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You've just snapped a lovely photo on your camera phone and you are dying to show it to your friends, but you happen to be stuck in a place without Internet access. It's time to use the email functionality in your phone, and ensure you can share your photographic art to the world whenever the need arises.
Being able to send photos, text, documents, audio and video clips to email addresses adds a new dimension to your camera phone: the Internet. You can share your photos and thoughts on moblogs, Internet photo albums and blogs immediately and as things happen.
Many camera phones have not only one, but three different functions that let you send email directly from the phone:
A) Email. Email software that allows you to send attachments is required in the phone. B) Multimedia messaging, also known as MMS, photo messaging, or picture messaging. C) Browser software: sometimes labeled as Services, or Internet. Most mobile phone owners already have an email box somewhere on the Internet and email access on the road simply makes life easier from time to time. Since email is also an economical way to communicate over a mobile network, we'll first try and set up the email software on your phone, then the Multimedia messaging function, and lastly, browser access.
Email on the phone 1. Scroll through the phone menu system and look for Messages, Email, Multimedia messages, or another menu item that has to do with messaging (not text messaging).
2. If you discovered email in your phone menu, let's start from there. Otherwise, skip to the Multimedia messaging for email section.
Compose a brief message (just text is fine) and send it to your own email address. Wait a minute and see if the message leaves your phone's outbox. If it got stuck in the outbox, just resend it – because that may have been due to poor network coverage.
If the email message is still lying in the outbox, it is likely that your phone is missing information about data connectivity and email configuration. There are two ways to get the required settings in the phone: A) get them from your mobile service provider, or B) manually type in the settings yourself. Too bothersome? Try Multimedia messaging for email instead, the setup is easier.
3. Logon to your mobile service provider's Internet page and find the information on phone settings, phone configuration, or phone setup. The information is usually located in customer service, or phone support section. Most service providers run a facility that lets them send special text messages that contain data connectivity settings. Use the facility: request the setup message, wait for a few seconds to receive it, and save it in your phone.
4. While you're at the service provider's Internet pages, look for information about mobile email settings as well. If they provide email service as part of the service plan, follow the instructions and set up your phone accordingly.
If your service provider doesn't offer mobile email, you'll have to set it up yourself and use your Internet email address and email server settings. The easiest way to find out the required information is to open your email on a computer.
If you are using a browser software (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, or similar) on your computer to access email services like Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or Hotmail, then the easiest mobile email solution for you is Multimedia messaging for email.
If you are using dedicated email software on your computer, such as Outlook, Thunderbird, or Eudora, you can create a mobile mailbox in your phone. Open the Options or Settings menu in the email software on the computer. Find the following information: your email account name, incoming email server name, server protocol (POP3 or IMAP4) and outgoing email server name. Add this information into your phone's email settings.
5. Now you can retry sending an email from your phone. You will know that your phone data communications works, once the message leaves the outbox.
If you still have problems, consult your service provider and ensure they have activated data connectivity for your service plan.
Using Multimedia Messaging for Email
6. Multimedia messaging function allows you to send images, audio and video clips from your phone to another Multimedia messaging-enabled phone. However, we want to send a Multimedia message that contains a photo to an email address, and the nice thing about this method is that it works for any email address.
Open the image gallery, or photo album in your phone. Locate a photo that you want to send and open it. Now, browse the menu options and look for an entry that lets you send the image via Multimedia (MMS, or picture message).
Before blasting a bunch of Multimedia messages out to the world, make sure that you are familiar with your service provider's pricing for Multimedia messages.
7. You have to type in the recipient’s name, or get it from the phone's contact list, and you can write a short note to go with the photo as well. Now, here's the trick for sending a Multimedia message to an email address: instead of a phone number, type in the recipient's email address.
8. If you have problems in typing the email address, switch the alpha mode on for the keypad. You can also add the email address to the phonebook contact email field and choose it instead of the phone number.
Monitor your phone's outbox. If the message is stuck in there, it is likely that you are missing the data connectivity and Multimedia message settings. Get them from your service provider's Internet pages.
Using browser software for email
9. If the email or Multimedia message features didn't work for you, there's one more option you can try: Internet browser software on the phone. It's not the most convenient option to use, but sometimes worth trying.
Find a browser, Internet, services or another entry, which refers to Internet connectivity in your phone menu. If you already have, for instance, a Gmail account, you have to type www.gmail.com in the Go to, or Internet address field. Login to your email account and compose a new message with a photo attached.
Sounds simple, but unfortunately, not all phone browsers are advanced enough to be able to access Gmail or other popular email systems. Smart phone owners can download Opera browser to their phone, and this helps in many cases.
Costs are always a factor when using a mobile phone, be it for talking or messaging, so it's good to know about mobile messaging costs. |
