If you have ANY Apple devices with iMessage turned on, and someone sends you an iMessage, it will be delivered to the device(s) with it enabled, but not to your phone under the circumstances you describe.
Group messages that include recipients who do not have iMessage enabled are sent as MMS messages, NOT SMS text messages. MMS requires cellular data to be active, so if that's how they are being sent, you will not receive them if you have data turned off.
SMS messages use the voice connection, not the data connection, so you will be able to send and receive SMS messages.
If you have ANY Apple devices with iMessage turned on, and someone sends you an iMessage, it will be delivered to the device(s) with it enabled, but not to your phone under the circumstances you describe.
Group messages that include recipients who do not have iMessage enabled are sent as MMS messages, NOT SMS text messages. MMS requires cellular data to be active, so if that's how they are being sent, you will not receive them if you have data turned off.
SMS messages use the voice connection, not the data connection, so you will be able to send and receive SMS messages.
I want to clarify my question above (and I can't figure out how to edit it). I can send group texts when I have iMessage and Data off. I can send/receive individual texts. But when a family member (or others I suppose—and I am worried I am missing important texts) includes me in a group text, it goes out as an iMessage (blue bubble) and I never receive it. I am out of country and cannot turn on my data and iMessage. But i don't want to miss any group texts from others using iPhones. Anyone have any solutions to this?
Thanks KiltedTim. It was not the answer I wanted, but what I was afraid of.
When iPhone has data and iMessages turned off, can’t receive group texts from other iPhones. Can send group texts, can send/receive individual texts. But group texts go as iMessage and never arrive as sms.
