
7. Check the iMessage service by sending the photo to another person
You can try sending that photo to another person and check if the message goes through. If it does, that means the problem is related to the specific contact and not your Messages app as a whole.
To fix this, check if the receiver has iMessage on the number or email you’re using. You can also compose a new message and then type the person’s mobile number or email address registered with iMessage. When you do that, their phone number or email registered with iMessage will appear in blue color.
Also, check: How to stop iMessages from going to an email address instead of a phone number
8. Check Apple’s iMessage server status
On rare occasions, Apple’s server can face an outage. Check it and make sure there are no ongoing issues with Messages.
9. Turn on low-quality photos for iMessage
If you constantly face delays in sending photos via iMessage, it could be that the pictures you try to send are of large size, but your internet upload speed is terrible. In this case, setting your iPhone or iPad to send low-quality media will help. To do that, go to Settings > Apps > Messages and enable Low Quality Image Mode. Note that, even in low quality, the photo will appear great for normal viewing.
10. Update your iPhone or iPad
If you’re on an older version of iOS, go to Settings > General > Software Update and get the newest one. This should resolve the issue if it was caused by bugs in the operating system.
11. Send an MMS message
In case iMessage isn’t working and it’s urgent, you can try sending the photo via an old-school MMS. Just note that it will be compressed significantly. Go to iPhone Settings > Apps > Messages and turn on Send as MMS. Now, retry sending the photo, and if iMessage doesn’t work, your phone will send it as an MMS.
Related: How to send SMS instead of iMessage from your iPhone
12. Reset Network Settings
In many cases, such problems happen because of network issues, and resetting it should help, like it has for me in the past.
13. Sign out of your Apple Account and sign back in
If none of the above tips have worked for you and you have waited a few hours, sign out of your Apple ID and sign in again. This will refresh your Apple and iCloud accounts on this device, which could hopefully fix the ongoing inconvenience.
On a related note: 65+ tips and tricks for the Messages app on iPhone and iPad