How is iMessage free?

imessage uses data over the internet from your internet plan that you have with your ISP if the message is sent over wifi on your wifi network. IF you send an imessage when you are away from wifi then it uses cellular data as part of your data plan with your carrier. Provided you do not exceed the plan you don't get charged. Imessage is not aa SMS so it doe snot come off whatever plan you have for text messages

Message was edited by: Ocean20

iMessage uses Apple's iMessage server and a source of internet to send messages. It doesn't actually use your cellular data like a SMS or MMS message would, so that's how it would be free. Here's more infromation about this http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3529

iMessage is free because it actually uses your Internet connection provided by your Internet provider like how your home computer access the Internet. It is not using the carrier text data allowance.

iMessage works only on Apple devices (Mac, iPod touch, iPad and iPhone) if iMessage connection fails, it will fall back to SMS provided the receiver is a cell phone.

It absolutely definitely does use cellular data.

The dirty little secret is that sending SMS messages use such little bandwidth that all the telcos are making a ridiculous amount of money off of texting plans.

Something like a 7000% markup.

Destinie Harris wrote:

iMessage uses Apple's iMessage server and a source of internet to send messages. It doesn't actually use your cellular data like a SMS or MMS message would,

SMS does not use cellular data. MMS uses both cellular data and texting. SMS gets sent over the same part of the bandwidth as voice calls which is why basic phones have been able to do it for years, long before cellular data was common.

iMessage uses cellular data or wifi for both text and pictures.