Here, we will answer one of the most common text-related questions: can you send texts on Android phones without mobile data?

Follow me as we show you the answer.

Can You Send Texts On Android Phones Without Mobile Data?

Yes, you can send texts on Android Phones without mobile data by using the default messaging app on your android device. However, sending texts is cost-based, depending on your mobile network carrier

Most carriers provide free SMS packages that let you send free texts while others charge you for sending text-based SMS based on the character length.

When Was Text Messaging Invented? 

Short Message Service (SMS) is a text service that lets you send texts without data. It was developed in the 80s’ thus making it one of the oldest electronic means of communication. There are several widely used text-based apps like WhatsApp, Facebook messenger, iMessage, etc. 

However, SMS remains the most widely-used texting technology, with more than 6 billion SMS sent daily in the US alone.

What Is The Length Of The Text I Can Send On My Android Phone?

Sending texts via SMS requires that the text does not exceed 160 character limits. However, when your text exceeds this limit, SMS breaks down and send your text in batches based on the character length. 

How Can I Send Texts On Android Devices?

The following steps will walk you through the steps of sending texts without data on an Android device.

  1. Tap on the ‘Messages’ icon on your phone’s home screen, or from your device’s app list.
  2. Tap on the ‘Start chat’ icon.
  3. In the ‘To’ field, type the phone numbers, names, or even email addresses you want to send a text to. Alternatively, you can select a contact or more to send a text to the displayed contact list.
  4. Start typing your text in the message box.
  5. Tap on the send icon in the message box to send a text when you’re done typing.
  6. If you’re using a 2-sim device, you can tap on the send menu to choose the sim to use in sending your message. Alternatively, you can hold down the send icon and select your choice network carrier for sending text messages.

How Can I Save Texts As A Draft On My Android Device?

If you’re changing your mind about sending a text, you can save it as a draft to allow you to finish composing your text and sending it at a later date.

Here’s how:

  1. When done with typing your message, tap on the back arrow to save your text as a draft.
  2. When you’re ready to send the draft text, launch your ‘Message’ app and tap on the draft message in your message chat or repository.

How Can I Forward Text Messages From My Android Device? 

The ‘Message’ icon allows you to forward received messages to your selected contact list.

Here’s how to do so:

  1. Tap on the ‘Messages’ icon on your phone’s home screen, or from your device’s app list.
  2. Tap on the received message chat to open the message.
  3. Hold down the message you want to send.
  4. After selecting the message, tap on the ‘More’ icon (represented with three vertical dots at the top-right of your screen).
  5. Select ‘Forward’ from the displayed options.
  6. Select a contact you want to forward the message to (‘Messages’ does not support forwarding to more than one contact at a time).
  7. Tap on the send icon in the message box to forward the message to the selected contact.
  8. If you’re using a 2-sim device, you can tap on the send menu bar and select a sim to forward your message. Alternatively, you can hold down the send icon and select your preferred sim to forward the text to your selected contact.

How Can I Access And Read Received Text Messages On My Android Phone?

Your device will notify you when you receive a text message. There are two options to read received text messages.

Option 1:

  1. New messages are displayed in the notification area; swipe down from the top of your device’s screen to reveal your ‘notifications.’
  2. Scroll through your notifications to ‘New message.’
  3. Tap on the ‘New message’ to open and read.

Option 2

  1. Tap on the ‘Messages’ icon on your phone’s home screen, or from your device’s app list.
  2. Open the received message. 

Doing More With The Text Message App

  • How can I delete text messages on my Android Phone?
  1. Tap on the ‘Messages’ icon on your phone’s home screen, or from your device’s app list.
  2. Hold down the message to select it. If the first message is selected, you can tap on multiple messages to select as many messages you would want to delete.
  3. Tap on the ‘Delete’ icon at the top right of your screen.
  4. A dialogue box pops up on the screen asking if you want to proceed to delete the selected message (Do you want to delete ‘x’ conversations? This action cannot be undone.).
  5. Tap on ‘Delete’ in the Dialogue box to delete the selected text message threads or chats.
  6. If you don’t want to delete the entire message thread or chat, open the message thread and select the desired chat to delete.
  7. Alternatively, you can tap on ‘Cancel’ to cancel your action.
  • Other features of Messages

From the ‘More’ icon (represented with three vertical dots at the top-right of your screen), you can choose to perform any of the following functions:

  1. View ‘Archived’ messages
  2. Mark all messages as read
  3. Add a number to your ‘Blocked contacts’ to prevent you from receiving messages from them.
  4. Use the ‘Messages for web’ feature.
  5. Enable ‘dark mode.’
  6. Go to ‘Settings’
  7. Ask for ‘Help’ from the ‘Support’ team, and give ‘Feedback.’
  • Can I call the person who sent me a text?
  1. Tap on the ‘Messages’ icon on your phone’s home screen, or from your device’s app list.
  2. Tap on the received message chat to open the message.
  3. Tap on the ‘Phone’ icon at the top-right of your screen to call either the sender or the recipient. Alternatively, you can make and send videos by tapping on the ‘Video’ icon at the left of the ‘Phone’ icon.

Solving Text-related Problems 

I can’t send texts messages with my Android device

  1. If you get a notification that you cannot send or receive messages because your memory is full, you should free up more space by deleting old or irrelevant messages.
  2. You’re unable to send text messages: this can be due to several factors:
    1. You have exhausted your free SMS, and you do not have enough money in your calling account to send SMS, or you are not subscribed to a free SMS package.
    2. Your message center number might be missing or not correct: You can fix this issue by checking online for the appropriate message center number or calling your provider’s support line.

What Are The Benefits I Get From Using My Android Phone To Send Text Messages?

SMS has remained the most widely used text-based services for the following reasons:

  1. Sending text via SMS allows you to communicate in areas with poor or no internet because SMS does not require data to send texts.
  2. Its 160-character limit makes messages short and concise.
  3. It is cheaper, almost free since most mobile network carriers offer free texting plans.