Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

appleva

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2012
10
0
Hey,

I just got a new iphone, and i can only call. I am going through att. I didn't get a data or texting plan because i really dont want to.

What apps can i use to work around this problem to text anywhere.

Again, i dont want to purchase a data or texting plan.

Thanks in advance!
 

aDRock1154

macrumors 65816
Nov 15, 2011
1,396
9
Ohio
Hey,

I just got a new iphone, and i can only call. I am going through att. I didn't get a data or texting plan because i really dont want to.

What apps can i use to work around this problem to text anywhere.

Again, i dont want to purchase a data or texting plan.

Thanks in advance!

I didn't think you could even purchase an iPhone without a data plan...
 

mrobit

macrumors regular
Mar 7, 2012
107
0
... seriously? What's the point? Why not just get a regular phone and an iPod Touch for the wifi instead?
 

appleva

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2012
10
0
... seriously? What's the point? Why not just get a regular phone and an iPod Touch for the wifi instead?

I dislike the idea of carrying two devices.
Anyways, it was a gift, which is why i have no option.
 

tymaster50

Suspended
Oct 3, 2012
2,833
58
Oregon
there is no texting anywhere. You wanted the phone only and you got it, so nothing with data at all. Sorry man, you lost. Unless you have a mobile wi-fi hotspot you will just have to put it on a contract.
 

DefBref

macrumors 6502
Feb 26, 2011
421
6
You wanna text anywhere? Get a texting plan

You wanna get an app to allow texting anywhere without a texting plan? If it exists its gonna need a data plan.

Simple.
 

appleva

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2012
10
0
You wanna text anywhere? Get a texting plan

You wanna get an app to allow texting anywhere without a texting plan? If it exists its gonna need a data plan.

Simple.

Ok. Thanks!

How much would the minimum texting plan cost? From ATT?
 

zandermom23

macrumors newbie
Nov 7, 2012
18
0
She says in one post that she bought it with no contract and in another post she says it was a gift. Contradict yourself much?
 

Beson

macrumors newbie
Mar 16, 2011
8
0
I have a similar question. I bought an iphone 5 for me but now I need to add a line for my parents. Is it possible on AT&T to add a line for $9.99 then give my parents my old iPhone 4 for that line with no data plan? Or will AT&T force me to get a data plan on that line also just because they are using an iPhone. My parents only need a phone to make phone calls but I would love them to have the functionality of an iPhone when they are at home on wifi, such as FaceTime. Thanks in advance.
 

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
Ok. Thanks!

How much would the minimum texting plan cost? From ATT?
Not much less than the minimum data plan, and the minimum data plan would allow you to use iMessage, which would effectively give you unlimited texts to iOS devices, and other apps, which would let you text non-iOS devices.

On the other hand, what you have is an iPod touch which can also make calls. You might actually get by with that if you're often around WiFi.

----------

I have a similar question. I bought an iphone 5 for me but now I need to add a line for my parents. Is it possible on AT&T to add a line for $9.99 then give my parents my old iPhone 4 for that line with no data plan? Or will AT&T force me to get a data plan on that line also just because they are using an iPhone. My parents only need a phone to make phone calls but I would love them to have the functionality of an iPhone when they are at home on wifi, such as FaceTime. Thanks in advance.
When I added my daughter with an old iPhone, they forced us to add a data plan. It might be different now.
 

appleva

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2012
10
0
She says in one post that she bought it with no contract and in another post she says it was a gift. Contradict yourself much?

The person who bought if for me bought it without a contract.

Just wanted to make the question simpler. Sorry.
 

appleva

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2012
10
0
I just simply put my old sim card from a basic phone into this iphone, and i could start calling.

I can call, so its more than an itouch
 

tymaster50

Suspended
Oct 3, 2012
2,833
58
Oregon
what iPhone model is it?
iPhone 3g, says iPhone 3G on the back
Iphone 3GS say iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4 has that one antenna on the top next to the headphone jack
iPhone 4S has antenna's on the side
iPhone 5 has the front centered camera and color coded antennas with headphone jack on bottom
 

appleva

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 2, 2012
10
0
what iPhone model is it?
iPhone 3g, says iPhone 3G on the back
Iphone 3GS say iPhone 3GS
iPhone 4 has that one antenna on the top next to the headphone jack
iPhone 4S has antenna's on the side
iPhone 5 has the front centered camera and color coded antennas with headphone jack on bottom

It's a 4S.
 

zandermom23

macrumors newbie
Nov 7, 2012
18
0
The person who bought if for me bought it without a contract.

Just wanted to make the question simpler. Sorry.

Sorry. I should not have replied to you with this. It is just that it happens so often people saying 2 different things. It was not the point of your post so I apologize to you.
 

tymaster50

Suspended
Oct 3, 2012
2,833
58
Oregon
I thought that eventually you would be put on a data plan even if you don't choose it.

if you buy device only there is no contract. It's if you buy it at the subsidized price and try to cheat the system by selling it for full retail do you get screwed royally.
 

Mr Hill

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2012
500
1
Charlotte, NC
Get a prepaid plan. No data plan required. My mom uses an AT&T iPhone 4 prepaid unlimited texts and calls with no data plan.

If you do contract you are forced to get a data plan.
 

sulliweb

macrumors 6502
Mar 13, 2011
250
8
I just simply put my old sim card from a basic phone into this iphone, and i could start calling.

I can call, so its more than an itouch

Ok, ignore the the mean folk. I wonder why people that don't have something nice to say post so much... Anywho, they are partially correct. You can't text anywhere, as you don't have data, but I don't have a texting plan and can still receive texts. I think it just costs me thirty cents or so each time I get one.

I only mention this because if the folks you want to text have a smartphone, you can get an app call WhatsApp. It's sends you a single text to get it set up, but from there, you can use it instead of texting for free... Though, again, in your case, the texts will only come through when you're somewhere with WiFi. I'd suggest Apple's iMessage, but it has the tendency to deliver as a text if it can't deliver over data... After like 5 minutes, I think. That means you'd end up getting most of the texts as actual texts, not iMessages...

There are other apps that will do the same, but I like WhatsApp best.

Hopefully, that will be of some help.
 

lelisa13p

macrumors 68000
Mar 6, 2009
1,946
47
Atlanta, GA USA
There's a free app called Text Free (made by Pinger) that issues you a weird phone number assigned only to use for texts. I used it on my iPod Touch for a while in 2009 before buying my iPhone. You give that "pretend" phone number to your friends to use when they text you and you use it when you text them, using wifi for all.

Even after I got my iPhone, I used it when I didn't have a texting plan (charged by ATT for each text sent or received.) Just my luck, my friends/family couldn't remember to actually use the Text Free number so I was getting regular texts to pay for. :( Mobile Share got rid of that nonsense.
 
Last edited:

vistadude

macrumors 65816
Jan 3, 2010
1,423
1
Order a prepaid plan from straight talk, net10, or h20 from online. They all include lots of talk, text, and a bit of data for $60 or less. AT&T is more expensive and for some reason doesn't do prepaid plans for iphones. They're no-contract post paid plans are pretty expensive.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.