Can’t use texting when away from my WiFi

Go to Settings/Cellular and make sure Cellular Data is turned on, and also that it is on for the Messages app.

Hello.

Are you connected or subscribed to a cellular service? If so, does it display “SOS” in the top right corner? If it does, then you live in a dead zone for your carrier.

Are you sending through SMS? (green bubbles) These occasionally take time to send due to various reasons.

This article may help: If you can't send or receive messages on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Regards,

mdp1101

Lawrence Finch wrote:

Just an observation; you can’t send SMS or MMS using Wi-Fi, so I assumed that these were iMessages when I responded.

Apple suggests you can, though your carrier needs to support it, and you need to have Wi-Fi Calling turned on.

From If you can't send or receive messages on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

To send an SMS message, you need cellular network connection. If you turn on Wi-Fi Calling, you can send SMS messages over Wi-Fi.

Lawrence Finch wrote:

I believe you are correct, that SMS can work over Wi-Fi calling if the carrier supports it, but I don’t think MMS can because it does not use the carrier’s voice side-channel (SS7) as SMS does.

You are probably correct. The knowledge base article only refers to SMS only. MMS uses Cellular data, but probably can't use Wi-Fi. Though have not tried it to be sure.

Just an observation; you can’t send SMS or MMS using Wi-Fi, so I assumed that these were iMessages when I responded.

I believe you are correct, that SMS can work over Wi-Fi calling if the carrier supports it, but I don’t think MMS can because it does not use the carrier’s voice side-channel (SS7) as SMS does.