How to Set up Net10 Web, Data, and MMS for Your iPhone Running iOS 7

Setting up Data and MMS by Entering the Cellular Data Network Settings

You can set up both Data and MMS on your iPhone by entering the your APN Name and MMS configuration values into the Cellular Data Network option in your iPhone’s settings. You need to know your APN name in order to know which other MMS values to use.

This all sounds really simple but there is a problem. When you have an ATT network SIM  in your iPhone, the Cellular Data Network settings are hidden. When your iPhone sees an ATT Network compatible SIM in your iPhone it automatically programs the Data APN and MMS values for you. And since it programmed them for you, it hides Cellular Data Network so you don’t go in there and mess it up. The problem is it programs in the AT&T values which are not the correct values for Net10 Wireless.

If you are using the Net10 Wireless T-Mobile network SIM in your iPhone the Cellular Data Network option is visible and it is easy to program. Ironically, your iPhone is more compatible with the AT&T network then the T-Mobile network. If you use the Net10 Wireless T-Mobile network compatible SIM it will be easy to set up data and MMS but most people will get much slower 2G data.

Fortunately you can use a hack called the SIM swap to work around the problem. You stick a T-Mobile SIM in your iPhone and verify you can enter the Cellular Data Network option in Settings. You then remove the T-Mobile SIM, put your Net10 Wireless AT&T network compatible SIM back in your iPhone. You race back to the Cellular Data Network before it disappears. Your iPhone will populate Cellular Data Network with the AT&T network values. You enter in the correct Net10 Wireless APN and MMS values for your account and save them.

I do not know how to setup MMS for the Net10 Wireless ATT network compatible SIM without a T-Mobile network SIM.  The SIM does not need to be active. The SIM can be for the the T-Mobile network but not T-Mobile branded, for example  the Net10 Wireless T-Mobile SIM will work. If you have an old SIM from some other network other than AT&T you can try that to0.


224 Comments

  1. Hypes | |

    It worked for me lol well ichecked it ndd it seems like it did lol it never used to show the little camera on my regular msgs so icouldnt send mms now it does show it so it must have worked

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hope it helped…

  2. Patricia Niblack | |

    Bought minutes for my phone. Called around on the day February 13th. Told be next month March 13th to get more minutes to keep running so it’s safe to say. But its not. Already on the twenty eighth I got text messages saying that it Will end this weekend of thirdyth. What’s going on? I paid for a whole month just like before. Patricia Niblack

    • Bob Thompson | |

      I assume you are using Net10. Not sure what plan. I assume you wanted to add service in reserve? Call support and they should be able to straighten it out.

  3. nick g | |

    anyone know how to program the mms settings for a verizon droid max on net 10? internet works fine, can’t get mms to work. tried all settings i could find on google. net 10 cust serv. no help.

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Nick,
      You can’t set the APN settings for phones using the Verizon network. Are you seeing the APN settings on this phone? are you sure it’s on the Verizon network? What APN are you using for data? Which MMS client are you using? Did you test both sending and receiving.

  4. Joe | |

    Does anybody know if this trick will continue to work if I do it for an iPhone running iOS 8.3

      • Joe | |

        My phone isn’t upgraded yet, but I want to upgrade. I’m just afraid that if I do, I might not be able to access the settings anymore.

        • Bob Thompson | |

          Follow the link i sent you. What is your APN?

        • Bob Thompson | |

          and what version of iOS ar you using?

  5. Ellen | |

    Thank you for this tutorial! My sister gave me her iPhone 4, and I was able to use tfdata, running iOS 7.1.2.

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Ellen,
      Thank for the comment. I am glad to hear this helped and you are getting to use that iPhone.
      Regards
      Bob

  6. Pablo canizales | |

    No pude actualizar mi iPhone 4 con el APN

    • Bob Thompson | |

      lo verison de iOS está usando?

  7. Todd | |

    Hello, I hope you can help me out. My wife and I have an iphone 5s and a iphone 5c that are sharing the same problem. We have NET10 as a carrier using T-Mobile sim cards from NET10. All of a sudden within the past month we are un able to send pictures via text to anyone with an android phone, we are still able to receive pictures from them and exchange word text, we just can’t send them pictures. I tried calling NET10 numerous times and spent hours on the phone with no luck. Not sure what happened to this service but I hope you can help me out.

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Todd,
      Try this: Resetting Network Settings on Your iPhone.
      Remove any APN profiles, installed on the phone.
      Then enter your APN settings into the phone.
      Read this guide but ignore the parts about uninstalling the APN profile and about the SIM swap, as you are already using the TMobile sim. You just want to learn how to go into settings and set up the APN.
      How to Set up Net10 Web, Data, and MMS for Your iPhone Running iOS 7

      Take a moment to go to the net10 web site and look up your APN.
      http://www.straighttalk.com/wps/portal/home/support/apn
      enter your phone number and android 4.0 as your phone type.
      check to see what the site says your APN is.
      it should be wap.tracfone.
      let me know.
      Regards
      Bob

      • Todd | |

        Hi Bob,
        Thanks for the quick reply. I tried your suggestion and still have no luck. Just can’t get a picture to send to an android phone. Not sure what happened, it used to work fine. Both mine and my wifes have the same issue. Thanks for helping, all of your steps are easy to follow, that’s a good thing since I don’t know much about this stuff.
        Any other thoughts??

      • Todd | |

        Oh, by the way our I-phones are running on version 8.1.3
        Not sure if that information is usefull or not.
        Todd

        • Todd | |

          Hi Bob,
          Thanks for the fast reply, I tried your suggestion and still no luck sending pictures to android phones, they come up with “message failed to send”. Not sure what happened, I have had NET10 for over a year now and all of a sudden this problem just occurred, and it is the same problem on both of our phones.

        • Todd | |

          Still no luck

          • Todd | |

            Is it possible we may need new sim cards?

          • Bob Thompson | |

            Did you look up your APN what was it?
            Did you go into settings and add your APN?

  8. arether | |

    I can not check email and receive picture mail

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Which net10 SIM are you using? The att or tmobile one?

  9. Morgan | |

    I have an iPhone 4s from AT&T with net10. It has TFW at the top instead of HOME like my attic and other iPhone 4s had prior to this one. Received texts just fine for 3 months almost until for sure November 21st. My bf who has a regular Verizon phone can still send me texts, but all iPhones with Verizon like my parents, boss, manager, 2 coworkers, cousin, and grandparents. I can receive the from my cousins iPhone with AT&T and my sister who has net10 as well under AT&T. Got texts from my mom’s Galaxy, but now she has an iPhone since Friday and I haven’t received any since. Everyone thought I was getting the texts and I thought they just weren’t replying. Our friend who sets up our net10 stuff for us told me today to uninstall the net10 profile and reinstall it. Since then my parents’ phones tell them message failed to send every time they try texting me. Did not figure all this out until Monday. Haven’t called net10 yet cause most of them have no clue what is wrong or what to do and I haven’t had the time yet to sit and talk with them for over a half hour like last time. Hope you can help!

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Morgan,
      Wow. that is a lot. It’s normal for the phone to say TFW instead of HOME. The change happened with a while ago. See Why Does My Straight Talk and Net10 iPhone Show TFW Instead of HOME if you want to know why.

      Ok, you replaced your iPhone 4s with a new iPhone 4s. Go to http://www.net10.com/byop_apn/index.jsp. Enter your phone number and Android 4.0 and later as your phone type and click search. In the bottom left, what does it say your APN is?

      If your APN is tfdata, do the following, if it is something else let me know what it is.

      1. Remove your APN profile, (the net10 app in settings). This guide has instructions on how to do that.
      2. Reset your network settings. Resetting Network Settings on Your iPhone
      3. Test your data to make sure it is working
      4. test your text and picture messages with your boyfriend. (he doesn’t use an iPhone).
      5. if that works, test text and picture messages with your parents.
      6. When your send your parents a text message, it the bubble green or blue.
      7. When your parents send you a text or picture is it green or blue?

      Let me know,
      Regards
      Bob

  10. Morgan | |

    My iPhone 4s with AT&T on Net10 was working just fine for several months, up until the the 21st. For sure ALL iPhones from Verizon receive my texts but I never get theirs. This includes my main boss, manager, 2 coworkers, and my parents. Actually I received a text from my mom’s phone Friday when she still had her Galaxy, then her iPhone never sent me a message. Everything was normal, even though this iPhone has TFW at the top, which my previous one didn’t. I put new air time on Nov 14th and I was texting my boss easily afterwards. I uninstalled then installed the Net10 app in settings and now when my mom and dad try sending me a text they see message failed. I hope you can help :/

  11. Luke | |

    So I just got an iPhone 4s and have followed the guide, am I basically screwed with the newest update of getting picture messaging to work? I can easily get internet working, but no matter what I do I can not get the cellular options to fix picture messaging. I’m assuming there is no possible way to go back on an update right?

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Luke,
      Follow the instructions on page 11 to look up your APN on the net10 website.
      Look Up Your Cellular Data Network Settings
      http://smartphonematters.com/how-to-set-up-net10-web-data-and-mms-for-your-iphone-running-ios-7/11/

      If your APN is tfdata then remove any APN profile you installed.
      then do a network reset Resetting Network Settings on Your iPhone
      Test data, sending, and receiving MMS
      If it doesn’t work, try resetting all settings
      Resetting All Your iPhone’s Settings
      Test data, sending, and receiving MMS
      Let me know how it goes.

      If your APN is not tfdata, let me know what it is.

      Regards
      Bob

      • Luke | |

        I had to choose the attmoto option or whatever it is called under the net10 options for internet to work and whenever I get on Net10’s website it tells me it does not belong to the gsm byop plan even though I have it activated on their service and bought it from walmart as a net10 advertised phone.

        • Bob Thompson | |

          Ok. You bought the phone from net10. The. It’s not a BYOP phone and you can’t use the web site to check the APN. What phone are use using? Are you saying that you had to install the att.mvno APN profile to get your phone to work.

          • Luke | |

            It is an iPhone 4s, I had to install that APN for the internet to work on the phone without wifi. Other than that it works fine and makes calls and such, I just still can’t use picture messaging.

          • Bob Thompson | |

            Hi Luke,
            A net10 iPhone 4s should be using the net10 Verizon network. Do you have a sim in this phone?
            What is the model number on the back of this phone?

            Regards
            Bob

          • Luke | |

            Yes, it does have a sim card in it, I cut the same sim card I was using in my previous phone, my ZTE Merit to fit in my 4s iPhone. The Model number is A1387.

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Talela,
      Can you elaborate what you need help with?
      Regards
      Bob

  12. kalamitydelmundo | |

    Hi Bob, following you on twitter.

    I switched to Net10 from ATT on my (unlocked) Iphone5 in August.

    Since then, I have had terrible, truly terrible data…. .04mbps download speed.

    I have gone through the APN settings and appear to have one that “works” but my data seems to be completely choked.

    Before I go into Carrier update hacks (Carrier Update Hack for iOS 7.0.x) I wanted to verify that is the right direction to take.

    I appreciate your help and all the information – there is just so much of it finding the right pieces seems impossible.

    Thank you in advance!
    kalamity

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi kalamitydelmundo,
      That problem plagues some number of Straight Talk and Net10 users. I don’t know why. Prior to iOS 7.1, I had a solution. The solution was to revert to TFW 15.6 carrier update. That solutions doesn’t work with iOS 7.1+. See How To Change Your iPhone’s Carrier from TFW 15.7 back to TFW 15.6 for Straight Talk and Net10 Customers.

      Read the Crav’s comments on the above article. He jailbroke his phone and go TFW 15.6 installed to solve his problem.

      I think the Carrier Update Hack will work for you to, if you are comfortable with the limitations of jailbreaking.(for example, no new iOS updates, without jailbreaking again).
      Unfortunately, no reader has told me if updating to iOS 8 has solved this problem for them.

      I’d have to say if I had this problem, I’d consider switching to ATT prepaid. In fact, stop by an att store when it’s not busy and ask to try a live att prepaid sim if they have one. Run a speedtest or to. You don’t need to switch at that moment. Just tell them you won’t switch until your current month of service is up.

      I haven’t gotten my hands on a phone with this problem. I sure would like to find aa solution.

      Regards
      Bob

  13. Vincent Adolph | |

    How do I configure my iPhone 4s settings

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Vincent,
      Did you read the guide?

  14. Nancy | |

    Could you please help me? I’m losing my mind without my photo messaging

  15. Nancy | |

    Ok so I tried the APN profile, the att.mvno worked for my data but when I try to change the settings for the network so I can have mms it changes but then neither my network or mms work!… Please help me. I’ve tried all the APN files and only that one works for me data. But when I configure the settings it no longer works. Please help me… I don’t know what else to do!

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Nancy,
      You can try calling Net10 and try to get them to change your APN from att.mvno to tfdata. They might not do it for you. Tell them your data and MMS don’t work, your data(important) and mms don’t work…Ask them what your APN is, then ask them if it should be tfdata?

      You can also buy a new SIM for $7 to fix the problem. When you transfer your service from the old SIM to the new SIM, your APN should change from att.mvno to tfdata and this will solve your problem.

      If your iPhone is using iOS 7, it will automatically set up your APN to tfdata when you put Net10’s att SIM in it. The settings page to change the APN on the phone is hidden, so you can’t set your att.mvno APN. Before iOS 7.1 there was a trick you could use but it doesn’t work anymore. Net10 still uses the att.mvno APN on some accounts, usually new accounts are asigned the tfdata APN. How long have you had your SIM for? Was it from another phone.

      Let me know how it goes.

      Regards
      Bob

  16. Nicole | |

    I have done all of the steps and even called Net10 multiple times. I still have NO data, but I do receive calls and texts. The other issue is that the phone number is not from my area (I have restored the phone). I’ve tried everything… is there something else I can do?

  17. Brody | |

    Anything

  18. Shante | |

    I need help with the data connection and verification of profile for iPhone 5

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Shante,
      I am not sure what you mean by verification of profile”.
      I understand you have an iPhone 5 and are using Straight Talk. Let me know if you are using a SIM and if you know if its Straight Talk AT&T or Straight Talk’s TMobile SIM.
      Regards,
      Bob

  19. J | |

    I do not have a different SIM card to do this swap. This was very helpful until I got to that point

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi J,
      Most people use the SIM from the BYOP kit or spend a few dollars to buy one on eBay.

      In your case I’d recommend you dont get a SIM go to http://www.net10.com/byop_apn/index.jsp choose Android 4.0 & 4.1 as your phone type. If your APN is tfdata, follow the guide to remove any profiles you installed, back up your phone, tap Settings->General->Reset->Reset All Settings and then test your data and MMS.

      If your APN is tfdata, let me know.
      Regards
      Bob

  20. Wade | |

    I have had nothing up headache with this service and will encourage others to not use net 10

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Wade,
      Sorry to hear Net10 is not right for you. Is you have a specific problem you need help with, ask and maybe I can help. Have you chosen a new wireless company yet? I’d love to hear which you choose and how the experience goes
      Regards
      Bob

  21. Carla | |

    I cannot receive any sms anymore nor even imessage since yesterday, but of course i can receive calls and my 3g works. What should i do? might this be a problem with my net10 service or iphone?

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Carla,
      What model iPhone to you have. The model is on the back of the phone.
      Do you know if you are using Net10’s ATT, T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint network? did you buy the phone from Net10?

  22. Jenny | |

    Finally after working on this way too long, I got it figured out. The problem was that I kept sending test MMS pictures to my husband’s phone, and it turns out that it was HIS MMS that wasn’t working. The guide was great and very easy to follow.
    Thank Goodness for people like you!

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Jenny,
      I am glad to hear you got it working. Is your husband using Net10 too?

      Thanks for taking the time to comment. If you use social media, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube. In addition to keeping up with latest updates at smartphonematters you would be helping us launch social media efforts. click here
      Regards
      Bob

  23. danialle | |

    thank you! this is the second time ive had to set up my new iphone to send mms.

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi danialle,

      That is great news. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
      If you use social media, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and YouTube. In addition to keeping up with latest updates at smartphonematters you would be helping us improve our search rank and be able to use all the features of those sites. click here
      Regards
      Bob

  24. Jobany Bucio | |

    A Tmobile compatible simcard but i noticed is that the carrier settings havent updated for net10 tmobile users for iphone because it still says HOME . i used to have an AT&T iphone with net10 but i see that on the carrier name says TFW instead of HOME because the carrier version was 15.7 and the one i have now says 15.5

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Jobany,
      Start by going into Settings General Reset and choosing Reset All Settings. (You’ll need to reneter WiFi passwords afterwards…)
      Go into Cellular Data Network and set up APN information. Get the correct APN settings for your SIM using the link in the guide. I’d make sure data is working and then test MMS.

      if you are having a problem with iMessage it may not be a Net10 problem. iMessage has some weird issues.

      Finally, so readers have reported strange issues with Net10 issues. See My Straight Talk or Net10 TMobile Network Data Stopped Working!

      Is your T-Mobile iPhone locked?
      Regards
      Bob

  25. Michelle | |

    Yes, same here, wasted $50 this month. No more I’m switching to Tmobile prepaid.

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Michelle,
      Tmobile prepaid might work for you. Is their a reason you avoiding moving to the net10 att sim or another prepaid network that uses the att network?

  26. Jobany Bucio | |

    Before i touch my iphone with this settings first of all is an Iphone 5 from tmobile with net10 ios 7.0.6 service but when i put the apn settings my imessage wont work and mms ither it doesnt even shows the two options to turn on mms

    • Bob Thompson | |

      Hi Jobany,
      I don’t understand if you are asking a question. Follow the guide to set up your phone. Once your data connection works you should be able to use iMessage with Wi-Fi or cellular data. If your iMessage isn’t working, what is the specific problem you are having?
      Regards,
      Bob

    • Bob Thompson | |

      also.. are you using the Net10 ATT network compatible SIM? or Net10 T-Mobile network compatible SIM?

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