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

I used to android phones and this is my first iPhone. It does the same thing to me if I try to send a message it won't go through but if I turn my data plan it will and when I have my data on and I missed a call and someone leaves me a voicemail that's when it'll show up on my phone. I go through Verizon as well. If they would of told me that I'd have to turn my data on to send texts and receive texts or voicemails I would not have gotten an iPhone. I never had to turn my data on to do any of those things with my old phones.

Kortland_Elaine wrote:

I used to android phones and this is my first iPhone. It does the same thing to me if I try to send a message it won't go through but if I turn my data plan it will and when I have my data on and I missed a call and someone leaves me a voicemail that's when it'll show up on my phone. I go through Verizon as well. If they would of told me that I'd have to turn my data on to send texts and receive texts or voicemails I would not have gotten an iPhone. I never had to turn my data on to do any of those things with my old phones.

Visual Voicemail requires a data connection. You can still call into your voicemail the old fashioned way. And yes, on Android phones, you need to have data turned on in order to send MMS. I have an Android on Verizon so I was able to verify this.

You do not need data turned on with either an Android or an iPhone in order to send an SMS messages.

Every phone that has Visual Voicemail needs cellular data turned on. That's because your carrier (Verizon in this case) does not know anything about your WiFi connection, and VVM is too much data to go as an SMS.

Likewise, MMS requires cellular data, for the same reason. Your carrier knows nothing about your WiFi network for sending MMS either.

This is true for all phones that can receive and send MMS, not just iPhones.

HOWEVER, Text messages do not require cellular data. They use the voice signaling channel (that's why they are limited to 160 characters). So SMS will be delivered with or without cellular data. And iMessages can use either WiFi or cellular data, because they have nothing to do with your carrier.

I actually only needed wifi never had to use my data at all when I was with at&t and I was on a plan not straight talk or go phone an actual plan then I went to verizon and can only send with data weather I have wifi or not

kkimball97 wrote:

I actually only needed wifi never had to use my data at all when I was with at&t and I was on a plan not straight talk or go phone an actual plan then I went to verizon and can only send with data weather I have wifi or not

SMS does not use data, either WiFi or cellular. Only MMS requires cellular data. It requires cellular data on Verizon, and on AT&T, on Straight Talk. If you were sending pictures by iMessage to other Apple users, you can do that using WiFi.

Don't you have these settings?

These are scrrenshots of my phone with the cellular on and off. There is no 3G switch. Notice that in the "on" position, there is a 3G symbol at the top of the screen:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5760

This helped me to understand, because I was confused before, just like you.

I am having the exact same problem with my 6s and thinking mobile data wasn't always a thing and everything was fine but now we NEED IT all of a sudden so sorry this probably doesn't help but just so You know your not the only one

MMS is sent over a carrier's data network, not the cellular network. That's why.

It is what it is. You want to use MMS? Then you need cellular data turned on. Turn it off...no MMS.

It is that simple, whether you want to believe it or not.

Good luck.

Cellular data is one thing, 3G is another. With Cellular Data ON and 3G OFF you will get the photo but with very slow connection.