Net10 Data, Internet and MMS APN Frequently Asked Questions

I created the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for readers that have had problems getting Net10 Data and / or MMS working.

1. I don’t have a T-Mobile SIM card. Is their any other way to configure MMS picture messaging?

Yes. But I do not recommend them.  Use the SIM swap method.  With a little effort, most people can complete the SIM swap. You just need the SIM, it does not need to be active.

It’s not that hard to get a T-Mobile SIM. If you bought the 3 pack of Net10 SIM cards. The pink card is a T-Mobile SIM. Use the pink SIM, you will need to cut it to fit in your iPhone.

net10sims

If you didn’t get the 3 Net10 SIM pack, you may find a T-Mobile SIM in an old prepaid phone.  You can buy a T-Mobile SIM for as little a 99 cents on eBay. Most are under $5.

IMG_1170  IMG_1171

You can buy one from a T-Mobile store for $20. I think if you sign up for a $10 a month 100 minute prepaid plan they will give you a SIM for free. Go figure.

The other options for not using the SIM swap are jailbreaking your iPhone or learning how to change the APN values in an iTunes backup of your phone and then restoring it.  I don’t have any more information to offer on these alternatives.

2. I cannot access the Cellular Data Network settings when I put the T-Mobile SIM or after i put the AT&T SIM in. What can I do?

iPhone 4 users often comment they have this problem.  Try keeping the T-Mobile SIM in the phone and restart your iPhone. If you still do not see the Cellular Data Network settings. Try resetting your Network Settings.

Tap Settings->General->Reset->Reset Network Settings. You will need to re-enter all your WiFi networks and passwords.

IMG_1172 IMG_1173 IMG_1174 IMG_1175

Get your iPhone unlocked

If your iPhone is off contract, I recommend you contact ATT, Verizon, or Sprint and request they unlock the phone for you.

see my article: Unlocking your AT&T iPhone

iTunes Restore iPhone

I also recommend you backup your iPhone and do a full restore using iTunes. This is an important part of completing a carrier unlock of your iPhone. It also seems to help over half the people that can’t get to Cellular  Data  Network

  • Use iTunes to Backup your iPhone
  • Use iTunes to Backup your iPhone
  • Choose the option to Restore your iPhone
  • try to setup data and mms again.
  • After you are done you can restore from your backup.

Many readers report the restore solves this problem, but a few have commented it did not work for them. I have a page that discusses the How to Restore Your iPhone Using iTunes.

3. Does my iPhone 4, 4s, 5 need to be unlocked to use Net10?

It’s best if your phone is unlocked. And it is best if it is unlocked by ATT, Verizon, or Sprint. If the contract the phone was purchased with is up, or the Early Termination Fee has been paid, they should unlock it for free. I don’t have a lot of experience with 3rd party unlocking service.

If you are using an AT&T locked iPhone with the Net10 AT&T Network SIM, it should work. You should be able to use vocie, sms, and data. Some readers have told me you will not get the SIM swap to work if you have a locked iPhone. If you are using an AT&T locked iPhone with a Net10 T-Mobile network SIM. I would not count on it working.

4. I can’t get my phone working, can I call you for help?

No. I do not provide telephone support. Contact me through the comments or email. I can’t promise to solve your problem, but I will try to help you when time allows.

5. I have data working, but I can send MMS picture messages, but not receive them.

6. I have data working, but I can only receive MMS picture messages but not send them.

These two problems are by far the most common problem I hear from readers. I recommend you try the following:

Repeat the SIM Swap method. Add http://www.apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf along with the rest of the configuration.

IMG_1164A

Test MMS again using the steps in the guide. http://smartphonematters.com/guides/how-to-setup-web-data-and-mms-for-your-iphone-running-ios-6/
If the steps above don’t work and you are using the MMS Proxy of mms3.tracfone.com, try mms2.tracfone.com.

IMG_1161 IMG_1162

Test MMS again using the steps in the guide.

 

72 Comments

  1. Chris | | Reply

    I have a 3gs with a net10 sim in it that wont receive mms or allow me to get online. My carrier say att 14.0 i need a solution to fix this.

  2. Jorge | | Reply

    Hello,

    I have an unlocked AT&T iPhone 4 and I purchased a “Bring your own phone” net10 package that includes a DUAL FORMAT SIM (it doesn’t say if it is an AT&T sim or tmobile). It says TracFone 3G by the signal bars. I can text and use the internet fine, but no MMS. What do I need to do in this case?

    Thanks

    -Jorge

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Jorge,
      What do you see in Settings->General->About->Carrier?
      Regards
      Bob

      • Jorge | | Reply

        It says AT&T 15.0

  3. gloria gamble | | Reply

    I try all the above I have a iphone3s and I download everything , but it tells me my celluar network is not activated , any help would be appreciated, I had straight talk before on it and it work fine

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Gloria,
      Do you know which Straight Talk SIM you are using the AT&T network compatible or T-Mobile network compatible SIM? When you test data what do you see in the status bar? Do you see HOME? How many bars do you see? Do you see a 3G or E?
      Regards
      Bob

    • Adam | | Reply

      Don’t want to be another disappointed customer , but this is bull . I have tried for the best part of three hours . Repeating the steps . I would have never left a net work to go with this stupid net work . Who in there right mind has to go through all this for it still not to work hours later . So now what because the card swap trick didn’t work after an hour in a half on trying that process over and over again . Is jail breaking the phone my only option ? I am a mechanic not a computer programmer . So what are my options now ?????????????????

      • Bob Thompson | | Reply

        Hi Adam,
        I am sorry to hear the information on my web site did not help you. I wish you the best of luck with your phone.
        Regards
        Bob

  4. LC | | Reply

    Hi Bob,

    I rebooted the phone and i’m able to send MMS but can’t receive MMS. So my problem still persists.

  5. LC | | Reply

    Hi Bob,

    I switched my wife’s BB Q10 to Net10 recently. We’re using a AT&T sim bought from eBay. All of her data/SMS works. However, she can only send MMS but not receive any thing. Any idea what’s wrong or how to fix? She sees “HOME” instead of “TFW” at the top. Thanks!

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi LC,
      This is a commonly reported problem with Net10 and Straight Talk. Seeing HOME is OK. It’s expected.
      Are you using mms3.tracfone.com for your mms proxy value? If so, try mms2.tracfone.com
      if not, what settings are you using?
      Also try sending a mms to one of your email addresses.. if / when you get the email reply and send back a picture and see if it comes through.
      Regards
      Bob

      • LC | | Reply

        Hi Bob,

        I’ve tried a couple of things:

        MMSC http://mms-tf.net
        MMS PROXY mms3.tracfone.com
        MMS PORT 80

        MMSC http://mms-tf.net
        MMS PROXY 66.209.11.33
        MMS PORT 80

        MMSC http://mmsc.cingular.com
        MMS PROXY 66.209.11.33
        MMS PORT 80

        all with the APN as tfdata

        I’ll give mms2 a try – any other thoughts on how I can fix it?

        • Bob Thompson | | Reply

          LC,
          Also try
          MMSC: http://mms.tracfone.com
          MMS proxy: 216.155.165.40:8080

          I’d encourage you to try the mms to email gateway to see if you can get a message through at all. It’s a worthwhile test.

          Let me know,
          Maybe I’ll have some more ideas.
          Regards
          Bob

          • LC | |

            Hi Bob,

            Thanks for trying. No, the email getaway didn’t work unfortunately. Now I can’t even send MMS…. even when configuring back to the older settings. Weird.

            Don’t know what’s going on!

          • Bob Thompson | |

            Hi lc,
            I don’t have a q10 but you can usually delete or reset your network settings on smartphones so look for that option. Also, if you haven’t rebooted the phone give that a try.

            Regards
            Bob

  6. Rosie | | Reply

    You mention that it is possible to port another number to a net10 service after testing Net10 out. How does that process work? Does one need two sets of sim cards?

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Rosie,
      You need a one net10 sim for your new service. I did this myself. You sign up for net10. You will get a new phone number. You still have your old number and sim on att or whoever. After you decide you want to keep net10, you go to the web site and follow instructions to move your number.

      It was a little confusing because the website said I needed a new sim, but I didn’t. It took a couple of hours to get it completed. You old service is canceled as soon as your port. You old service account may have a pin code that net10 will need to authorize the port. So make sure you know what yours is..

      I think I wrote about my experience here How to use your iPhone 5 with Net10 Wireless

      What carrier are you currently using? What phone to you have? Are you going to use your existing phone or get a new phone? Let me know and I can help you with this and provide you with a little more info.

      Regards
      Bob

  7. Drew | | Reply

    Hey Bob!
    Just want to thank you for your time and willingness to make a guide and assist others in fixing up APN settings for Straight Talk. I have not read through the whole guide, I just thought it might be helpful if i share this if not already mentioned…

    When I use the sim swap method to get into the APN settings menu:
    I multitask to the Notes app -> swap T-mobile sim to Straight Talk Sim (don’t press ok when it says there’s no SIM) -> stay in the Notes app until it shows TFW LTE at the top left -> multitask into the APN settings menu

    this method works 100% of the time for me. Hopefully it can help others as well.

    Take Care!

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Drew,
      thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. That trick is in the guide. Your comment reminded me to check the FAQ page to add the link to the iOS 7 guide.

      BTW… if you are using TFDATA and Carrier Update 15.6 (TFW replaced HOME) you may not even need to SIM swap at all.
      Regards
      Bob

  8. Ahmed | | Reply

    hi

    I use I phone 5 unlock with net10 services but I can’t share internet with my laptop ( limited access ) what shall I do ?
    any help plz

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi.
      Net10 does not support personal hotspot or tethering. It is against their terms of service. I have never been able to get it to work. You can look into jail breaking your iPhone and using an app called TetherMe, I think.
      Regards
      Bob

  9. Julia | | Reply

    Hello, I have the att iphone 3 gs. I still cannot receive or send mms. What should I do. I tried calling straight talk for help but no luck.

  10. Alyssa | | Reply

    Hi Bob,
    So I’ve got a Tmoblie sim and trying to do the sim swap, I put in the Tmoblile sim and go to the Cellular Settings, but at the top of my phone instead of saying “No Service” it says AT&T! I have tried resetting the Network Settings, but it still pops up as AT&T as my service. I am doing this on an unlocked iPhone 4 running iOS7, not iOS7.0.2!

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hey Alyssa,
      Can I ask where did you get this T-Mobile SIM from? Are you sure it is a T-Mobile SIM? And do you know if the SIM card is active? Can you make a phone call when this SIM is in your phone?
      Regards
      Bob

      • Alyssa | | Reply

        I got it off of ebay but discovered last night that is an international Tmoblie sim card. It came brand new in the unopened packaging though, so I’m pretty positive it is not activated. I ordered a new sim card from ebay, so we’ll see how it goes with that one. =)

  11. Chris C. | | Reply

    Bob:
    I have IOS 7.0.2 on I Phone 4. I’m on straight talk. Everything up top I’m completely lost on what you said. I do not have Cellular Data Network. I do have an unlocked At&t I phone and a T Mobile card. so please walk me through steps one what I need to do.

    Thanks!
    Confused and frustrated!
    Chris C.

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Chris,

      This is a commonly reported problem. I don’t know why some people have this problem and some don’t. I have yet to find one single solution for this either. There are a few things you can try that have helped some people.
      1. If your iPhone is locked, have it unlocked.
      2. Go into the settings and clear your network settings
      3. reset all your settings
      4. use iTunes to do a full restore on your iPhone.

      did you try any of these steps? I need to do some work the FAQ to make this clearer.

      A word of caution on option 4, a reader reported that he is unable to SIM swap after updating to iOS 7.0.2 so if you try option 4, be advised it could make the situation worse.

  12. Bethany | | Reply

    My dad and I are planning to switch to net 10 in November when his contract is up. He will have to pay the rest of my contract before we can do that.
    However my question is that I have an Iphone5, once he pays off that contract will i have to have them unlock it to. or will it automatically do so? Then will i just be able to buy the net 10 unlimited small sim and it work?

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Bethany
      It depends on the iPhone model and the carrier. ATT is very good about unlocking phones. Keep an eye on smartphonematters.com because I am working on a guide for people how want to switch their iPhone to prepaid. IT will be the guide I wish I had before I switched!
      Regards
      Bob

  13. Lisa | | Reply

    This site is the cheapest, most reliable 3rd party unlocking site I have found. They are also very fast. They only charge $10 per phone and if they cannot get it unlocked, they give you a full refund. I know AT&T phones only take between 6-24 hours for the unlock. They will email you when it is unlocked. No, I am not affiliated with them, I was just quite impressed with the service I got from them. Thank you for posting this site too, it is very helpful. Now I have to go buy a tmobile sim though to finish 🙁

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Lisa,
      Thanks for sharing. How did you make out with the T-Mobile SIM?
      Regards
      Bob

    • Raul | | Reply

      Lisa, Hi, can you please tell me the name of the site for unlocking iphone you did mention on your comment?
      Thanks a lot!!!

  14. Nicky | | Reply

    Hi Bob,

    My data works, however my MMS is not working. I have an unlocked iPhone 4S from AT&T.

    I used Method 1 and found that tfdata settings worked for my data. I removed the APN profile, used Method 2- sim swap – and now my data works, however my MMS does not.
    I have used the tfdata settings x3 (original, with MMS UA, and mms2) none of which have worked for me. I have been working on this for days. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for me. Thanks in advance!

    Best,
    Nicky

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Nicky,
      Did you update to iOS 7 yet?
      Regards
      Bob

  15. Chris Anthony | | Reply

    I have a iPhone 5 that’s not on contract it’s with net 10. Sometimes I have trouble sending picture messages and today I noticed my “4g” was not working. How can I fix this?

  16. Tanya | | Reply

    I have an iphone 4 with ios6. I was able to get my data to work using the tfdata, then switched from my ATT sim card to my TMobile card to do the MMS. I have restarted it twice and reset the network settings. When I click on Cellular, it brings up the Cellular Data but only an option to turn it on or off. No option to input anything. What am I doing wrong and can you please help? Thanks.

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Tanya,
      You are not doing anything wrong. This happens to many people.
      Take a look at the Get your iPhone unlocked and iTunes Restore iPhone sections of the FAQ. The unlock and restore work for many but not all people.

      Regards
      Bob

      • Jasmyn Hart | | Reply

        I have my iPhone 4 unlocked AND restored ITunes. Still Can’t see cellular settings

  17. Ryan | | Reply

    I have an iphone 3gs with net10 and i tried the sim swap method but cannot seem to ever get cellular network data to pop up even after turning on and off my phone any suggestions on how i can get it to show so i can enter the apn settings? id appreciate some feedback

  18. Ashton | | Reply

    I have a LOCKED iphone 4 & I did the Net 10 unlimited plan , & I can only call & text , I cant send or receive picture messages or get on the internet without wifi .

  19. Sam | | Reply

    Hi bob,
    I have an iPhone 4s unlocked and am using an AT&T straight talk sim card.
    It says HOME 4G. I am able to use the Internet perfectly.
    BUT cannot send or receive MMS.
    im using att.mvno APN settigns from unlockit.co.nz.
    Can you help me receive MMS?
    Thank you

  20. Joshua | | Reply

    Hey Bob I will try what you said and can I ask you where I can get the correct APN settings info?

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      after trying to reset your network settings and / or reset your iphone just retry the 3 links from the guide.

      Regards
      Bob

  21. william white | | Reply

    Called Straight Talk Reset APN found no towers near me for 3G or 4G its working on Edge so slow will change to Net10. AT&T has much better coverage in 31408 zipcode.
    Thank You

  22. Katie Retford | | Reply

    So I’ve waited a while to try this, just in case something messed up I wanted to be able to back up my phone. I’ve switched the sim cards out, but the cellular data network part never comes up. I’ve tried switching to airplane mode and back off, but it still doesn’t come up. What am I missing?

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Katie,
      Some iPhone users have a problem with this. I don’t know why. Did you try the recommendation to reset your phone using iTunes. You backup your phone, reset it to the factory setting, try the SIM swap, and then restore your phone. This works for many people, not all. also do you know if your phone is unlocked?

      Regards
      Bob

      • Katie Retford | | Reply

        No, I didn’t reset my phone, guess I missed that part. Even if the T-Mobile sim isn’t active, it should work though, right? As far as I know it is unlocked, as I’m not under contract anymore.

  23. Hannah | | Reply

    Bob,
    Thank you so much for your posts and guides, they have been a great help in getting my phone set up. I have an IPhone 4S using the AT&T Straight Talk SIM card. I am using the tfdata APN settings and did the SIM card switch. I am able to access 4G data, send and receive SMS, and send MMS. However, I am still unable to receive MMS. I tried adding the MMS UA Pro URL http://www.apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf to the settings and also tried changing the MMS Proxy to mms2.tracfone.com:80 Both to no avail. Still no ability to receive MMS. Do you know of any other configurations or have any other suggestions?
    Thank you, Hannah

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hello Hannah
      Which APN are you using for data? tfdata, wap.tracfone, or att.mvno?

      Regards
      Bob

  24. Skyler Gill | | Reply

    I used the tfdata method because the other method wasn’t working at all for me, but my phone still isn’t sending or recieving mms. Anything to help? email me please.

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Skyler,
      You tried the SIM Swap? and all the different options in the FAQ?
      Regards,
      Bob

  25. elly | | Reply

    hey,
    so i tried the sim swap and it goes step by step perfectly fine, but once i restart my iphone 4s with the net10 sim in it, the cellular network goes missing, and it doesnt work off wifi. i dont know what i should do. help?

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Elly,
      Are you entering the values after you have removed the T-Mobile SIM and put the Net10 SIM back in your iPhone? Is so, the tha airplane mode trick. After entering the apn values, go turn on Airplane mode for a minute, turn it off and reboot. Some people swear by it,.
      Regards,
      Bob

  26. Vanessa Vargas | | Reply

    Hi. I can get everything to work except receiving mms. I did repeat swap and add the profua or what ever it’d called. Still wont work. Oh I’m so close. Please help!
    Vanessa

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Vanessa,
      Which APN are you using?
      Regards
      Bob

  27. Ashtynn | | Reply

    I can’t receive pictures from anyone! Please help!

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Ashtynn,
      Did you do the SIM swap?
      Did you try the documented alternative values on the FAQ page?

      Regards
      Bob

      • Jim N | | Reply

        I followed the directions to a t with the T-Mobile sim card method but can’t get the cellular data network tab after multiple tries. Any other ideas to get the MMS working?

  28. Ashtynn | | Reply

    I have everything working except I can’t receive pictures from anyone. Please help!

  29. Nancy | | Reply

    Hi Bob,
    I have an iPhone 3 and my SIM card was purchased before the unlimited cutoff of March, 2013. For some reason this month I can no longer access internet or email unless in a WiFi area. I have tried each of the Net10 APN settings listed on your site and none of them have worked. I have phone and texting but no internet or email. Please help!

    Thanks,
    Nancy

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Nancy,
      On March 1 2013 all customers using the Net10 ATT SIM had their data capped to 1.5GB. There was no grandfather clause. So if you are a heavy data user, you may have hit the cap. When does your billing cycle renew? If you hit the cap you data should come back after your next payment. Alternatively you may have received the dreaded “Carrier Settings Updated”. Did you see that message recently.

      Regards
      Bob

  30. Joe | | Reply

    Hello, I have a unlocked at&t iphone 4 just got off contract. I switched to net-10 last week, did the sim swap technique and it worked great. However today my phone decided to automatically update the settings and that changed my data/mms settings. Is there any way from preventing my phone from automatically updating these settings so I don’t have to change over and over again?

    • Bob Thompson | | Reply

      Hi Joe,
      I don’t know the answer to this. I am hearing it from a lot of Straight Talk users though. Do you mind if I ask some questions to better understand the problem.

      1. How often does it happen?
      2. do you see Carrier Settings Updated message each time this happens?
      3. have you been able to get data and MMS working again each time it happens?

      If it keeps happening, let me know. I am trying to find fix or someone willing to test out some possible fixes.

      Regards,
      Bob

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