Receiving email while Wifi off!

Benedict

I have a Huawei Y6. I do not have any account and usually just use it as a mobile phone. But I get emails even when the data and the Wifi are switched off. How could emails come through when I don't have Wifi switched on?


I have a wifi modem for my laptop and maybe it's picking up that signal - but how could it be when the Wifi is switched off on the Huawei?


If the Wifi is switched off, I cannot log on to a browser - it says "no connection" and yet the emails come through. This seems very strange.


Anyone else had this experience?

seamus

When you say you "don't have any account", are you talking about email or the phone provider?

Basically, if you're getting real emails (and not ones generated on the phone), then there must be data coming through somewhere. Perhaps data isn't "off off", and you have it restricted to 2G data only or something.

Benedict

When I say I don't have an account I mean I don't pay any monthly sum for the phone. I can get the internet in the house (because I have Wifi for the laptop) but once I go outside the house onto the street, I can no longer access the internet.


I'm just wondering is it possible that some emails come through the phone? I notice that when an email arrives on the phone and I delete it, it doesn't get deleted from the laptop.


I have now Googled my problem and I note that I don't seem to be the only one experiencing this. There are other blogs from people who have turned off the Wifi on their mobliles and have been woken up by notifications coming through.

In fact I just sent myself an email and I note that it has appeared on the laptop but not on the phone. So maybe some emails are somehow coming through the phone?



Very strange!

Tom Dunne

Phones have two data connections - wifi and the mobile phone network. So when wifi is off, everything comes in through the phone network. That's what is going on.

Benedict

My phone is pre-pay - I'm wondering does it cost anything when the emails come in over the phone?

seamus

Yes, you'll be charged for data, though depending on your operator you may get free data per top-up so you won't notice it.

My wife has a second pre-pay phone she uses for work and was finding her credit being constantly eaten up by data from app updates and such.

Benedict

You'd be forgiven for assuming that if you had Wi-Fi switched off you would not get emails no matter how many other Apps you had turned to "On". But the emails keep coming through even though if I try to Google, it says "No connection available". It's got to be that it's coming through the phone number.

But emails without an internet connection?

I think I'll be hopping in to Carphone Warehouse (where I bought the phone) to ask them what's going on. (They are very helpful there)

Discodog

Benedict wrote: »

You'd be forgiven for assuming that if you had Wi-Fi switched off you would not get emails no matter how many other Apps you had turned to "On". But the emails keep coming through even though if I try to Google, it says "No connection available". It's got to be that it's coming through the phone number.

But emails without an internet connection?

I think I'll be hopping in to Carphone Warehouse (where I bought the phone) to ask them what's going on. (They are very helpful there)

You have an internet connect through your phone signal. It might not be able to access calls or google but emails will come through because they need less data.

tedpan

Benedict wrote:

I have a Huawei Y6. I do not have any account and usually just use it as a mobile phone. But I get emails even when the data and the Wifi are switched off. How could emails come through when I don't have Wifi switched on?

The OP states that WiFi and Data are switched off...

RossieMan

Benedict wrote:

I think I'll be hopping in to Carphone Warehouse (where I bought the phone) to ask them what's going on. (They are very helpful there)

Ah what. Must be different over in the west where they employ monkeys to do the job. Absolutely useless anytime I've gone in. They'll always try and send the problem away.

Tom Dunne

To get all techie for a moment it is technically possible to prevent web browsing while permitting other services such as email.

It's been a long time since I looked at this kind of stuff, but think of it kinda like a TV channel. Web browsing is on either channel 80 or 443, mail is usually channel 25. It is quite possible channels 80 and 443 are blocked on your phone (for whatever reason) and 25 is still accessible.

I'd say the issue is more with your phone provider and the plan you are on, rather than the phone itself.

TheChizler

Benedict wrote: »

I have now Googled my problem and I note that I don't seem to be the only one experiencing this. There are other blogs from people who have turned off the Wifi on their mobliles and have been woken up by notifications coming through.

Wait, is it emails or notifications you're getting?

Benedict

I went to GMail "App", went to "data usage" and turned off "mobile data" and "background data" and so far, I haven't received any emails on the mobile. And I still seem to get phone calls okay. I just hope I haven't messed up my phone because there are times when I'm within reach of someone's Wi-Fi and want to log on.

But yes, it really does seem to be the case that emails can come through the phone even when you have the Wi-Fi switched off - which is quite strange.

As for Carphone Warehouse? You have to wait 'till they're not busy or you could be waiting forever to be seen to. And then there's always someone arrives in behind you glancing at his watch, throwing his eyes up to heaven and tapping his foot. So it's worth waiting for an off-peak opportunity.

Reati

tedpan wrote: »

The OP states that WiFi and Data are switched off...

Yet still get's email magically....?

Benedict wrote: »

But yes, it really does seem to be the case that emails can come through the phone even when you have the Wi-Fi switched off - which is quite strange.

No it's not. It's not really technically possible in normal usage to get emails to the device unless you are connected to the internet somehow. You either had Mobile data or WiFi on.

The other thing that might be happening if you are 100% offline is you get the email when you are online but the notifications are not showing up till later.

Tom Dunne

Benedict wrote: »

But yes, it really does seem to be the case that emails can come through the phone even when you have the Wi-Fi switched off - which is quite strange

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Phones have two data connections - wifi and the mobile phone network. So when wifi is off, everything comes in through the phone network. That's what is going on.

It's not in the slightest bit strange.

AllForIt

I had a friend who was on Vodafone PAYG who was given his first ever smartphone. The crappiest one I've ever seen but a smartphone nonetheless. When he transferred his sim card over from his old phone he was surprised to see the internet was working on it. He was adamant that because he hadn't 'signed up' for internet data and just used his payg credit for phonecalls that somehow he was getting the internet for free, like omg it's a miracle.

I told him one doesn't have to sign up for internet on payg, it will work by default, on some networks anyway. He didn't believe me until 2 days later all his credit had been all used up on internet data even though he didn't even get much use out of it. Because he didn't sign up for a mobile data bundle he had been charged a ridiculous rate for just 1mb of data.

El Tarangu

Benedict wrote: »

I went to GMail "App", went to "data usage" and turned off "mobile data" and "background data" and so far, I haven't received any emails on the mobile. And I still seem to get phone calls okay. I just hope I haven't messed up my phone because there are times when I'm within reach of someone's Wi-Fi and want to log on.

Even if it wasn't the gmail app itself that that was downloading the new emails, if you are signed into android using your google account, there could be some other system apps that is updating your emails. If you go into settings you should be able to check data usage for the last month, that might shed some light on it.