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Wife likes to keep her iPhone 11 on airplane mode at home (at nights and stuff, whatever, it is what it is).
Anyway, as of the last few months it'll just stop working, if she turns off airplane mode, all her friends SMS messages all pile in. Then if she toggles it BACK ON, it'll then continue working for another period of time.
Anyone else experiencing this?
Hi there stevemcniven,
It sounds as though when toggling on Airplane mode you're seeing that SMS messages are not being received. You're in the right place, we'd be glad to assist in seeking a solution.
Below is a resource that can help:
Use Airplane Mode on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch
"With iOS 13 and iPadOS, when you turn on Airplane Mode, it turns off all radios except for Bluetooth. If you turn off Bluetooth while you're in Airplane Mode, your device will remember the next time you turn on Airplane Mode."
Typically SMS messages would require a connection to a cellular network to be sent/received. While using Airplane mode, Wi-Fi can be toggled on which would enable iMessage to be used. Below is a resource that provides more information on SMS and iMessage:
Have a great day!
Hi there stevemcniven,
It sounds as though when toggling on Airplane mode you're seeing that SMS messages are not being received. You're in the right place, we'd be glad to assist in seeking a solution.
Below is a resource that can help:
Use Airplane Mode on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch
"With iOS 13 and iPadOS, when you turn on Airplane Mode, it turns off all radios except for Bluetooth. If you turn off Bluetooth while you're in Airplane Mode, your device will remember the next time you turn on Airplane Mode."
Typically SMS messages would require a connection to a cellular network to be sent/received. While using Airplane mode, Wi-Fi can be toggled on which would enable iMessage to be used. Below is a resource that provides more information on SMS and iMessage:
Have a great day!
stevemcniven,
Thank you for replying back with the updated information on receiving SMS messages when using Wi-Fi calling feature. Below is a resource that can help:
If you can't send or receive messages on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
This resource provides quick checks and steps that can help to resolve issues with not being able to send/receive messages. If you need further assistance after checking out the resource above, I would encourage you to reach out to Apple Support directly. Below is a resource to get started with Apple Support:
Have a great day!
Thanks for the reply!
So when you go into airplane mode we do toggle on wifi\bluetooth. And we do have wifi calling supported on our provider so SMS is able to come through iMessage and has been for the last couple years. It's just that recently sometimes iMessage stops receiving the SMS as normal. On the android device it shows as Sent, but on the iMessage side nothing comes though. Toggling airplane off and on then seems to trigger something to make this all work again as expected for another period of time.
SMS specifically uses the cellular voice signaling channel, it does not and cannot use Wi-Fi. So you should not expect to receive any SMS or MMS (which requires cellular data) if the phone is in Airplane mode, even if Wi-Fi is on. The phone can still receive iMessages in Airplane mode if Wi-Fi is on, but Wi-Fi is only on if the phone is locked when the phone is plugged in.
@Lawrence
So this seems to be a pretty common response, there doesn't seem to be many people who understand that this is just how it works. With Wifi calling enabled through your provider it ABSOLUTELY works, apple to android, android to apple. If both are on airplane SMS works back and forth with zero issues... except in this iMessage case where sometimes it's flaky.
"it does not and cannot use Wi-Fi" is just plain false. Maybe it's a Telus thing in canada, but it DOES and CAN use Wifi. Let me put it this way, if it doesn't work, then how have my wife and I been exchanging SMS messages between operating systems for well over a year on Airplane mode, have we been imagining it?
I even talked to Telus (my provider) and they were unaware that SMS worked through the wifi calling standard as well. I'm not trying to /r/iamverysmart you, I'm just telling you it works just fine on a technical level, so you might need to adjust what you think should be happening.
But I guess fundamentally there's no resolution here because since nobody thinks it should work period, nobody can assist in resolving, even on the apple level.
Steve
Receiving SMS on Airplane mode very flaky after last update, just us?
