The iPhone 5 uses Cellular Data over WiFi?

You might just read a few of the posts in this 72 page thread. You might learn something.

I have turned my cellular data to off and now I can not send pictures through text and or iMessage. This happens while I am connected to WiFi, so I have to go in turn the Cellular Data on to send the picture and turn it back off as it sends.

I have gone over my cellular data for the last 3 months, ever since I switched to the iPhone 5S, When I brought this up to AT&T about using 1GB in a day, connected to WiFi the whole time, they told me that it was my iMessage and to turn it off?!?

I am just going to continue to leave my Cellular Data off, however it's a pain to have to turn it on when you are out an about needing to use maps and or other helpful apps.

I have the same problem with my phone registering data usage when I have the data turned off. I tried turning off iMessage and kept my data on as suggested and that worked for awhile until someone sent me a photo in a text message that I looked at. When I checked my data usage it had gone up after that. Very frustrating. Has Apple come up with an explanation?

AlaneaW,

SMS (Short Message Service) that is provided by your cell network provider does not support transmission of pictures... as you point out. But, SMS is very often unlimited in use at an inexpensive price. So, SMS does have its advantages.

Sending pictures - regardless of how you send them (iMessage, email, etc) can use a lot of bandwidth. So yes... sending pictures can use up your aloted monthly data allowance.

So... I'm not sure what your specific concern is.

I agree that Apple should make it more convenient to not use the cellular data network and that would be a trivial thing for Apple to do.

I don't know if this will appease your feelings, but the artifice the cell network providers are using to rip off their customers with data usage is probably just about over. As you will recall they previously ripped off their customers with voice overages and then later they ripped off their customers with text message overages - and both of those are unlimited with most plans today.

My AT&T plan went from $320 for 5 iPhones and 6GB to $190 for 5 iPhones and 10GB this year. I expect prices will continue to drop in the near future.

AlaneaW,

Sorry... the Apple message board cut me off in the middle of editing my message to you. Please disregard my previous message.

SMS (Short Message Service) that is provided by your cell network provider does not support transmission of pictures... as you point out. But, SMS is very often unlimited in use at an inexpensive price. So, SMS does have its advantages.

Likewise, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) does not use your cell data allotment

Sending pictures with email and iMessage can use a lot of cell-data bandwidth.

Thus, a person might turn off iMessage and use SMS and MMS instead.

So... I'm not sure what your specific concern is.

I agree that Apple should make it more convenient to not use the cellular data network and that would be a trivial thing for Apple to do.

I don't know if this will appease your feelings, but the artifice the cell network providers are using to rip off their customers with data usage is probably just about over. As you will recall they previously ripped off their customers with voice overages and then later they ripped off their customers with text message overages - and both of those are unlimited with most plans today.

sandrafromlake mills,

I tried sending pictures to my daughter's iPhone while she had cell-data turned off and was attached to wifi and no cell-data was used.

Next, she turned off wi-fi and turned on cell-data on her iPhone. She turned iMessage off. I then sent her a large picture in iMessage via MMS. It took a long time for her to receive the picture... but, no cell data was used.

Sorry, I was not able to reproduce your problem.

I agree that you should turn off iMessage and use MMS if you are having problems staying under your cell-data limit.

AlaneaW,

I apologize for the garbled responses to your issue. This message board has a very short limit on editing messages. I guess I need to proof them very carefully before posting.

Anyway... to continue....

Most individuals just turn off iMessage and use MMS instead in your situation. Is that not an option for you?

Highly unlikely it is iMessage that is using 1GB per day unless each one contains about 4 pictures and an audio file.

I get a lot of iMessages per day and I've only used a little over 1GB since the 12th of July.

I'd suggest you Restore your iPhone as a new device and use it for a couple of days with iMessage on and no other apps loaded. If you do not have the data usage issue it is something else that is using your data. Do you have a work email address on your iPhone, particularly one using Exchange?

First you cannot turn off cell data just for iMessage.

Second I seriously doubt that most people turn off iMessage and use SMS instead.

Third pictures sent by MMS are limited to 300k. Unless all her friends are exchanging a phone with every iMessage it will be difficult to use 1GB per day with MMS pictures.

I seriously doubt that the AT&T person was correct in their guess and I think she needs to look further to solve her problem.

truerock wrote:

sandrafromlake mills,

I tried sending pictures to my daughter's iPhone while she had cell-data turned off and was attached to wifi and no cell-data was used.

Next, she turned off wi-fi and turned on cell-data on her iPhone. She turned iMessage off. I then sent her a large picture in iMessage via MMS. It took a long time for her to receive the picture... but, no cell data was used.

The app is Messages.

iMessage is a specific type of message like SMS or MMS in the Messages app.

SMS & MMS are part of a messaging plan and would be included in your messaging charges.

For SMS & MMS you are not charged for a data plan.

I have been monitoring my cellular data since I posted, it has dropped drastically.

Yes, however, I currently have SMS,MMS and iMessage turned on, I still have to switch to cellular to send any pictures. I also will turn my cellular data on when I am out and about using certain apps. I suddenly will receive messages that were sent the day before or hours prior.

I also, reached out to AT&T about the 1GB, I used in 24 Hours, while connected to Wi-Fi. I was told that my data usage did not add up and that there looks to be an issue with the device to reach out to Apple.

AT&T:The info for data usage does match so it looks like there is an issue with the device :O(.

Alanea:Ok, so what do we need to do?

AT&T:Good question! The next step is to master reset the device. The best bet is to get to the iPhone experts. iPhone support :O)

Alanea:Ok, so I need to take it to Apple?

AT&T:You can contact Apple at Apple Chat Support: http://store.apple.com/us/help/contact or 800-694-7466. You also have the option to go an Apple store as well, correct.

Alanea:I will reach out to them, this will not be an AT&T defers it to Apple and Apple defers it back to AT&T?

AT&T:Let's discuss that :O)

AT&T:If the device is not supposed to pick up the cellular signal while it is connected to a WIFI connection that it a functionality of the device as the cellular side will always attempt to connect if it is on :O) We checked on our end to make certain it was not a billing error and being charged for another device's usage. Does that help?

I reached put to Apple as well, the guy was very helpful however I was referred back to AT&T. In the end, I figured out the way to not go over my cellular data and I will live with it.

The issue could be with you carrier...

To isolate the issue,

you can replace your phone (see if the Apple Retail Store or AppleCare can help facilitate) ,

do not put any data(i.e. backup) on the phone,

and then see if data is still getting charged in an extreme manner.

If it keeps happening, then you have hard evidence to show a great opportunity for their company.

Otherwise, we will be here as well!

Nonetheless, if you do proceed please let us know what happens!

Yes, you do have to use cellular to send or receive an MMS picture there is not way to change that. When you are connected to WiFi the phone should use that instead however if your phone goes to sleep and is not plugged in then it will use cell data to receive the message. All of this is normal.

You might want to make a Genius Bar appointment and have your iPhone checked out just in case. How many messages with pictures are you sending/receiving per day?

Thank you Deggie, for the info I have already done the hard reset and no I do not have my work email on this phone.

You are right on the messages because not all my family and friends have iPhones.

AlaneaW,

If you can't send pictures with iMessage over AT&T MMS (instead of AT&T cell-data)... then you have some very weird problem. You should demo that problem to Apple at one of their stores.

Also, I have had a few situations where my AT&T U-verse wi-fi cut-out for a few hours... normally at night and normally on the weekend. I use the DataWiz iPhone app to track that issue down.

By the way... I just ran tests with 2 AT&T iPhones and could not get the sleeping-iPhone problem to occur.