title: How to Send MMS Picture Messages with Python

slug: send-mms-picture-messages-python

meta: A tutorial on how to send MMS (picture multimedia messages) using the Python programming language.

category: post

date: 2016-05-15

Multimedia Message Service (MMS) picture and video messages are a common

extension to the Short Message Service (SMS) system for sending text

messages. Using a

[web application programming interface (API)](/application-programming-interfaces.html)

with Python makes it easy to send MMS messages from a web application or

script. In this short tutorial we'll learn how to add MMS sending capability

to a new or existing Python application.

Either [Python 2 or 3](/python-2-or-3.html) works for the code in this

tutorial. Just make sure you have one of those two versions installed on

your system by going to the terminal and typing `python --version`.

The other dependencies for this tutorial include:

* [Python](https://www.python.org/) version [2 or 3](/python-2-or-3.html)

* [pip](https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/) and

[virtualenv](https://virtualenv.pypa.io/en/latest/) to handle one

[application dependency](/application-dependencies.html)

* A free [Twilio account](https://www.twilio.com/try-twilio) to use their

[MMS web API](https://www.twilio.com/docs/api/rest/sending-messages)

* [Twilio Python helper library](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/twilio)

If you are unsure of how to get pip and virtualenv installed, take a look

at the first few steps of the

[how to set up Python 3, Flask and Green Unicorn on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS](/blog/python-3-flask-green-unicorn-ubuntu-1604-xenial-xerus.html)

guide.

Our simple Python example application will use the Twilio web API to send

picture messages.

Go to the Twilio website

[sign up for a free trial account](https://www.twilio.com/try-twilio). If

you already have a Twilio account (and you should because it makes it easy to

add almost any type of communications to applications!) then sign into

your existing account.

<img src="/source/static/img/160515-mms-python/try-twilio.png" width="100%" class="technical-diagram img-rounded">

In trial mode Twilio can send MMS to a validated phone number associated with

the account. When you're ready to send MMS messages to any phone in any

country then you will have to upgrade your account.

After signing up for a Twilio account, you will receive your own phone

number that'll be used to send messages. That phone number can send outbound

MMS messages without any configuration. It can also receive messages but

that requires

[modifying the Request URL webhook](https://www.twilio.com/docs/quickstart/python/sms/hello-monkey)

in the phone number details screen.

We'll use the [twilio helper library](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/twilio)

as a dependency for our Python code. The helper library can be installed

via the `pip` command, which pulls the code from

[PyPI](https://pypi.python.org/pypi) into our local virtualenv. In this

tutorial we'll call our virtualenv `pymms` but you can name it whatever

you want for your application.

We have to create the virtualenv before using it. In your terminal enter:

virtualenv pymms

If you need to install virtualenv take a look at the

[how to set up Python 3, Django and Green Unicorn on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS](/blog/python-3-django-green-unicorn-ubuntu-1604-xenial-xerus.html)

guide.

Activate the virtualenv with the `source` command.

source pymms/bin/activate

The command prompt will change to look like this after it is activated:

<img src="/source/static/img/160515-mms-python/activate-virtualenv.png" width="100%" class="technical-diagram img-rounded">

Now install the Twilio Python helper library.

pip install twilio

Once the helper library installs we can use it in our Python code.

Launch the the Python interpreter by executing the `python` command in

your terminal. You can also create a new file named `send_mms.py` if you

want to re-use the code after we give it a try.

We need to grab our account credentials from the Twilio Console to connect

our Python code to our Twilio account. Go to the

[Twilio Console](https://www.twilio.com/console) and copy the Account SID

and Authentication Token into your Python code.

<img src="/source/static/img/160515-mms-python/console-tokens.png" width="100%" class="technical-diagram img-rounded">

Enter the following code into the interpreter or into the new Python file.

# we import the Twilio client from the dependency we just installed

from twilio.rest import TwilioRestClient

# the following line needs your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token

client = TwilioRestClient("ACxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "zzzzzzzzzzzzz")

# this is the URL to an image file we're going to send in the MMS

media = "http://www.mattmakai.com/source/static/img/work/fsp-logo.png"

# change the "from_" number to your Twilio number and the "to" number

# to the phone number you signed up for Twilio with, or upgrade your

# account to send MMS to any phone number that MMS is available

client.messages.create(to="+19732644152", from_="+12023358536",

body="MMS via Python? Nice!", media_url=media)

All the lines above that start with `#` are comments to give you some

context for what each line is doing. After entering that code into the

interpreter or running the Python script with `python send_mms.py`

Twilio will send your MMS.

In a few seconds you should see a message appear on your phone - note that

MMS can take a little longer because your phone has to download the image.

I use an iPhone so here is what the message looked like when I received it:

<img src="/source/static/img/160515-mms-python/mms-result.jpg" width="100%" class="technical-diagram img-rounded">

That is everything need to send MMS to a phone. Pretty awesome for a few

lines of Python code, right? This code can be added to any Python program

to send outbound MMS.

One final note: keep your Twilio Auth Token secret otherwise anyone who

gets it will be able to send and receive messages through your account.

Questions? Contact me via Twitter

or [@mattmakai](https://twitter.com/mattmakai). I'm also on GitHub with

the username [makaimc](https://github.com/makaimc).