question: How does a cellphone receive texts while it was turned off, once you turn it on?
comment: It doesn't receive them while turned off. The network knows which texts have been delivered and which ones have not (because your phone is off or you're out of coverage etc), the ones not delivered it keeps trying to deliver. Once you turn it on and the network realises your phone is connected it delivers all the texts that it knows have not been delivered so far.
passages: BULLET::::- "Autoformat" - Early firmware releases (e.g. 51.14.15) have a bug which cause the formatting of phone filesystem as soon as free memory falls under around 4-5 MB; user is not asked for confirmation, so "any data in the phone memory is lost" in this case. Further firmware releases fixed the problem (maybe starting from 51.92
  
  BULLET::::- "Outbox bug" - If an SMS sending fails, SMS get stuck in the outbox and no more attempts are made by the System to send it again. No fixes are available for this bug.
   In the UK in 2000 it was claimed that recordings of mobile phone conversations made on the day of the Omagh bombing were crucial to the police investigation. In particular, calls made on two mobile phones which were tracked from south of the Irish border to Omagh and back on the day of the bombing, were considered of vital importance.
   BULLET::::- In Japan, at two minutes past midnight, Osaka Media Port, a telecommunications carrier, found errors in the date management part of the company's network. The problem was fixed by 02:43 and no services were disrupted.
  
  BULLET::::- In Japan, NTT Mobile Communications Network (NTT DoCoMo), Japan's largest cellular operator, reported on 1 January 2000, that some models of mobile telephones were deleting new messages received, rather than the older messages, as the memory filled up.
  
  BULLET::::- In Australia, bus ticket validation machines in two states failed to operate.
   Section::::Technology.
  
  Cell Broadcast allows a text or binary message to be defined and distributed to all mobile terminals connected to a set of cells.
   TextSecure allowed the user to set a passphrase that encrypted the local message database and the user's encryption keys. This did not encrypt the user's contact database or message timestamps. The Signal applications on Android and iOS can be locked with the phone's pin, passphrase, or biometric authentication. The user can define a "screen lock timeout" interval, providing an additional protection mechanism in case the phone is lost or stolen.
   Further example of criminal investigations using mobile phones is the initial location and ultimate identification of the terrorists of the 2004 Madrid train bombings. In the attacks, mobile phones had been used to detonate the bombs. However, one of the bombs failed to detonate, and the SIM card in the corresponding mobile phone gave the first serious lead about the terrorists to investigators. By tracking the whereabouts of the SIM card and correlating other mobile phones that had been registered in those areas, police were able to locate the terrorists.
  
  Section::::Usage.:By government agencies.:Disaster response.
   The texts are sent in by people who wake in the morning "to find regrettable messages sent to or from their mobile phones". The receiver then sends the allegedly discovered text into this website. The copies of the messages do not show the phone numbers, but only area codes. Since the texts are often similar to late night drunk dials, they're often graphic and sexual in nature, thus not safe for work.
   Adding text messaging functionality to mobile devices began in the early 1980s. The first action plan of the CEPT Group GSM was approved in December 1982, requesting that "The services and facilities offered in the public switched telephone networks and public data networks ... should be available in the mobile system." This plan included the exchange of text messages either directly between mobile stations, or transmitted via message handling systems in use at that time.
   A problem with the 1571 Text Alerts system that was not stated on BT's website is that if a mobile phone number is transferred from another provider to either Virgin or T-mobile, the alert system will not work; phone messages will be stored, but text message alerts will not be sent.
  
  BULLET::::- Answer 1571, £2.25/month. Calls answered after typically 7 rings. Up to 20 messages stored for up to 60 days.
   During a demonstration of their exploit, they showed how they could begin recording audio from a cell phone even before the call began. The recording included both sides of the conversation. They also demonstrated how it could trick Apple’s iMessage – which encrypts texts sent over its network using SSL, rendering them unreadable to snoopers, to SMS, allowing the femtocell to intercept the messages.
   Section::::History.:The telecom crisis.
   BULLET::::- 12722199 – Ringback the current landline number
  
  BULLET::::- Telstra payphone test numbers
  
  BULLET::::- 12722101 - will only take 1¢ per metering pulses
  
  BULLET::::- 0488076353 - will test the SMS function of the phone
  
  BULLET::::- Optus landline test numbers
  
  BULLET::::- 1272312 – Playback the last connected or current landline number
  
  BULLET::::- 1272399 – Ringback the current landline number
  
  BULLET::::- From other subscribers including VoIP providers
  
  BULLET::::- 1800801920 – Playback the last connected or current landline number
  
  BULLET::::- Other
  
  BULLET::::- 12711 – Current long-distance Carrier Name
  
  Section::::Historic numbering plans.
  
  Section::::Historic numbering plans.:2010s.
   Section::::Technology.:Signaling.
  
  NMT voice channel is transmitted with FM-modulation and NMT signaling transfer speeds vary between 600 and 1,200 bits per second, using FFSK (Fast Frequency Shift Keying) modulation. Signaling between the base station and the mobile station was implemented using the same RF channel that was used for audio, and using the 1,200 bit/s FFSK modem. This caused the periodic short noise bursts, e.g. during handover, that were uniquely characteristic to NMT sound.
  
  Section::::Technology.:Security.
   The payphone model 23, introduced at Deutsche Bundespost Telekom in 1992, is an electronic software controlled payphone for analog connections. It is equipped with coin, (), and integrated test program setting. It has a remote maintenance, the independent reports of a background system by means of an integrated modem error (for example, defects in components, lack of listeners), operating states (for example, full coin box) or departures (for example standing open the cartridge mounting door, missing coin) to the all public pay telephones of Deutsche Telekom AG are turned on.
   Some Gen 5 and Gen 6 models were compatible with each other providing some upgrades to some customers to digital. Analog cellular was turned off in February 2008. Customers who had the Gen 1 through Gen 4 models were unable to upgrade to the digital Gen 6.
  
  There is no compatibility in Gen 1 and 4 with other models, while there is some compatibility with Gen 2 and Gen 2.6 (Delphi TCU and Motorola cellular transceiver).
  
  Section::::Hardware.:OnStar FMV (For My Vehicle).
   Section::::Timeline.
  
  BULLET::::- 1891: William Gray patents his coin-operated telephone
  
  BULLET::::- 1920: General Post Office (United Kingdom) introduces "K1" public telephone kiosk
  
  Section::::Devices.
  
  BULLET::::- Intellicall AstraTel 2 Smart Payphone (2011–present)
  
  BULLET::::- Intellicall UltraTel Smart Payphone (1980s–present)
  
  BULLET::::- Intellicall Tidel 3 (1990s–present)
  
  BULLET::::- GTE Automatic Electric 120-type
  
  Section::::In popular culture.
  
  In the Superman comic books and live action films, Clark Kent routinely uses a phone booth to change into his Superman costume. Similarly, Underdog also changes into his costume from a shoe-shine vendor using a phone booth, however, with total demolition of the booth and phone set.
   Section::::Launches.
  
  Three NASA PhoneSats were launched aboard the Antares 110 A-ONE rocket at 21 April 2013, 21:00 UTC from MARS LP-0A. Two were PhoneSats 1.0, named Graham and Bell; and one was a PhoneSat 2.0, named Alexander.
  
  They were named after Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone. They have masses of , , and . All three had deorbited before 27 April 2013, according to the PhoneSat team, several pictures were downloaded from them by radio amateurs and NASA Ames PhoneSat team.
   As soon as class lets out, Sid and Tiger rescue the phone, relieved it isn't damaged. As they ponder how the phone knew the correct answer, Sid and Pierre see Angie and her friends being walked to their next class by Virgile and his entourage.
   TADs with digital storage for the recorded messages do not show this delay, of course.
  
  Section::::Pure voice operation.:Remote control.
  
  A TAD may offer a remote control facility, whereby the answerphone owner can ring the home number and, by entering a code on the remote telephone's keypad, can listen to recorded messages, or delete them, even when away from home.
   Section::::Music video.:Reception.
   phone was turned on, the screen would simply say "On". If the phone was locked it would say 
  
  "Loc'd". When the phone was locked, the code was a 3-digit number—by default 1-2-3, or if not, the last 
  
  three digits in the phone's number.
  
  Section::::Features.
  
  The phone had 9 optional ringtones, an auto lock function, multikey answer (so you could answer with any key), a special emergency call option, an Auto Answer function (after two rings the phone would automatically answer itself), and several other features common on older Motorola phones.
   When the mobile phone or data device is turned on, it registers with the mobile telephone exchange, or switch, with its unique identifiers, and can then be alerted by the mobile switch when there is an incoming telephone call. The handset constantly listens for the strongest signal being received from the surrounding base stations, and is able to switch seamlessly between sites. As the user moves around the network, the "handoffs" are performed to allow the device to switch sites without interrupting the call.
   The GSM variants of the Galaxy Tab have an externally accessible SIM card slot. If the SIM card is removed while the system is on, the system automatically reboots. The AT&T and T-Mobile variants of the Galaxy Tab ship with a micro SIM in a micro SIM adapter. For non-US Galaxy Tabs, with phone function, this slot can also accommodate a 3G data-only SIM card if the user does not need telephone functionality.
   Section::::Technical details.:Interconnectivity with other networks.
  
  Message Service Centers communicate with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) or PSTN via Interworking and Gateway MSCs.
  
  Subscriber-originated messages are transported from a handset to a service center, and may be destined for mobile users, subscribers on a fixed network, or Value-Added Service Providers (VASPs), also known as application-terminated. Subscriber-terminated messages are transported from the service center to the destination handset, and may originate from mobile users, from fixed network subscribers, or from other sources such as VASPs.
   There is/was a problem with the sent mailbox in the text messaging system which involved the messages not opening. Instead of displaying the mailbox, the system displays message that the operation was failed.
  
  Section::::Bugs.:MMS bug.
  
presuppositions: Cell Phone gets texts when it is off. Cell phones receive texts while they're turned off.
corrections: It doesn't, it receives them once it is turned back on and connects to the network.  Cell phones don't receive texts while they're turned off.
raw_presuppositions: Cell Phone gets texts when it is off. Cell phones receive texts while they're turned off.
raw_corrections: It doesn't, it receives them once it is turned back on and connects to the network.  Cell phones don't receive texts while they're turned off.