# Using iPhone 4 without a Data Plan



## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

Hey guys,

I was wondering if any of you use the iPhone 4 without a data plan? My girlfriend has not had data on her account and has been using the iPhone since the 3G. She has never had any issues before, I got her the iPhone that was on 4.0.1, then she upgraded to 4.0.2. Still working like a charm.

She updated to 4.1 when the update came out and now when texting she always gets the message "Cannot connect to cellular data network". Before any suggestions fly out, I have tried everything from Restoring as a New Phone, resetting settings, notifications are off, Location Services are off... I'm out of ideas. In the Network Settings the Cellular Data is off at it has been since 4.0.1. All the settings are similar to before and same goes with her plan with Rogers.

I'm wondering if anyone would have any insight as to what could possibly be the cause. I talked to Apple but they were no help as the lady was American and kept on implying that I can't get an iPhone 4 without Data (it's a long story). But all that seems to have changed is the Carrier Update. My iPhone 4 is on 4.0.1 and has Rogers 7.2, and she is on 4.1 and Rogers 8.0. 

Any help would be greatly appreciated! And as noted, this only happens when she goes to Text someone. And the error does not happen when she's at home connected to the Wifi. (She does have SMS, no MMS, MMS is Disabled).

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

No ideas?


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

Disabled cellular network data on the phone (General -> Network -> Cellular Data).


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

John Clay said:


> Disabled cellular network data on the phone (General -> Network -> Cellular Data).


That's already done. Cellular Data is off. That's why I don't understand why SMS messages are trying to connect. They send fine but everytime she sends them or even just goes in the Messages App, she gets the "Cannot Activate Cellular Data Network". Trust me, I've tried almost everything and that's why I'm hoping to get some other insights of things to try... Cause I'm out of ideas! It's bizarre.


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

Hmm, aren't SMS sent via the data network?


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

kloan said:


> Hmm, aren't SMS sent via the data network?


That's what the Apple employee said, however, she has been able to send and receive txt messages since her iPhone 3G. No changes in her plan whatsoever, and it's been kept up to date, and unjailbroken. And only since 4.1 and the Rogers 8.0 Carrier Update that this started. She can still send / receive txts... She has a txting plan. 

I'm clueless


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

kloan said:


> Hmm, aren't SMS sent via the data network?


They are not. Phones without data can send SMS just fine.


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

John Clay said:


> They are not. Phones without data can send SMS just fine.


Well, they're sent through GPRS or 3G. You don't need to have a data plan, or even have the APN set to connect to the data network, but I'm pretty sure you still need to have access to either network to send them. Perhaps the latest OS update introduced a bug in the settings to make the phone think because data's turned off, text messages aren't available.


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## John Clay (Jun 25, 2006)

kloan said:


> Well, they're sent through GPRS or 3G. You don't need to have a data plan, or even have the APN set to connect to the data network, but I'm pretty sure you still need to have access to either network to send them. Perhaps the latest OS update introduced a bug in the settings to make the phone think because data's turned off, text messages aren't available.


Hmm, yeah. To the OP - have you tried restoring to the latest version?


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

John Clay said:


> Hmm, yeah. To the OP - have you tried restoring to the latest version?


The iPhone is on iOS 4.1. Everything has been tried. Restoring as a new phone, didn't do anything. The problem only started with iOS 4.1. On 4.0.1 an on 4.0.2 it was fine. And on her 3G before that on iOS 3.0 to 4.0.1 everything was fine. 

Trust me guys, I'm no amateur when it comes to these things and I never ask for help unless I've already tried to cover 90% of possibilities. When she's connected at home on WIFI, everything is fine, then she leaves at goes to TXT and boom, the "cannot connect to data network". It's really odd and doesn't make sense. Apple was no help because they kept insisting that it was impossible to use an iPhone without a data plan... (this was the first time I've spoken to an Apple Employee that was completely clueless and utterly rude). 

The only difference is the Rogers 8.0 Carrier Settings. On 7.2 with 4.0.1 and 4.0.2 it was fine. If only I could just downgrade to 4.0.2, unfortunately that's not possible because her phone doesn't have the SHSH's on file


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## stevenjev (Nov 6, 2010)

I am having this exact same problem. I am on 4.1 using the 3GS and a sim card without a data plan. Everything is turned off, wifi, location services, notification, data.. And yet while in the SMS app I still receive the pop-up enough times for it to become quite bothersome. I thought that it could even be because it is trying to connect for MMS, however I have that turned off too. Not sure what to do about this, I do have the phone jail broken, so maybe it is possible to SSH into it and somehow "remove" the notification.. Really stuck on this one.


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

stevenjev said:


> I am having this exact same problem. I am on 4.1 using the 3GS and a sim card without a data plan. Everything is turned off, wifi, location services, notification, data.. And yet while in the SMS app I still receive the pop-up enough times for it to become quite bothersome. I thought that it could even be because it is trying to connect for MMS, however I have that turned off too. Not sure what to do about this, I do have the phone jail broken, so maybe it is possible to SSH into it and somehow "remove" the notification.. Really stuck on this one.


Yeah I haven't found anything in terms of shutting this off... it annoys my girlfriend quite a bit. Would love to find a solution but I've searched and never came up with any solutions...


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## Niteshooter (Aug 8, 2008)

Hmm I also get that error on my iPhone 4 V 4.1 (8B117) Bell 8.0 when I am outside of range of our home network or the one at work.

I have a feeling it is an app I had open while on the network that actually did not close, possibly a web page I had open that is somehow trying to reconnect to it's site though I also have a sneaky suspicion it's got something to do with the App store......

Just curious but does she notice a red notification of pending updates when this happens?

K


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

Niteshooter said:


> Hmm I also get that error on my iPhone 4 V 4.1 (8B117) Bell 8.0 when I am outside of range of our home network or the one at work.
> 
> I have a feeling it is an app I had open while on the network that actually did not close, possibly a web page I had open that is somehow trying to reconnect to it's site though I also have a sneaky suspicion it's got something to do with the App store......
> 
> ...


Actually it's not a third party app, it's the SMS application itself that causes this. (really it's any application that requires a data connection, however if you have no data plan like my girlfriend, she's not going to start up safari in hopes to magically be online, hence why this is such a bummer for the SMS app causing this problem, as 99% of people with phones send text messages.


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## stevenjev (Nov 6, 2010)

There must be some way to fix it, even if it involves SSH'ing into the iPhone. I'm just not super comfortable on where it would be located and such...


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## Rob (Sep 14, 2002)

Have you tried turning off 3G? You don't need 3G if you're not using data.


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## Niteshooter (Aug 8, 2008)

Rounder said:


> Actually it's not a third party app, it's the SMS application itself that causes this. (really it's any application that requires a data connection, however if you have no data plan like my girlfriend, she's not going to start up safari in hopes to magically be online, hence why this is such a bummer for the SMS app causing this problem, as 99% of people with phones send text messages.


Hmm I do have a data plan which I keep turned *off* because I am close to wifi networks I can access (Enable 3G *on* / Cellular Data *off*) ... so I only use WIFI for browsing and downloading apps and such.

Not sure I follow your comment about being magically online since I'm 'magically' online the minute I get close to home or work?

I do not text, never have. I guess if that is the case then call it in as a bug report and perhaps it will get sorted out in a sw revision...


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## stevenjev (Nov 6, 2010)

Rob said:


> Have you tried turning off 3G? You don't need 3G if you're not using data.


Yep 3G is off.. In fact, since the sim has data blocked on it, I am not able to ever connect to 3G or EDGE. And yes, SMS and phone calls still work..


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

I know a lot of people would think there's a simple solution to this, but the reality is there doesn't seem to be. Trust me, I've tried many many things and still didn't work. No matter what, when using SMS with no data plan, it'll give the cannot cannot to cellular data network error. I'd love a solution to this. But it seems to be the SMS application itself.


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## nick24 (Jul 11, 2006)

I have an iPhone 4, on Fido, purchased outright, no data plan, just $15 per month contract. I can use text messages fine, and checking now, my data usage is 0 up, 0 down. It doesn't help you, but I wanted to show that it is possible to have an iPhone with no data without the issue that you are having.


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

I think you're misunderstanding. There's no problem using SMS, it's not using up any data, it simply tries to connect to data for whatever reason. So yes I know it's possible, but this has only started since iOS 4.1. Before that, the message would never appear, ever.


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## Z06jerry (Mar 16, 2005)

Rounder said:


> That's already done. Cellular Data is off. That's why I don't understand why SMS messages are trying to connect. They send fine but everytime she sends them or even just goes in the Messages App, she gets the "Cannot Activate Cellular Data Network". Trust me, I've tried almost everything and that's why I'm hoping to get some other insights of things to try... Cause I'm out of ideas! It's bizarre.


Are your carrier settings set to Automatic? If not try switching your carrier settings to Automatic.

I am currently travelling in the US using a T-Mobile SIM in my iPhone 3GS (4.0.1) with no data plan and if I set my carrier to T-Mobile I get the pop-up. For some reason when I switch it to Automatic it solves the problem for me.


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## Rounder (Aug 9, 2008)

Z06jerry said:


> Are your carrier settings set to Automatic? If not try switching your carrier settings to Automatic.
> 
> I am currently travelling in the US using a T-Mobile SIM in my iPhone 3GS (4.0.1) with no data plan and if I set my carrier to T-Mobile I get the pop-up. For some reason when I switch it to Automatic it solves the problem for me.


The problem was never there in 4.0.1. This only started after starting to use 4.1. Nothing else is different. The only difference I saw in both firmwares is that 4.1 already came with a Carrier Update (8.0) whereas the 4.0 firmwares were with 7.0 and 7.2 I believe.


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## Z06jerry (Mar 16, 2005)

Rounder said:


> The problem was never there in 4.0.1. This only started after starting to use 4.1. Nothing else is different. The only difference I saw in both firmwares is that 4.1 already came with a Carrier Update (8.0) whereas the 4.0 firmwares were with 7.0 and 7.2 I believe.


Are saying you tried Automatic? Is this what you see? If so, the pop-up also occurs in 4.0.1 if you don't have a data plan, and haven't chosen "Automatic" under carrier settings. 

settings >carrier > _Automatic_


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## SnowDX (Nov 10, 2010)

This might not be of any help, but I initially had my iPhone 4 running 4.1 with no data on Telus. I had cellular data off and 3G on (have to have it on with Telus, else you have no cell service since Telus only has 3G). I could send text message and never got the error your gf is receiving. I never had data blocked though, I just didn't have a data plan. Would your GF be willing to get data unblocked from her account to test if that fixes it? If she has it turned off on the phone, she still isn't using it and should never be charged for it when just sending SMS, but maybe the new Rogers carrier version has changed something where it's looking for data when sending an SMS? If unblocking solves the issue, you could report it to Rogers since it's obviously a change from they way they used to have things.

I tried to replicate the above mentioned scenario, and with cellular data off and my network set to Telus rather than automatic, I can still send text messages just fine, BUT I have a data plan now. So, I can't actually run the above test properly.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

I've got to think that this has something to do with MMS capabilities in the Messages app... Data is required, although not charged, to send MMS messages; I'm thinking that the 4.1 Messages app must check for data availability where, perhaps, earlier iterations did not??


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