Can't send/receive texts without data turned "on"

1) I'm saying users should decide whether to enable MMS via text. There could simply be a setting with default value OFF. (Also, if MMS is permitted via data then it seems like wifi should be allowed.)

The reduced size and quality of a photo and video sent via MMS is garbage. Please list the current smart phones that provide this option and the list of current smart phones that don't use cellular data for MMS.

SMS/MMS is a "poor man's email" that is exchanged via the carrier's cellular network ONLY. SMS/MMS fees are a cash cow for cellular service providers. You need to take that up with them.

2) What about sending a plain text SMS to an email address? That should not be blocked. Let users choose whether they want to spend from their data quota or text quota. Again it can be a setting with default value OFF.

Maybe it is blocked since Apple now has iMessage and SMS/MMS is a cash cow for cellular service providers. There aren't many if any service providers that like Apple having iMessage available since it takes revenue away from a significant cash cow for them.

1) I'm saying users should decide whether to enable MMS via text. There could simply be a setting with default value OFF. (Also, if MMS is permitted via data then it seems like wifi should be allowed.)

The reduced size and quality of a photo and video sent via MMS is garbage. Please list the current smart phones that provide this option and the list of current smart phones that don't use cellular data for MMS.

SMS/MMS is a "poor man's email" that is exchanged via the carrier's cellular network ONLY. SMS/MMS fees are a cash cow for cellular service providers. You need to take that up with them.

2) What about sending a plain text SMS to an email address? That should not be blocked. Let users choose whether they want to spend from their data quota or text quota. Again it can be a setting with default value OFF.

Maybe it is blocked since Apple now has iMessage and SMS/MMS is a cash cow for cellular service providers. There aren't many if any service providers that like Apple having iMessage available since it takes revenue away from a significant cash cow for them.

Allan Sampson wrote:

1) I'm saying users should decide whether to enable MMS via text. There could simply be a setting with default value OFF. (Also, if MMS is permitted via data then it seems like wifi should be allowed.)

The reduced size and quality of a photo and video sent via MMS is garbage. Please list the current smart phones that provide this option and the list of current smart phones that don't use cellular data for MMS.

SMS/MMS is a "poor man's email" that is exchanged via the carrier's cellular network ONLY. SMS/MMS fees are a cash cow for cellular service providers. You need to take that up with them.

2) What about sending a plain text SMS to an email address? That should not be blocked. Let users choose whether they want to spend from their data quota or text quota. Again it can be a setting with default value OFF.

Maybe it is blocked since Apple now has iMessage and SMS/MMS is a cash cow for cellular service providers. There aren't many if any service providers that like Apple having iMessage available since it takes revenue away from a significant cash cow for them.

1. I don't have a list. It's on old phones and those users may upgrade some day. Besides it's not as if iPhone only offers features that are on other smartphones. Nevertheless if the carrier really is blocking this as you say, then you're right and it's a non-issue for Apple.

2. So what if they offer iMessage?

My point is to let users decide how they want to manage messages. If iMessage fails to use data/wifi, then go to texting. Today that's not possible because iPhone is blocking it. Your last statement seems to make my point. If iMessage disappeared today there are other data-only message programs anyway.

That isn't true. I have my cellular data turned off right now. I am at work, with wi-fi. I send and receive iMessages just fine.

WiFi is a data setting. iMessage will work with WiFi. SMS will not.

I'm on a new data cycle, and I swear I've been using my data less, but it's getting eaten up even faster. I'm at my limit 2 weeks before the end of my cycle, and it has never happened this early before. I even upgraded to 5GB when I switched to a 5. I used to be fine with 2GB when I had an iPhone 4S and 3G coverage. So, I figured I would turn my LTE off to solve the problem. Nope. Same problems with that as with turning my data off. No texts, no internet, no apps, nothing. Unless I have LTE data turned on or have wifi, my phone is nothing more than an expensive pocket watch. I think it's time to switch carriers.

And by texts, I mean even the green kind.

>> That isn't true. I have my cellular data turned off right now. I am at work, with wi-fi. I send and receive iMessages just fine.

That's only partly true.

If you turn cellular data off, you cannot send SMS to an email address. It works on other phones without data.

I have the same issue. Have been to the Apple store where they told me it wasn't so. Once I was able to prove it to them, they scratched their heads and said I would have to tell my family iPhone users to turn off their MMS in order to accommodate me. Huh?? That shouldn't be. I pay for unlimited texts which I am successfully able to use with non iphone users, it's just fellow iPhonbe users, no matter who their carrier is. Apple is preventing or blocking my or our SMS text responses. I can send SMS, but any responses that come in as MMS (those with data turned on) are not translated to our SMS.

Does this make sense?

You have unlimited texting with your carrier that includes SMS only, not MMS?

Apple isn't preventing or blocking anything in regards to SMS.

Do you know if the senders with an iPhone have the Subject Field enabled with Messaging on their iPhone? Enabling and using the subject field with text messaging on an iPhone sends the text message as MMS unless the message is sent as an iMessage.

>Enabling and using the subject field with text messaging on an iPhone sends the

>text message as MMS unless the message is sent as an iMessage.

If an iPhone user enters a subject in the subject field of a text message, the message is sent to a non iPhone user via data. Not wifi. Not via a true MMS text message. Turn off data and try it. It will fail.

Also if another non iPhone user sends you a true MMS, for example with an image attached, the iPhone recipient will NOT receive it. You will not even receive the text portion or some notification. You simply never know someone contacted you. (This is on AT&T. I assume it's not carrier specific, but I don't know.)

These limitations are pretty outrageous. For some people texting and calling are the primary functions and they should work flawlessly.

If an iPhone user enters a subject in the subject field of a text message, the message is sent to a non iPhone user via data. Not wifi. Not via a true MMS text message. Turn off data and try it. It will fail.

There is SMS and MMS. SMS and MMS are not exchanged via wi-fi with any carrier. MMS with an iPhone requires data.

I am fully aware that MMS does not use wifi.

I was simplying emphasizing the fact that iPhone requires data for MMS on AT&T by pointing out that wifi is never used. I was responding to your claim that when using the subject field, "iPhone sends the text message as MMS," which is not 100% accurate.

The fact that a non iPhone MMS sent to an iPhone user can be vaporized without notifying the end user is just crazy. There is way to defend this bug. You can't simply tell iPhone users to only talk to other iPhone users. At least if users were notified of the failure, the end user could contact the sender and tell them to use email.

You certainly fooled me by the way you worded the text I quoted along with the "true" MMS nonsense.

The iPhone uses data to send MMS regardless the carrier, and using the Subject field with a text message (SMS) sends the message as MMS.

I'm not aware of a notification by any carrier when a text message cannot be delivered or was not delivered. I have a friend with an old Blackberry who has never used text messaging - he has it disabled for his account. I have sent him text messages that were successfully sent but not delivered since he has messaging disabled with no notification the messages were not delivered. It wasn't until I asked him about it that I learned not to send him text messages.

If an iPhone user has MMS disabled, MMS cannot be sent or recieved.

I had no intentional of "fooling" you. Look a few messages back. I quoted your wording verbatim. I didn't see it necessary to do that yet again.

Your Blackberry example is different, because your friend completely disabled texting. Of course he won't get texts. Despite what you wrote, "if an iPhone user has MMS disabled, MMS cannot be sent or received," no one is talking about that case. Of course that happens if you switch testing off completely.

I'll spell out the iPhone case I described earlier. The user has the following settings:

Send as SMS: ON

MMS Messaging: ON
Group Messaging: ON

Show Subject Field: either OFF or ON

Now if someone sends an MMS to this user with data off, nothing happens.

Blocking these MMS messages is stupid, but if AT&T and Apple really want that to be the behavior with no notifications, then the setting interface is incorrect. If the user turns off data or has no data plan, then the MMS setting should be unavailable and forced to OFF. The user shouldn't be able to turn it on.

And since you like to compare to other carriers, yes there are other carriers that allow MMS with no data plan on a smart phone. For example even very new cheap ones like Lumia 521 can be configured to do this on T-Mobile. On AT&T with the Lumia 520, you can receive the MMS but get an alert to enable data if the incoming message includes a picture attachment. So yes it's an iPhone limitation. It is not "all smart phones" as you imply it is.

My Blackberry case was in response to your whining about not receiving a message from the carrier that the text message was not delivered or recieved - only.

The paragraph began with - "I'm not aware of a notification by any carrier when a text message cannot be delivered or was not delivered."

Reading comprehension needs some work.

Sending/receiving MMS with an iPhone requires cellular data - period.

If you think this is wrong, switch to another phone.

And the quality of photos and videos sent via MMS without data is crap.