aai92

Q: Why do I need Cellular Data turned on to send/receive MMS?

So after over 3 hours on the phone with Verizon, Apple, then Verizon again trying to figure out why I can't send or receive mms messages unless Cellular Data is on, doing a hundred soft/hard/network/every reset imaginable, a Verizon rep this morning told me "you cannot use mms unless the cellular data is switched to "on", and there are NO PHONES that will allow you to send mms without it on".

Ok, so how come when I had flip phones that didn't even have data plans, I was able to send MMS? And the biggest question - how come I never ever turned my 3G on on my droid and yet could still send SMS? Why does the iPhone force me to keep cellular data on, eating away at my 150mb data plan that I can barely even afford and would rather only have wifi on?

iPhone 5, iOS 6

Posted on Sep 23, 2012 4:51 AM

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Q: Why do I need Cellular Data turned on to send/receive MMS?

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  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Jun 23, 2014 10:07 AM in response to basil1091
    Level 9 (54,662 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 23, 2014 10:07 AM in response to basil1091

    Were you connected to WiFi when you got those pictures and when you sent the picture to Facebook?

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Jun 23, 2014 5:27 PM in response to basil1091
    Level 8 (38,086 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 23, 2014 5:27 PM in response to basil1091

    If you are communicating with other iPhones you are not using MMS, you are using iMessage, which CAN use WiFi.

  • by emily4dice,

    emily4dice emily4dice Jul 30, 2014 1:10 AM in response to aai92
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 30, 2014 1:10 AM in response to aai92

    Ok so first make sure you have iMessage, group messaging, and the "send as SMS when iMessage is not available" preference on. Now there are different problems everyone has with this.

    1. I have wifi connection but I am unable to receive/send group messages (photos or just plain texts).

    -ok so I had this same problem and today I turned on my cellular data and I got a whole bunch of messages from a group of friends all at once. My friend called me before that and asked me why I hadn't been texting them and I didn't know what he was talking about since i hadn't gotten any messages all day from them. Anyway, so the reason why you aren't receiving those group messages is because group messages require MMS which doesn't work unless you have cellular data turned on. That makes me mad because I would like to be able to receive messages on a daily basis without having to turn on cellular data to make sure I get all my messages!

    -thats what I have gotten from other comments and personal experience so I hope this works for you and if it doesn't then I'm sorry and I wish you good luck!

    ~emily4dice

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Jul 30, 2014 5:23 AM in response to emily4dice
    Level 8 (38,086 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 30, 2014 5:23 AM in response to emily4dice

    MMS is entirely a carrier service. SMS messages use the voice signaling channel, so they only require that your phone be able to make phone calls.  SMS is limited to 160 bytes, not enough to send an image, so for anything with an attachment it must use MMS, which uses the carrier's cellular data channel for the attachments. The cellular carrier's network does not "know" anything about your WiFi connection, so it can't use it. All it knows is the carrier's services. This is also true for Visual Voicemail; again the carrier only knows about the cellular network data channel; it does not know your WiFi connection exists.

     

    If all of your friends have iPhones then your multimedia messages can use iMessage, which WILL work over WiFi.

  • by mewkiss,

    mewkiss mewkiss Sep 30, 2014 2:04 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 30, 2014 2:04 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    I found this thread trying to figure out how to keep my cellular down with iOS 8.  I would sit right in front of my Wifi and it would go to cellular (explained above).  I had cellular off but then I CANNOT send an MMS or text an email address that is also an iPhone.

     

    I just turned cellular on but turned it off for every app I have.  I have also turned off Background Refresh.   I'll track my Cellular usage.

     

    Question: If I have cellular turned on, will it use that for SMS or will it use Wifi? 

  • by Phil0124,

    Phil0124 Phil0124 Sep 30, 2014 2:08 PM in response to mewkiss
    Level 7 (27,641 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 30, 2014 2:08 PM in response to mewkiss

    If you send an SMS or MMS it will use Cellular because those 2 are carrier services. They cannot go out through anything but the carrier network.

     

    If you send an iMessage it can use either Cellular or Wifi. But if connected to Wifi it should use Wifi.

  • by mewkiss,

    mewkiss mewkiss Sep 30, 2014 3:24 PM in response to Phil0124
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Sep 30, 2014 3:24 PM in response to Phil0124

    I just set up iMessage and before that I had no problem sending SMS using Wifi when I'm at home.   I had cellular and LTE turned off.

     

    I'll track my usage but for now this is working.

  • by Phil0124,

    Phil0124 Phil0124 Oct 1, 2014 8:36 AM in response to mewkiss
    Level 7 (27,641 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 1, 2014 8:36 AM in response to mewkiss

    That's not possible. SMS and MMS are carrier services, they simply cannot use Wifi in any way.  Whatever you were sending tthrough wifi were not SMS.

     

    In the Messages App. If the message being sent turns green its an SMS and is not going through Wifi.  Its going to the carrier netwpork and using your Text Message quota.  if its Blue its an iMessage and will go out through Wifi if available.

  • by mewkiss,

    mewkiss mewkiss Oct 1, 2014 8:41 AM in response to Phil0124
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 1, 2014 8:41 AM in response to Phil0124

    I have my cellular off and I am able to text.  I just sent a text to a friend on an iPhone and someone with an Android.  The iPhone message is green and went through and the other is blue and went through.  I cannot send an MMS to the iPhone without Cellular but I did just send one to the Android

     

    I'm thinking because it's an iPhone that is different.  I'm clearly not technical, just telling you what is going on on my phone.

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Oct 1, 2014 8:56 AM in response to mewkiss
    Level 9 (54,662 points)
    iPhone
    Oct 1, 2014 8:56 AM in response to mewkiss

    SMS text messages (Green bubble) use the cell voice system, not cell data, and turning cell data off will not affect them. Put your iPhone in Airplane mode, turn WiFi on and try to text a friend with an Android phone.

  • by mewkiss,

    mewkiss mewkiss Oct 1, 2014 8:59 AM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (6 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 1, 2014 8:59 AM in response to deggie

    I don't care that much.  I was trying to understand how this all works so I don't go over my cellular usage.  All I do know for sure is that I cannot send a photo to my friend with the iPhone without cellular on.  

     

    This has been helpful but it'll take awhile for it to sink in.   I can read it 20 times and still not remember it.

     

    Thanks all

  • by ThorAr,

    ThorAr ThorAr Oct 7, 2014 10:39 AM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 7, 2014 10:39 AM in response to KiltedTim

    Hi,

    The strange this is that other phones (HTC, aso) does not need an active connection when you receive a mms. It automatically turns data network on when you get a MMS.

    For people without unlimited data and occasional need for data network the workaround with turning off data for specific programs is too difficult for a simple user.

    Is there another way?

  • by Crackbot,

    Crackbot Crackbot May 9, 2015 2:52 AM in response to wjosten
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Desktops
    May 9, 2015 2:52 AM in response to wjosten

    "It is what it is".. you see this kind of response is one the reasons why for some people, anything having to do with apple products leaves a bad taste in their mouth. "You want to use MMS? Then you need cellular data turned on. Turn it off...no MMS." Whether or not your statement is correct is not the point. The point is that I would have thought being such a helpful little Level 10 on the apple community forums, in which apple themselves do not contribute any content, that you might have at least tried to answer someones question without the condescension inherent in telling a grown man "it is what it is" and then following that with "you want MMS?" as if you might take it away for misbehaving.  Maybe you didn't mean it like that but when I glance up at your current picture and look at the guy showing the world how cool he is smoking a cigarette with shirt open... I think that alone sums it up better than words ever could.  The man asked a valid question to which you responded is as dismissive a way possible.

  • by Meg St._Clair,

    Meg St._Clair Meg St._Clair May 9, 2015 2:59 AM in response to Crackbot
    Level 9 (59,221 points)
    iPhone
    May 9, 2015 2:59 AM in response to Crackbot

    Crackbot wrote:

     

    "It is what it is".. you see this kind of response is one the reasons why for some people, anything having to do with apple products leaves a bad taste in their mouth. "You want to use MMS? Then you need cellular data turned on. Turn it off...no MMS." Whether or not your statement is correct is not the point. The point is that I would have thought being such a helpful little Level 10 on the apple community forums, in which apple themselves do not contribute any content, that you might have at least tried to answer someones question without the condescension inherent in telling a grown man "it is what it is" and then following that with "you want MMS?" as if you might take it away for misbehaving.  Maybe you didn't mean it like that but when I glance up at your current picture and look at the guy showing the world how cool he is smoking a cigarette with shirt open... I think that alone sums it up better than words ever could.  The man asked a valid question to which you responded is as dismissive a way possible.

    You're responding to posts made almost three years ago in a thread that had been dormant for six months. While you may not like the way wjosten answered the question, he answered it correctly and concisely. The reason he has as many points as he does is because fellow users have awarded them those points for his helpful responses.

     

    I'm a strong believer in leading by example. If you don't like the way questions are being answered here, set an example. Answer technical questions they way you believe they should be rather than taking people to task for something you have yet to show you can do any better.

     

    Best of luck.

  • by Crackbot,

    Crackbot Crackbot May 24, 2015 2:55 PM in response to Meg St._Clair
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Desktops
    May 24, 2015 2:55 PM in response to Meg St._Clair

    Meg you are absolutely correct. I admit that i was taking out some frustrations stemming from other areas of my life on someone else who had done nothing wrong. Thank you for calling me out on my BS. I would like to offer an apology to wjosten. Sir, if and when you read this, i would like you to know I am embarrassed by my childish behavior and I hope you will accept my apology and not hold it against me too much. You will hear no excuses from me. I was a jerk. And I am sorry I was a jerk to you. And Meg, I would also like to apologize to you as well for simply having to read and respond to it. And thank you again for calling me out. Lead by example. Thank you.

     

    <Edited by Host>

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