Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for managing multimedia messages. If receiving a request to set a retrieval reminder for a specific multimedia message from an MS, an MMS relay/server sets a reminder time for the specific multimedia message to a reminder time included in the request to set the retrieval reminder. If a current time corresponds to the reminder time, the MMS relay/server notifies the MS of retrieving the specific multimedia message. If receiving a request to extend an expiry time of the specific multimedia message from the MS, the MMS relay/server sets the expiry time of the specific multimedia message to an expiry time included in the request to extend the expiry time.