I cannot receive texts with cellular data turned off

When attempting to conserve battery while in an area where charging is just not feasible, I tell my wife to turn OFF her cellular data plan. In this way, the phone is not transmitting/receiving all the time updating mindless useless data, Facebook chats/updates, etc. BUT, she can still use the cell phone and send/receive texts.
Or at least she "should" be able to. Apparently, my wife's cell cannot. Mine can. And it should. Texts have been available long before "data" was even an issue. I suspect iMessage but cannot find settings that differ from mine (short of specifics like account ID, etc.)
Ideas? Suggestions?
<Personal Information Edited by Host>

Having the same exact issue, I beleive what is happening is with data turned off we are sending SMS texts. We are receiving SMS texts from non iPhone users, no matter who their carrier is. iPhone users with data turned on, are using iMessage, by default, therefore, we with data turned off, cannot receive their 'iMessages'. This setting does not enable iMessage to translate into SMS.
So, my unlimited text plan is a waste when communicating with iPhone users.
WIsh I never bought into an Apple product. My first, and last.

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I'm not familiar with My Data Manager but from the name I would think it would tell you what app or apps have used the data and that might help narrow down the problem. If it doesn't have that information, you can go to Settings > Cellular > Use Cellular Data For and that shows usage by each app and if you click on System Services in that list it will also give details of that usage. The numbers are since you last reset the statistics (bottom of that screen). With a little time and detective work you may be able to identify the cause.
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If I have both Cellular Data and Data Roaming ON and then turn Cellular Data OFF then the Data Roaming label and ON/OFF toggle both turn grey and light blue respectively, but the Data Roaming still shows as ON (in light blue not the regular blue colour). Does this mean that Data Roaming is actually still on? If not, then why doesn't it show as OFF or are we supposed to interpret the fact that it is greyed out to mean that it is actually off when it shows ON?

You're welcome.
I don't see what difference it makes. Cellular Data off means cellular data is off. Someone who is roaming internationally with Data Roaming turned on wants data turned off completely for a period of time can turn Cellular Data off without turning Data Roaming off. When turning Cellular Data back on, Data Roaming is already on.
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HT3529 I am confused about messaging. Shouldn't I be able to send and receive messages with cellular data off? I can usually send the message, but often do not receive messages until I either have wifi or turn cellular on.

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Depends on the type of Message.
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However Android should be sending through SMS.
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What To Do If Your iDevice or Computer Is Lost Or Stolen
If your Mac, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch, or iPad is lost or stolen what do you do? There are things you should do in advance - before you lose it or it's stolen - and some things to do after the fact. Here are some suggestions:
Reporting a lost or stolen Apple product
What-To-Do-When-Iphone-Is-Stolen
Lost or Stolen iPhone? Here’s What to do.
6 Ways to Track and Recover Your Lost/Stolen iPhone
It pays to be proactive by following the advice on using Find My Phone before you lose your device:
Find My iPhone
Setup your iDevice on MobileMe
OS X Lion- About Find My Mac
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Hey everyone,
Currently with my iPhone 4, I've been experiencing more of a nuisance than a problem.
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No-one from Apple here sorry!
I run my iphone 4 the same way,
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So I am assuming that's not it.
Check your mail settings.
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no- i think you've hit the nail on the head. (perhaps inadvertantly)
because my g/f and i couldnt get each other's txts, over 3/4 of the time, if the cellular data wasnt turned on.
green bubble = sms.
blue bubble=imessage (data or wifi)
all this was with (blue bubble) imessage stuff (with the thought that it'd use wifi, but the wifi at work *****, so ofcourse it'll use data.
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Hello laurenblairf,
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
For more information, take a look at:
iOS: Troubleshooting Messages
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts2755
To resolve issues with sending and receiving MMS, follow these steps
Go to Settings and turn airplane mode off.
Go to Settings > Messages and turn MMS Messaging on.
Go to Settings > Cellular and turn Cellular Data on.
Go to Settings > Cellular and turn Data Roaming on if you're roaming on a cellular provider network that is different from your billing provider's network.
Make sure that you have a cellular data connection in the status bar of your iPhone.
Go to Settings and turn Wi-Fi off. Open Safari and navigate to www.apple.com to verify that you have a data connection. Turn Wi-Fi back on to continue using Wi-Fi for other features. If your cellular data connection isn't available, follow these steps.
Make sure that you can send and receive SMS. If you can't send and receive SMS, see the "Issues with sending and receiving SMS" section, above. MMS might not be available while you're on a call. Only 3G and faster GSM networks support simultaneous data and voice calls. Learn more about which network your phone supports.
Restart your iPhone.
Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings on your iPhone.
Remove your SIM card and insert it again.
Have a nice day,
Mario

I cannot receive texts with cellular data turned off

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