Unable to receive MMS messages from some people

Wiping cache and hard resetting wouldn't do anything here...

Are incoming MMS messages failing from the same set of specific people, or is it failing randomly?

Do this...turn off WiFi, confirm that mobile data is on, and send yourself a test MMS. 

I would try what Jii has stated. It does sound like these are coming through as a group message,MMS.  So data must be turned on for these to come through! 

Are these specific people using Verizon or Sprint? 

I haven't really come across any problems with using advanced messaging except for when it was first implemented. Then again, I've been using Hangouts and Voice for all of my messaging for a little while now. 

Unless someone else has something of substance, I'd say have those people make sure that advanced messaging is unchecked, and test from there. 

That's exactly what I'm getting at. We're trying to troubleshoot here, after all, and I don't know if you have much experience troubleshooting with actual AT&T employees, but it can be...cumbersome...at times. On the other hand, having a friend change a setting only to change it back immediately after sending a quick text would be rather quick AND convenient for the most part, not to mention quite helpful on the troubleshooting side. Then again, what do I know? I'm just a user like yourself.  

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@soxuga wrote:
I'm unable to receive MMS messages from some people. I'm using an unlocked Moto Z Play and the stock/standard Google Messages App on Android 6 Marshmallow and just upgraded to Android 7 Nougat. Still having the problem. It tells me I have received a message, but it says "unable to download, touch to try again." I can retry over and over and nothing will download. Tried wiping the cache partition and tried a factory reset. Using APN settings provided by an AT&T rep. My hunch is that because the Moto Z Play doesn't natively support AT&T's "advanced messaging," the problem is from users who have a phone with advanced messaging turned on, and there is some "advanced messaging" code tacked onto the MMS that Android doesn't know what to do with, so it's preventing the message from being displayed because it thinks the message hasn't completely downloaded. Can someone at AT&T Tech Support test this? I've been an AT&T subscriber for a decade, but I love the Moto Z Play and it's INSANE battery life, and Verizon offers the phone on their network. I don't want to switch to Verizon and accept the bloatware (hence the purchase of an unlocked phone with stock Android), but I may have to if I can't get MMS to work correctly. I use the phone for work, and "hey sorry I didn't receive your message" isn't​ acceptable when I have to use MMS to communicate with colleagues. Please help! Has anyone else experienced this?

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@soxuga @jii

i doubt that advance messaging is a problem or I would not get mms texts from my kids.  They are using branded s6 devices.  I am using a google pixel xl and a honor 8x I have works to.

Advanced Messaging has no effect on non-branded phones. If your Moto phone is provisioned properly and the IMEI number is correct in the system, Advanced Messaging cannot be provisioned because it has to be a branded AT&T device.

So it's normal MMS as the only method available. MMS isn't really something that works sometimes and then doesn't other times. It's kind of all of nothing. If you can send an MMS and mobile data is working then the capability to do so exists.