New $15 Unlimited Plan

[LittleBear916]

I posted a thread earlier but not have received any comments on it yet although there are lots of views. So with this new 15 dollar Unlimited plan, if I downgrade to it, will I lose all of my carryover data from the previous plan? Sorry to create another post but I am very curious about this.

[Tracfancier]

TF is so inept at integrating new ideas that it is entirely possible you would wipe out the old plan completely.
As usual, a test by someone with little to lose is required to know what will happen.

[Flip2Talk]

Curios to know If mms, (picture message) will work? Since there's no data on the plan?

[hpham]

Curios to know If mms, (picture message) will work? Since there's no data on the plan?

I don't think MMS (texts with attachment(s) or group texts) will work without Data.

[NanaC]

I don't think MMS (texts with attachment(s) or group texts) will work without Data.

Wonder if MMS would work on wifi calling though?

[hpham]

Wonder if MMS would work on wifi calling though?

Text messages and attachments on Android phones don't go through WiFi.

[tomseys]

I wonder if VVM will work right on Android devices with this plan since I believe a mobile data connection (and small amounts of data?) is required to retrieve the VVMs.

Maybe they will convert to basic voicemail w/basic vm notifications. One can always *86 to listen to messages.

iPhones can do VVM with Wi-Fi alone - both access/retrieve the VVMs and receive the proper VVM notifications.



Attachment 172327

[tomseys]

I posted a thread earlier but not have received any comments on it yet although there are lots of views. So with this new 15 dollar Unlimited plan, if I downgrade to it, will I lose all of my carryover data from the previous plan? Sorry to create another post but I am very curious about this.

Not sure. The unlimited plans have a long history of problems in the forum with paygo mixing and changes to plans on a good day.

It states:

*Unlimited Carryover®: For Unlimited Talk & Text Smartphone plans, any unused data after your service end date will carryover to the next cycle if active service is maintained and in use with any Unlimited Talk & Text Smartphone plan. For other service plans, any unused minutes, texts and data will not expire as long as any Tracfone service plan is active and in use within any six-month period.

That's been there a while though I think.

[kevink1]

I don't think MMS (texts with attachment(s) or group texts) will work without Data.

I think this has been an issue with some carriers through the years, and also depends on the phone. Especially since voice is just data these days, there is still a data connection even on a voice/text only plan. Some phones in the past have been reported to turn on data just enough for MMS but block it for other usages. Other cases, no.

So it "may" be possible for it to work with this plan, but if so probably phone specific.

[hpham]

Especially since voice is just data these days, there is still a data connection even on a voice/text only plan.

It's not that a data connection is not available when the plan doesn't include data or the data bucket is empty. While VoLTE calls go through the Data channel, TF doesn't deduct data units for VoLTE so they don't check the data bucket for calls. But they deduct data units for MMS, and if the data bucket is empty then the MMS won't go through.

Most of my phones on TF/Verizon turn on Data briefly to send/receive MMS. For the phones that don't turn on data automatically for MMS, the outgoing going MMS isn't sent until data is manually turned on, and incoming MMS will receive the text portion but data has to be turned on to download the attachment. My Samsung A51 does that when used with the Walmart Freedompop SIM.

[IsLand_BoY]

Text messages and attachments on Android phones don't go through WiFi.

Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Calling are two separate things. I’ve used Wi-Fi Calling for years with zero cell reception to send and receive texts and MMS on Android. Years before any sort of RCS, and this is native SMS. No chat apps.

Wi-Fi is just a data connection. Wi-Fi Calling functions like you’re on the cell network. Calls, texts, MMS, and data all work seamlessly. I just put my Android on airplane mode, turned on Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Calling, and texted and MMS’d to my iPhone. Worked like a charm. Same for the other way around.

My lines all have data though, but that does bring us back to the original question on whether MMS works over Wi-Fi Calling on a TF plan without data capability. It does on T-Mobile without a data plan but I’m not sure how TracFone does it.


Sent from my iPhone using HoFo

[kevink1]

It's not that a data connection is not available when the plan doesn't include data or the data bucket is empty. While VoLTE calls go through the Data channel, TF doesn't deduct data units for VoLTE so they don't check the data bucket for calls. But they deduct data units for MMS, and if the data bucket is empty then the MMS won't go through.

Most of my phones on TF/Verizon turn on Data briefly to send/receive MMS. For the phones that don't turn on data automatically for MMS, the outgoing going MMS isn't sent until data is manually turned on, and incoming MMS will receive the text portion but data has to be turned on to download the attachment. My Samsung A51 does that when used with the Walmart Freedompop SIM.

Thanks. So at least for Tracfone we know how it works. That they decrement from data.

What makes it difficult for me to test is my phones are Apple, so they will default to iMessage. Adds complexity to a test.