Why can't text via wifi in airplane mode?

So, maybe while you're on the plane, just let people know that you'll communicate by email, but not by text message? It's a simple workaround.

Thanks, but I'm looking for help getting iMessages to work.

Airplane mode is designed to prevent all wireless connectivity. IF the pilot AND local laws allow it, you can re-enable wi-fi. However, not all features will work with airplane mode on, even with wi-fi on. It's possible that iMessage is one of those.

You can always try restarting/resetting the device, or restoring from backup/restore as new. I don't see anything in Apple's documentation that states that iMessage will still be available in this situation.

Okay. It doesn't matter whether you're on a plane or not. If you have airplane mode on, if you also have wifi on you should be able to send iMessages. The point is, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

If you're on a plane, you can only legally turn wi-fi back on under the scenario I described, so it does matter.

The point is to discover whether iMessage is SUPPOSED to work with Airplane Mode: ON & Wi-Fi ON. Can you find anything that answers that question? The fact that it sometimes works could be a glitch/failure.

I just meant being on a plane is irrelevant. That's not the issue. I think that the fact that this thread even exists is almost proof that it is supposed to work. I've never looked for proof that the function is supposed to exist because there are many people I know who have told me to do this for free texting while out of the country.

You don't need to enable Airplane mode for that. You just disable your cellular data connection and keep wi-fi active. That method is 100% supposed to allow wi-fi to work completely. Airplane mode is designed to lock everything down, and re-enabling wi-fi isn't 100% guaranteed. It could be that those that get iMessages to work in thismode have an undete ted issue with their Airplane mode working correctly. Or it could be the other way around.

That's why I was trying to research the proper behavior of this setting configuration.

I disagree, I am in Canada and have disabled my cellular, no WIFI signal and I still received a text message (which undoubtedly I will be paying for). So the only way I could have received this text was through the extended network in Canada. I, like many on this post want to use wifi exclusively with the cellular network off and NO cellular signal at all...ONLY WI-FI. If you look at the disclaimer when in SETTINGS-GENERAL-CELLULAR it states "Turn off cullular to restrict all data to WI-FI, including email, web browsing, and push notifications" I don't see any mention of messages (texts)

Text messaging doesn't use cellular data. It uses the regular cell phone service. You are correct that to avoid getting any texts, you'd need to have the phone in Airplane mode. You might want to talk to your carrier, though. Verizon, my carrier, doesn't charge extra for texts while I'm in Canada.

I realize that, but I am sending a text to another IOS user and cannot. Text isn't blue. When I go to settings - Message. My iMessage shows it is on, but underneath it states "Waiting for activation"

Take the phone out of Airplane mode, turn cellular data on. Wait for iMessage to activate. Then you can go back to using WiFi.

How long should I wait for iMessage to activiate? It's been about 20min now

How come my phone number is greyed on on the send&receive tab under messages?

Vincent Kerchenski wrote:

How come my phone number is greyed on on the send&receive tab under messages

Try deactivating and reactivating. That usually solves that problem.

No luck....Guess I'll shut it down until I return from Canada