MMS File Size Limit

MMS image size table (US carriers & common MVNOs)

Below is a practical, sourced table of commonly documented/max image (MMS) sizes for major U.S. mobile carriers and how typical MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) behave. There is no single authoritative “one size fits all” because limits vary by carrier network, message route (long-code vs short-code vs toll-free), handset/model and whether the recipient’s carrier transcodes the media in transit.

Carrier / Provider	Typical maximum image size accepted for MMS	Notes / behavior	Source
AT&T (incl. AT&T MVNOs like Cricket / Consumer Cellular when on AT&T)	~1.0 MB	AT&T states its mobile broadband network delivers picture/video/audio messages up to 1 MB; larger attachments are compressed. MVNOs on AT&T generally inherit this behavior unless they offer advanced messaging.	(AT&T)
Verizon (incl. Verizon MVNOs: Visible, Xfinity Mobile, Spectrum Mobile, etc.)	~1.2–1.7 MB (commonly quoted ranges)	Industry lookups show Verizon long-code routes allow ~1.7 MB and many observed image limits near 1.2 MB; behaviour varies by message route. MVNOs on Verizon typically follow Verizon limits.	(Bandwidth Support)
T-Mobile (includes Sprint legacy / T-Mobile MVNOs: Metro by T-Mobile, Mint, etc.)	~1.0–3.0 MB (varies)	T-Mobile APN settings show an MMS Max Message Size entry of 1,048,576 bytes (≈1 MB) but some carrier routing/long-code paths are documented at up to 3 MB. Actual behavior depends on route and device.	(T-Mobile)
US Cellular	~0.5 MB (≈500 KB)	Industry reference lists US Cellular at ~500 KB for MMS.	(Bandwidth Support)
Cricket Wireless (AT&T network)	AT&T limit (~1 MB) or larger with Advanced Messaging	Cricket advertises “Advanced Messaging” that can send larger files (up to ~100 MB) on supported devices; standard MMS follows AT&T limits (≈1 MB).	(Cricket Wireless)
Boost Mobile / Metro / other MVNOs	Inherit host-network limits (T-Mobile/Sprint or Verizon/AT&T per MVNO)	Many MVNOs inherit the MMS size limit of their host network; check the MVNO FAQ or assume the host carrier’s documented limit.	(Bandwidth Support)
Toll-free / short-code vs long-code	Lower for toll-free / short-code (often ~525 KB or 1 MB for short-code)	Messaging platforms and carriers treat toll-free/short-code differently; Bandwidth/Telco docs show toll-free limits that are lower (e.g., ~525 KB). If you send via a toll-free or short-code sender, expect smaller limits.	(Bandwidth Support)

Summary:

1. Carrier limits vary

by route (long-code vs short-code vs toll-free), by whether the parties support Advanced Messaging/RCS, and by handset. You’ll see different numbers (1 MB, 1.2 MB, 1.7 MB, 3 MB, 500 KB) in different sources.

2. If you need reliable delivery to all US carriers/phones, target ≤ 500 KB for each image.

Bandwidth and other messaging vendors recommend ~500 KB as a safe practical limit to avoid carrier truncation or failures.

3. For higher quality send options: use RCS / Advanced Messaging — these allow larger files (and some carriers support high-res via RCS or their Advanced Messaging services). Cricket, some carriers and apps provide “Advanced Messaging” or RCS which supports much larger transfers.

MMS image size limits for service providers (US)

The following table summarized the most popular messaging service providers documented / recommended MMS size limits plus a short note about carrier behavior. Carrier-level constraints still apply downstream (a provider may accept a larger file but the destination carrier can truncate or drop it). I’ve cited the authoritative pages for each provider.

Provider	Typical maximum image / MMS size (as documented)	Notes / behavior
Twilio	MMS channel limit: 5 MB (per Twilio docs for MMS media).	Twilio accepts up to 5 MB of media via MMS on its platform, but Twilio recommends keeping images ≤600 KB for best deliverability because carriers often transcode or enforce lower limits; if RCS is used the limit is higher (RCS 16 MB). Twilio will reject media exceeding the channel limit.
Bandwidth	API media upload: up to 3.75 MB; recommended MMS size ~500 KB for deliverability.	Bandwidth lets you upload files up to 3.75 MB to their media store, but their product guidance recommends ~500 KB per MMS for reliable delivery to carrier handsets (carriers may impose smaller limits downstream).
Telnyx	Provider guidance / limits: ~1 MB per MMS attachment (carrier-dependent); Telnyx docs state total attachment size should be < 1 MB (practical advice: 1MB − 100KB).	Telnyx documents carrier-tier behavior (Tier 1 carriers up to ~1 MB; Tier 2/3 lower), and recommends keeping the total attachment under ~1 MB to allow for encoding overhead. Telnyx also publishes a carrier-limit table / transcoding guidance.
Sinch	Recommended: keep images ≤ 500–740 KB; platform guidance suggests ≤1 MB as general safe limit.	Sinch’s MMS docs recommend keeping MMS video under ~500 KB (no-transcoding) and give guidance to keep media small for best delivery; Sinch/MessageMedia product pages mention platform-specific caps (MessageMedia notes 600 KB total for their MMS product). Downstream carrier limits still apply.
Inteliquent (carrier aggregator / interconnect)	Pass-through up to 1 MB; will transcode 1–3 MB; >3 MB may be dropped (per Inteliquent Best Practice PDF).	Inteliquent’s operator guidance: if media < 1 MB it will pass to AT&T unchanged; media between 1–3 MB may be resized/transcoded by Inteliquent; media >3 MB can be dropped at their network. Their PDF gives carrier breakouts (AT&T, Verizon, etc.).

Summary:

1. Safe cross-carrier target:

keep images ≤ 500 KB if you need the highest deliverability across all US carriers and sending routes. (Many providers accept larger files but carriers frequently transcode or reject larger MMS payloads.)

2. When using one of these providers, check both: (a) the provider’s documented limit (they may allow larger uploads/media storage) and (b) the destination carrier’s limit (which ultimately determines deliverability). Telnyx and Inteliquent explicitly publish carrier-specific transcoding rules.

3. If you control both sides or can use RCS / Advanced Messaging, you can send larger, higher-quality media (Twilio/RCS and some carriers support larger limits).