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MMS started using my data???

Yummy
Mayor / Maire

Received MMS from a friend. DATA was off but MMS still arrived and picture was delivered. And beside that it used my data! Data was off, background data was off...???

I thought (and was always advising others) MMS will NOT use your data even though DATA has to be on to send/receive?

Did PM change something on their side? Anybody else experience similar?

12 REPLIES 12


@BEER wrote:

It's possible that even though your cellular data was turned off, the MMS message was still delivered because it was sent over your mobile network rather than the internet. MMS messages are different from regular SMS messages in that they require a mobile data connection to be sent and received. However, some carriers allow MMS messages to be sent and received over the cellular network even if mobile data is turned off, as long as you have a cellular connection.

When your friend sent you the MMS message, it was likely stored on the carrier's server until your phone was able to receive it. Once your phone reconnected to the mobile network, the MMS message was delivered to your device.


For MMS, mobile data must be turned on to send or received it.  Some phones do have an option to automatically turn the data on temporarily for an incoming or outgoing MMS message.  There are also instannt messaging protocols that can be used to send mutlimedia content.  However, there isn't a way to send or receive MMS with the mobile data connection being off on the device (at any carrier). Without mobile data, it won't work.

BEER
Town Hero / Héro de la Ville

It's possible that even though your cellular data was turned off, the MMS message was still delivered because it was sent over your mobile network rather than the internet. MMS messages are different from regular SMS messages in that they require a mobile data connection to be sent and received. However, some carriers allow MMS messages to be sent and received over the cellular network even if mobile data is turned off, as long as you have a cellular connection.

When your friend sent you the MMS message, it was likely stored on the carrier's server until your phone was able to receive it. Once your phone reconnected to the mobile network, the MMS message was delivered to your device.

Hollinger
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Moto G Fast has this feature also.

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

@hTideGnow- Oh. Thanks. I don't remember seeing that mentioned here and I rarely use MMS and I equally rarely look at usage details.

HI @dust2dust   PM removed the MMS on data usage since not too long ago

dust2dust
Mayor / Maire

My S7 did that and I thought it was a great feature. My newer Samsung did not but I found a switch in an app to turn it on. I think it's great. The phone will always sync something when it sees the internet. Check all your apps for background data usage. Check the options for updating the OS and apps.

I don't like the new front page counters not giving the counters 3 decimal points. I want to see all usage down to the k like it used to.

But what you're looking at is the usage details which may or may not exactly match their actual usage time. Do you have a line saying MMS in the vicinity?


@HALIMACS wrote:

It doesn't consume data  @Yummy 

 

To be certain, when your data allotment is used up, you can still send and receive MMS if mobile data is toggled on. 


It does consume. How would you explain this usage at the same moment when picture was sent and when my DATA was off but I still received a picture????

Yummy_0-1672254020293.png

 

Samsung S7.

 

I am not concerned with data usage but am curious Why suddenly MMS started using data and it gets delivered while data is off.

 

It doesn't consume data  @Yummy 

 

To be certain, when your data allotment is used up, you can still send and receive MMS if mobile data is toggled on. 

hTideGnow
Mayor / Maire

HI @Yummy   what phone do you have ?

 

Pixel has a feature to enable data automatically when MMS comes and then turn it back off after. 

Now sure if Pixel is the only phone with this feature 


@Yummy wrote:

@will13am  I am aware of all that but so far MMS never actually used my data allowance. Plus as I mentioned, background data is off for texting app. And before I HAD to activate data to send/receive while now MMS gets send/received even when DATA is off (WiFi is on, though).


Literally every app on the phone could use some background data.  There are OS functions that consume data.  It is unavoidable that if mobile data is on, expect some data to be consumed.  What is a few megs here and there anyway?  

@will13am  I am aware of all that but so far MMS never actually used my data allowance. Plus as I mentioned, background data is off for texting app. And before I HAD to activate data to send/receive while now MMS gets send/received even when DATA is off (WiFi is on, though).

will13am
Oracle
Oracle

@Yummy , you know that MMS data goes through a proxy server and is not metered.  Mobile data has to be turned on to receive MMS and during that time, an app probably consumed some data in the background.  You should be able to disable background data on an app basis.  Recognize that doing so means the social media apps will not be able to receive incoming messages in real time.  

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