do free iphone apps use data

Some apps do and some do not.

This really depends on which provider you are with and what app it is. A free app will probably use just as much data as a paid one would depending on how big the file is.

Why would the provider be involved?

As you mentioned downloading the app will use your data no matter what (unless you are on wifi). However, it depends on the app as to whether the app uses your data. Some apps like a simple drawing app will use no data because it does not need to connect to the internet (in most cases). However, a free app like Pandora which streams you music will use a lot of data because it is constantly feeding you music from its servers. So really it depends on your app. If you are concerned about data usage, check your account on your providers website frequently to check your data usage.

Some providers allow you to download and use apps and use the data it needs but the data can (depending on the provider) be charged to for free meaning that none of this data is added to the amount you can use

Can you name a provider that does this? And an app that does this?

deggie wrote:

Can you name a provider that does this? And an app that does this?

Yes please name a provider that does this as I have never heard of this before. Unless you have an unlimited plan any data you use is deducted from your monthly allowance no matter what it is. The only exception is when your provider sends you a free text message but that isn't data.

I personally do not have this but know of someone who has. They are with iinet and use their plan for downloads, watching videos on websites such as iView and I do know that apps used and downloaded from Itunes do not count to his data usage

Who is Inet and what country are they in? Doesn't sound like they will be around for long. And how would they differentiate when to charge and when not to? Sounds fishy to me.

iinet is a company in Australia. They aren't really doing that badly though.