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MMS application for the iPhone debuts: Installation and usage instructions

MMS application for the iPhone debuts: Installation and usage instructions

Ben Wilson
3 min read

Developer Tommy Svensson has debuted an unofficial MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) application for the iPhone, partially fulfilling one of the biggest feature requests for the device. The tool allows you to send (but not receive) MMS messages via the iPhone using a variety of service providers. Though we haven't been able to make it work on an AT&T-locked iPhone in-house, other users have reported success with AT&T and other carriers.

To install, the application, you first need to jailbreak your iPhone and prepare it for third-party application installation via our guide (make sure you install OpenSSH as described). You can then follow these steps:

(get our iPhone's IP address by tapping Settings, then "Wi-Fi," ? tap the arrow next to the name of the Wi-Fi network to which your iPhone and look at the IP Address entry)

On a Mac:

  • Download the MMS application
  • Launch the Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities) and type scp -r then a space.
  • Drag MMS application to the Terminal window.
  • Type another space, then root@IPAddress:/Applications/ (replacing IPAddress with your iPhone's IP Address). When you're done, your Terminal command should look something like this: scp -r /Users/bwilson/Desktop/MMS.app/ root@10.10.10.10:/Applications/ (that's a fake IP address, by the way)
  • Restart your iPhone: Hold down the sleep/wake button until you see the slider, then slide it off. Power it back on by briefly holding the sleep/wake button

On a Windows PC:

  • Download the MMS application
  • Downlaod WinSCP if you don't have it already
  • Launch WinSCP and enter the following information: Host name: Your iPhone's IP address, User name: root, Password: alpine.
  • Navigate to the Applications folder on your iPhone then, then copy the whole MMS application folder folder to the Applications directory on your iPhone.
  • (This step may not be necessary): Right click the application folder on your iPhone and choose properties. Select permissions and change the entry to 0755 -- repeat the same for all the files inside the folder.
  • Restart your iPhone: Hold down the sleep/wake button until you see the slider, then slide it off. Power it back on by briefly holding the sleep/wake button
You'll now have the MMS application on your SpringBoard (iPhone home screen). Tap it, then tap "Settings" in the lower-right corner. You'll now have to enter the MMSC and Proxy settings for your carrier. This page has a comprehensive list.

As aforementioned, we weren't able to send any MMS messages through an AT&T-locked phone with a standard iPhone data/voice plan (the messages were ostensibly sent, but never received). However, some users have reported success with the following settings:

  • MMSC: mmsc.cingular.com
  • Proxy: 066.209.011.032

After pressing the "Save" button to record the appropriate settings, you can press "Back" then, from the main screen, "New MMS." Some users have reported that they needed to enter the number "1" before standard 10-digit US numbers before the MMS would go through.

If you've had success sending MMS messages via this application with AT&T Wireless or another carrier, please let us know or post a comment below.