Getting Going, small steps this week.

Well as the first post in the WIN Mobile Monday series I thought we should take it easy, and check that everyone's mobiles work. So there are two mini tasks this week, Sending an MMS and Getting Online. These tasks all require that your phone is correctly configured, this may sound trivial but one of the commonest issues when using mobile services are that basic services are not enabled by the mobile network operator (MNO). So lets get started, but firstly is your phone on a contract or does your phone have credit? If not this won't work, and nor will most things!

Sending an MMS
So the first thing I would like people to try is send someone else in the office an MMS (Multimedia Message Service). Now since I don't know every phone these instructions are generic, but should broadly work, if you get stuck leave a comment below and I or someone else will help you out. Note if you have an iPhone you will need to ensure you have the latest firmware to be able to send an MMS.

• Go to messaging
• Select New message, and message type MMS / Multimedia.
• Now add a photo/image to the message, click options or similar, and choose insert photo/image. Sometime you are given the choice of a saved image or a new one you decide.
• Now add someone's number and click send.
• The message will take slightly longer than an SMS to send, and your phone will need to make a data connection to send the message.
• Once successfully sent you should see the sent message in our sent items.

If the message wont go, you will need to check the two most common problems.

• Do you have the right MMS settings, your Operator customer care or handset manufacturer will be able to send you the settings. If you get stuck here are the site for the major manufactures, who have instruction for most handsets: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung.
• You may need to ask your Operator to enable MMS, this is less of a problem these days as most operators enable by default.
  
  
  
  
  

Getting Online
The process for getting online, is again different for each handset manufacturer, but will broadly be similar.

• Go to the main menu screen, and click on the web / globe symbol.
• Click on this link and you should go online to you network home page.
• Once on the home page have a look around, then try navigating to another site, try going to http://www.bbc.co.uk/. The site will automatically detect that you are on a mobile device and give you a mobile ready version of the site.

You should see a web symbol similar to the above

Many phones have shortcuts, so if you have a Nokia try pressing and holding the "0" key, and it should take you online - if you take a look the key also has an "i" symbol, standing for internet.

Like the MMS settings if things do not work you should call you operator or visit your manufacturers site: Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung.


Let Me Know How It Went
Hopefully you will have been able to send an MMS and get online - things that will be need for future sessions. But please let everyone know by posting a comment below, Did it work? Any thing unexpected happen? Top tips for your handset / fixing problems.