If I use iMessage though a 3G connection am I consuming data from my data plan?
iPhone 4
Yes. The intent was to save users money by turning their text messages (which can run $.20 each incoming and outgoing message) into data usage (which is part of your data plan). Peraonlly I hope this changes. I have unlimited texting, but not unlimited data. I would like to see it changed so that I can assign my contacts to either receive text or iMessage formats at my discretion.
what is sms messaging? Is that her text account? She only has like 150 texts and she thinks texts are separate from imessage. If not how does she turn off the imessage from using her text account?
Problem is she cant connect to wifi yet and i even bought her the att hot spot plan for wifi. She is near the sea and they must not have att hotspot in la croisic france.
SMS = Short Message Service. That's what "texting" is. SMS uses the cellular network that you make phone calls on. iMessage uses data service that your internet uses. So, if you can't open a web page then you can't send an iMessage.
To turn off sending as SMS, go to Settings -> Messaging -> Send as SMS. When that slider turned off, iMessages that can't be sent won't default to SMS.
Ideally, you should consult the coverage map to find out where the hot spots are located. What kind of data plan does she have? iMessage can be sent on your mobile data network, it doesn't have to be WiFi. Any internet connection will work.
Brekay wrote:
Problem is she cant connect to wifi yet and i even bought her the att hot spot plan for wifi. She is near the sea and they must not have att hotspot in la croisic france.
A wifi hotspot is only good for ~50-100 feet from the actual location.
You won't connect to wifi driving down the street. You need to go to where the wifi hotspot is actually located (hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, etc.)
So, in all this discussion, does iMessage use up any from of data? And if it does, will it also go through the carrier phone line as a similar SMS or MMS text (sending from iPhone to iPhone) or a convertible text (iPhone to iPod, iPad, Mac)?
And if it does go through as data, then how much will it use!?
You really should read the posts already in the thread, as this has been answered.
To summarize - NO, an iMessage does not go through the carriers SMS system at all. It goes through Apple's iMessage servers. YES it uses data - if that data is sent over wifi, then it will not count against your cellular carriers data plan or limits. IF you are not connected to wifi, then an iMessage will be sent over your cellular service providers data connection, just like any other internet data, and thus will count against your data plan.
So - iMessage over wifi, no charge. iMessage over cellular data connection - either a charge or use counted against your cellular data plan.
Note that an SMS message sent through your carriers service does not use any of your data connection either - SMS texts are sent via the cellular phone voice channel, not the data channel (you can turn cellular data OFF and still send and receive SMS texts through your carrier). MMS however does use cellular data connections.
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Rysz NYC area
If you're paying for an "unlimited" text plan and a "limited" data plan, there is no advantage for you in using iMessage. Use regulat text messages."
Group conversations are only enabled in imessage...
B16CRXT wrote:
Group conversations are only enabled in imessage...
No.
You can enable/disable them for iMessages.
They are always enabled for SMS.
IME, group text with anyone outside of iOS/without iMessage come in as individual texts from each person instead of all in one conversation like in iMessage. That's what I was talking about. Not that dumb group text option which is the crappiest implementation of group text they could have done, IMO.
I know I'm late to this thread but I just went through an imessage issue and much in this thread is wrong. I called apple because I was having imessage issues at work with a weak cell signal and wifi on and imessage on. A majority of my imessage texts were failing and also failing to go out as sms. I am 10 feet from a wireless router and have a great wifi signal. iMessage does not use wifi first. It tries to use cell data first. If it can't, or if you're sending large pictures AND connected to wifi, it will try wifi. But not for normal imessages. It will attempt using cell data first. I confirmed this with apple. That's why my imessage and sms texts were failing. I had just enough of a cell signal to register but not enough to actually use. So imessage was tryiong to use the cell signal and failing.
The only way for imessage to use only wifi is to turn your cell data off. Period. If you think because you have wifi on, you're using free data, you are mistaken. Apple feels cell is more secure so it tries that route. I think it's backwards and shold use wifi if it's on and connected, but that's NOT how imessage works.
just thought I'd pass this on.
jtmo3 wrote:
The only way for imessage to use only wifi is to turn your cell data off. Period
This is wrong.
Period.
You think you're so smart, call apple and talk to them. I spent 45 minutes on the phone with them yesterday about how iMessage works. If iMessage detects a large picture or video and you have wifi on, it will use wifi. If not then you are wrong. Call them and ask them if you don't believe me before you start telling others they are wrong.
I don't need to call them. I can monitor my wifi connection and see the traffic.
does imessage use data plan?
