Observed Signal · Jun 4, 2026 · Deprecation · Source: t3n · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
MMS to be discontinued across Germany on June 30
German mobile operators will fully discontinue MMS on 30 June 2026. Vodafone had already switched off MMS on 17 January 2023; Telekom, O2 and 1&1 will remove the service at the end of June. MMS, introduced in the early 2000s to carry photos and small media files, never achieved mass adoption and declined rapidly as smartphones and internet messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Threema, Facebook Messenger) became dominant. Vodafone usage data show a peak in December 2012 (13 million MMS vs 1.5 billion SMS for Vodafone customers) and more than a 96% drop in MMS use by shutdown. SMS volumes in Germany fell from about 60 billion in 2012 to 2.9 billion in the last reported year. The industry is positioning Rich Communication Services (RCS) — Universal Profile 4.0 finalised by GSMA in March 2026 — as the successor for richer carrier messaging.
Major German carriers are ending a legacy messaging service and steering users toward RCS; this affects customer communications channels, authentication flows, and opportunities for richer operator-level messaging, with moderate implications for marketers and verification providers.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Telekom, O2 and 1&1 will discontinue MMS on 30 June 2026.
- Vodafone discontinued its MMS service on 17 January 2023.
- GSMA finalised the RCS Universal Profile 4.0 specification in March 2026.
- Vodafone data: December 2012 saw 13 million MMS and 1.5 billion SMS from Vodafone customers; MMS usage fell by more than 96% before shutdown.
- SMS volumes in Germany fell from nearly 60 billion in 2012 to 2.9 billion in the most recent year reported.
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
German Carriers to End MMS Service June 30, 2026
German mobile operators will discontinue Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) on June 30, 2026. Vodafone had already switched off MMS on January 17, 2023; Telekom, O2 and 1&1 will shut their MMS services on the June 30 date. Operators and industry bodies point to plummeting usage, high costs, and replacement by internet-based messengers and newer standards. The GSMA finalised the RCS Universal Profile 4.0 in March 2026, positioning Rich Communication Services (RCS) as the successor for native carrier messaging (images, video, group chats) using subscribers' data plans. The article highlights steep long-term declines in SMS/MMS volumes and advises users to save any important legacy MMS content before the shutdown.
SMS Usage Falls 95% in Germany
A t3n report summarises official and industry data showing a collapse in SMS usage in Germany: from about 60 billion messages in 2012 to roughly 2.9 billion last year, a decline of over 95 percent. The drop is attributed to widespread smartphone adoption and free instant-messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Threema, Facebook Messenger). Bitkom data cited in the article says 86% of Germans owned a smartphone in 2026 and average daily smartphone use is 180 minutes (216 minutes for ages 16–29). WhatsApp is reported to have about 60 million daily users in Germany (~80% of internet users). The Bundesnetzagentur provided the SMS and fixed-line statistics; the article also notes banks and companies are moving away from SMS-based verification toward alternative methods such as biometrics. Vodafone Germany’s head Marcel de Groot commented that SMS is losing relevance, especially among younger users.
German Carriers Plan 2G Shutdown in 2028
O2 Telefónica announced in Munich that it will shut down the legacy 2G (GSM) mobile network in the second half of 2028 in Germany. Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom have made similar commitments for 2028; Vodafone plans to keep part of the 2G spectrum available for certain industrial IoT use cases until 2030. Operators say freeing 2G frequencies will allow reallocation to 4G and 5G, improving capacity and coverage for modern data-heavy use like streaming and mobile work. 3G has already been decommissioned (2021); Bundesnetzagentur figures cited show near-nationwide coverage for 2G (99.78% by at least one operator), 4G (97.79%) and 5G (95.29%). Consumers with very old handsets and some IoT devices will need migration plans.
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