Text Across Wi-fi?

**rdean** · 04-27-2011, 07:08 PM

This may be stupid, but can the EVO send/receive texts across wi-fi?

**SmokeCrawler** · 04-27-2011, 08:00 PM

Yes, yes it can

**rdean** · 04-27-2011, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by new2android7609

Yes, yes it can

Wonder if it matters that the wi-fi is connected to satellite internet?

**RkyMtnHigh** · 04-28-2011, 03:12 AM

It shouldn't matter ^

**thecarline** · 04-28-2011, 11:29 AM

No; you have to have some sort of signal.

Here's the test: Turn on airplane mode on your phone, this will cut off all signals. Then, turn on wifi. Send a text. My text immediately got bounced saying "unable to send message".

You can however send texts through Google Voice; if you have an account setup.

**RkyMtnHigh** · 04-28-2011, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by thecarline

No; you have to have some sort of signal.

Here's the test: Turn on airplane mode on your phone, this will cut off all signals. Then, turn on wifi. Send a text. My text immediately got bounced saying "unable to send message".

You can however send texts through Google Voice; if you have an account setup.

I'm on WiFi 75% of the time and text just fine. When you're in airplane mode you are killing ALL radios even if you toggle them on. Airplane mode is like Operator OFF in a Siemens control system...It trumps everything. If you're referring to satellite, it will still work. Edit: I'm wrong...sort of...cold water freezes faster because the molecules are already moving slower....

**EvilMonkey** · 04-28-2011, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by RkyMtnHigh

I'm on WiFi 75% of the time and text just fine. When you're in airplane mode you are killing ALL radios even if you toggle them on. Airplane mode is like Operator OFF in a Siemens control system...It trumps everything. If you're referring to satellite, it will still work.

No, you're wrong. You can turn on airplane mode but still have wifi connected (you just have to toggle the wifi back on since the intial "airplane mode" toggle turns it off). This effectively kills your cell phone and data (3g/4g) connection, but still allows you to connect to a wifi network.

I'm doing it right now.

And attempting to text kicks back an undeliverable message while doing this, which tells me you can't text over wifi. But I can still surf the web and facebook and everything. Just can't make phone calls or send texts.

EDIT: I should note I'm using the CyanogenMod ROM, in case Sense has something that prevents you from doing this. I will also note you could still use email to send a text message.

**RkyMtnHigh** · 04-28-2011, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by EvilMonkey

No, you're wrong. You can turn on airplane mode but still have wifi connected (you just have to toggle the wifi back on since the intial "airplane mode" toggle turns it off). This effectively kills your cell phone and data (3g/4g) connection, but still allows you to connect to a wifi network.

I'm doing it right now.

And attempting to text kicks back an undeliverable message while doing this, which tells me you can't text over wifi. But I can still surf the web and facebook and everything. Can't make phone calls or text.

EDIT: I should note I'm using the CyanogenMod ROM, in case Sense has something that prevents you from doing this. I will also note you could still use email to send a text message.

Oh hell...this is going to turn into the what freezes faster; hot or cold water thread...
If I'm on wifi, my 3 and4G radios are turned off...How is that I can text my other phone and receive it instantly? It can't switch at the speed I'm getting my texts. I see what you're saying about the web working...bizarre.

**RkyMtnHigh** · 04-28-2011, 12:56 PM

Oh man...my boss just told me they aren't paying me to play on Android Central all day...Had I known that, I wouldn't have taken this job! The kicker is they want me to mess around with a tablet and look for bugs...not a bad day...

**EvilMonkey** · 04-28-2011, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by RkyMtnHigh

Oh hell...this is going to turn into the what freezes faster; hot or cold water thread...
If I'm on wifi, my 3 and4G radios are turned off...How is that I can text my other phone and receive it instantly? It can't switch at the speed I'm getting my texts. I see what you're saying about the web working...bizarre.

IIRC, SMS uses the the regular carrier signal, not 3G/4G (this is how and why "dumb" phones can still send text messages). So even though you're on wifi, SMS is still just going to use the plain old carrier signal.

And yes, I'm on wifi about 90% of the time, but I don't think that matters for sending SMS. You still need a carrier signal for it since it's not being sent over the wifi connection.

**thecarline** · 04-28-2011, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by EvilMonkey

IIRC, SMS uses the the regular carrier signal, not 3G/4G (this is how and why "dumb" phones can still send text messages). So even though you're on wifi, SMS is still just going to use the plain old carrier signal.

And yes, I'm on wifi about 90% of the time, but I don't think that matters for sending SMS. You still need a carrier signal for it since it's not being sent over the wifi connection.

Ding, correct. Text messages go through the same band as phone calls. It breaks down like this: You have your phone that operates on 2g (text messages, phone calls), 3g is for data, wifi/4g is for faster data, depending on connection.

You can turn off any of your bands (3g, wifi, 4g) and still receive texts/phone calls. However, if you turn on airplane mode, it cuts all 4 off. Turning on airplane mode then wifi allows just data. Google Voice transmits text messages as data. You can use google voice + sprint setup to send text messages; this is what I do in my basement instead of searching for a mobile signal.