HT204270: Get help if you can’t receive text messages from an iPhone

Learn about Get help if you can’t receive text messages from an iPhone
Wet Baloney
Level 1 (17 points)
Mac OS X

Q: How to receive messages when I do not have a data plan?

I have an iPhone 4S running ios 9.3.2 with a cellular pay-as-you-go type plan from T-Mobile.  This plan does not include data, so I can only connect to the internet when wifi is available.

 

Many text messages sent to me are never received (people email me and ask why I haven't responded to their text). I think this may have something to do with the messages being sent as an iMessage rather than SMS ?????

 

How do I fix this ?

iPhone 4S, iOS 9.2, 64GB

Posted on Jul 22, 2016 5:11 AM

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Wet Baloney

Q: How to receive messages when I do not have a data plan?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Jul 22, 2016 5:14 AM in response to Wet Baloney
    Level 9 (54,814 points)
    iPhone
    Jul 22, 2016 5:14 AM in response to Wet Baloney

    Turn off iMessage entirely.

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Jul 22, 2016 5:23 AM in response to Wet Baloney
    Level 7 (23,942 points)
    Jul 22, 2016 5:23 AM in response to Wet Baloney

    While iMessage can send and receive over either wifi or cellular internet data connections, SMS can only be sent or received over a voice cellular connection (MMS requires both a voice cellular connection and a cellular data connection).

     

    If I were you, I would sign out of iMessage on your iPhone and stick solely to SMS texts only as without a frequent or regular data connection your going to inherently run into missed messages and other problems with iMessage.