Found a way to get an iPhone 4 without a Data plan from AT&T

[gelinasbrian]

I broke my LG Xeon and my friend gave me a Blackjack II, I was able to use it for two weeks without a data plan the one day I got a message from AT&T saying that my smartphone requires a data plan. They added it to my bill. I went on their website and removed it. They then put it back on and this went on for a week until one day I went to remove it and the radio button to "remove" this was mysteriously missing. So I switched my sim back to the broken phone and called AT&T gave them the old IMEI and later that day switched back and the same thing happened. Their network knows, it can detect your phone and act accordingly. I am glad now that AT&T did that to me because I now have the Galaxy S and still have my unlimited data plan that they made me have which is no longer available. HAHA AT&T.

 

[Applejuiced]

Lol
I said I did both to be 1000% sure.
Data block has nothing to do with it, the systems checks for iPhone imei's if you know what that is.
Just cause you got away with it so far it doesn't mean others will for that long. You are the exception not the rule.

Disabling data in SBSettings is hardly the same as a "hard" data block through AT&T

I'm telling the OP anybody else interested how to truly have an iPhone and no data, but it has to be done exactly as I described and in the order I described. You didn't do it the way I described so therefore you really have no room to argue this IMO and are just plain spreading ignorance.

My "method" has worked for just under a year. Yours worked for less than a month.. Who "wins" here?

 

[james92se]

Lol
I said I did both to be 1000% sure.
Data block has nothing to do with it, the systems checks for iPhone imei's if you know what that is.
Just cause you got away with it so far it doesn't mean others will for that long. You are the exception not the rule.

You said you did "both", yes. But you did (and I quote) "both the fake apn and also the data block thru sbsettings". Disabling data through SBSettings is NOT the same as a data block (WIX block IIRC) on your account from AT&T. You therefore did not do "both" as I described in my first post.

You insinuate in your first response to me that iPhone 3G, 3G, and 4 must have super special IMEIs that allow AT&T to automatically add the data plan onto those devices whereas the lowly original iPhone can continue to get away with it (i.e., I'm only "getting away with it" because it's on an original iPhone). But I'm not disputing that AT&T can automatically detect whether or not you have an iPhone via the IMEI. I said as much in my first post. I said AT&T will show that your device is an iPhone. It will show on account online and I assume it will show to CSRs. However, the data package will not automatically be added unless a CSR manually does it. I don't know how to be any clearer here. You are overstating the "power" an IMEI has.

If the account has a data block and changed APN PRIOR to inserting the SIM/using the iPhone/whatever there is literally no way for the data package to automatically added. Zero chance. It has to be manually added by a CSR. The phone literally will not be able to access the internet except on WiFI so it's not even possible to receive a huge unexpected internet bill several months later, either.

There are hundreds, likely thousands of iPhone owners in the U.S. who have done the exact same thing as me and have gone YEARS now without having to pay data and not getting "caught". There are threads all over the internet about this (where do you think I learned about this?) if you do enough looking.

Look, I realize you're just e-arguing with me because you don't want to be wrong. However, I guarantee that I am right and you are wrong/ignorant/just arguing for the sake of arguing.

Having said that - I guess I don't care much either way. If you, and others, want to continue to believe that you HAVE to have a data plan to use the iPhone - be my guest. Pay that extra $30 a month. I will continue to be in the enlightened iPhone owner crowd and not spew AT&T-is-all-powerful paranoia around the internets

*edit*

Oh - the irony! I guess this didn't work for your friend's 3G either.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/7909996/

From the same thread - member has gone 2 years now with no data on a 3G:

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/10476037/

 

[forcetactic]

You said you did "both", yes. But you did (and I quote) "both the fake apn and also the data block thru sbsettings". Disabling data through SBSettings is NOT the same as a data block (WIX block IIRC) on your account from AT&T. You therefore did not do "both" as I described in my first post.

You insinuate in your first response to me that iPhone 3G, 3G, and 4 must have super special IMEIs that allow AT&T to automatically add the data plan onto those devices whereas the lowly original iPhone can continue to get away with it (i.e., I'm only "getting away with it" because it's on an original iPhone). But I'm not disputing that AT&T can automatically detect whether or not you have an iPhone via the IMEI. I said as much in my first post. I said AT&T will show that your device is an iPhone. It will show on account online and I assume it will show to CSRs. However, the data package will not automatically be added unless a CSR manually does it. I don't know how to be any clearer here. You are overstating the "power" an IMEI has.

If the account has a data block and changed APN PRIOR to inserting the SIM/using the iPhone/whatever there is literally no way for the data package to automatically added. Zero chance. It has to be manually added by a CSR. The phone literally will not be able to access the internet except on WiFI so it's not even possible to receive a huge unexpected internet bill several months later, either.

There are hundreds, likely thousands of iPhone owners in the U.S. who have done the exact same thing as me and have gone YEARS now without having to pay data and not getting "caught". There are threads all over the internet about this (where do you think I learned about this?) if you do enough looking.

Look, I realize you're just e-arguing with me because you don't want to be wrong. However, I guarantee that I am right and you are wrong/ignorant/just arguing for the sake of arguing.

Having said that - I guess I don't care much either way. If you, and others, want to continue to believe that you HAVE to have a data plan to use the iPhone - be my guest. Pay that extra $30 a month. I will continue to be in the enlightened iPhone owner crowd and not spew AT&T-is-all-powerful paranoia around the internets

*edit*

Oh - the irony! I guess this didn't work for your friend's 3G either.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/7909996/

From the same thread - member has gone 2 years now with no data on a 3G:

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/10476037/

If I do this process and they catch me and add a $15 data plan on it, can I switch sim back to dumb phone, cancel data, and not have to pay the $15 on my monthly bill?

 

[Applejuiced]

Lol
Dude, do whatever or say you want.
There is no super special IMEIs, AT&T does scan periodically to find iphones thru their IMEI number without data plans and they add them automaticly whether data block, wix block or any other mumbo jumbo you do it doesnt matter. They still know exactly what phone you're using to acess their network the minute you put your sim card in and turn the phone on.
That is a fact, if you or other people got away with it so far its cool but its just the exception not the rule. Period, you want to blab your mouth some more go ahead.
I also know a few people that dont have a data plan and they did none of the things you described above. Just a fake APN thru unlockit.co.nz
All Im saying is try it and if you get away with it for some time its cool, if they catch it and add a data then dont be surprised. There is no full blown 100% proven method that will always work no matter what I dont care what nonsense you're posting.
You just gotta be lucky I guess but the chances are alot higher of people getting caught than getting away with it.

You said you did "both", yes. But you did (and I quote) "both the fake apn and also the data block thru sbsettings". Disabling data through SBSettings is NOT the same as a data block (WIX block IIRC) on your account from AT&T. You therefore did not do "both" as I described in my first post.

You insinuate in your first response to me that iPhone 3G, 3G, and 4 must have super special IMEIs that allow AT&T to automatically add the data plan onto those devices whereas the lowly original iPhone can continue to get away with it (i.e., I'm only "getting away with it" because it's on an original iPhone). But I'm not disputing that AT&T can automatically detect whether or not you have an iPhone via the IMEI. I said as much in my first post. I said AT&T will show that your device is an iPhone. It will show on account online and I assume it will show to CSRs. However, the data package will not automatically be added unless a CSR manually does it. I don't know how to be any clearer here. You are overstating the "power" an IMEI has.

If the account has a data block and changed APN PRIOR to inserting the SIM/using the iPhone/whatever there is literally no way for the data package to automatically added. Zero chance. It has to be manually added by a CSR. The phone literally will not be able to access the internet except on WiFI so it's not even possible to receive a huge unexpected internet bill several months later, either.

There are hundreds, likely thousands of iPhone owners in the U.S. who have done the exact same thing as me and have gone YEARS now without having to pay data and not getting "caught". There are threads all over the internet about this (where do you think I learned about this?) if you do enough looking.

Look, I realize you're just e-arguing with me because you don't want to be wrong. However, I guarantee that I am right and you are wrong/ignorant/just arguing for the sake of arguing.

Having said that - I guess I don't care much either way. If you, and others, want to continue to believe that you HAVE to have a data plan to use the iPhone - be my guest. Pay that extra $30 a month. I will continue to be in the enlightened iPhone owner crowd and not spew AT&T-is-all-powerful paranoia around the internets

*edit*

Oh - the irony! I guess this didn't work for your friend's 3G either.

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/7909996/

From the same thread - member has gone 2 years now with no data on a 3G:

https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/10476037/

 

[james92se]

If I do this process and they catch me and add a $15 data plan on it, can I switch sim back to dumb phone, cancel data, and not have to pay the $15 on my monthly bill?

They won't catch you if you do it just as I described...

However, hypothetically, if they did, you should be able to take a dumb phone into AT&T and get the data cancelled (again). I'm not sure whether or not they would make you pay the $15 for that month, though

 

[Applejuiced]

Yes, you will have to get the data cancelled every day or each time you stick your sim back in the iphone
Good luck with that, listen to him
Then come back and tell us how it went.

They won't catch you if you do it just as I described...

However, hypothetically, if they did, you should be able to take a dumb phone into AT&T and get the data cancelled (again). I'm not sure whether or not they would make you pay the $15 for that month, though

 

[forcetactic]

They won't catch you if you do it just as I described...

However, hypothetically, if they did, you should be able to take a dumb phone into AT&T and get the data cancelled (again). I'm not sure whether or not they would make you pay the $15 for that month, though

You said to use Fake APN. I went on site and it said Fake APN is not needed for ios 4.0 and you can simply turn cellular data off. Will this still work?

 

[james92se]

You said to use Fake APN. I went on site and it said Fake APN is not needed for ios 4.0 and you can simply turn cellular data off. Will this still work?

I have no direct experience with it on my iPhone 4/iOS 4.0 and do not plan to do it on my iPhone 4

If that's what Craig Whitmore's site says then I would follow that. He's the man regarding APN/Fake APN/disabling data/etc

However, you most definitely want to get the data block from AT&T first..

 

[forcetactic]

I have no direct experience with it on my iPhone 4/iOS 4.0 and do not plan to do it on my iPhone 4

If that's what Craig Whitmore's site says then I would follow that. He's the man regarding APN/Fake APN/disabling data/etc

However, you most definitely want to get the data block from AT&T first..

Yep, I originally had my data blocked from Att. Do you know if Att sends you a text warning you that if you keep on using iPhone, they will add data (so you can remove sim and put back in old phone without being charged)? Or do they just automatically add one and text you to notify.

 

[james92se]

Yep, I originally had my data blocked from Att. Do you know if Att sends you a text warning you that if you keep on using iPhone, they will add data (so you can remove sim and put back in old phone without being charged)? Or do they just automatically add one and text you to notify.

No clue. They've never added data on any of my phones I'd done this on and so of course I never got any such text from them

 

[Djlild7hina]

yep at&t will eventually find out and add the data plan whether you like it or not. I personally went through the 3g and the 3gs w/o a data plan and they added it 3 times. I got tired of it and signed up for the 200mb with the i4.

 

[unclephil]

if you can unlock the phone do so and move to t-mobile. 4G speeds and cheaper data plans

 

[Lyshen]

Whichever way the OP goes about it, he/she will find out about whether it is auto added or not in time... or never find out if never added.

Me, I made sure data was turned off and didn't use data (Didn't set fake APN)... but the data plan got added. I only found out because the monthly bill was $30 more than normal... lol. (But mine is a family plan, not prepaid)

Oh well, but hey it's worth trying what previous posters have said...

 

[crawsfire]

Read again the OP's question and what you posted above.
The thread has nothing to do with all these other providers you're talking about or prepaid accounts. Wherever nonsense you posted about beeing under contract or not has nothing to do with not having the mandatory iphone data plan on AT&T monthly plans.

If you have a monthly plan direct with AT&T then you have a contract so it is relevant.
Like I said, if you want to not have a data plan and still be on the AT&T network and not have to wonder about data being added back then use an AT&T reseller. There are some good MVNO's I use Pure TalkUSA.

 

[Applejuiced]

That is false.
Not everyone with a monthly plan is under contract.

If you have a monthly plan direct with AT&T then you have a contract so it is relevant.
Like I said, if you want to not have a data plan and still be on the AT&T network and not have to wonder about data being added back then use an AT&T reseller. There are some good MVNO's I use Pure TalkUSA.

 

[crawsfire]

That is false.
Not everyone with a monthly plan is under contract.

That is funny. If you are on a monthly (postpaid) plan then you have a contract. Maybe for only a month, but it is a contract. Are you dense?

 

[chargit]

If you have a monthly plan direct with AT&T then you have a contract so it is relevant.

not true. I have a family account and am currently not under any contract. my 2 years per line have expired many many many times! I have renewed several but I have not done it yet this time. I have one iPhone 3gs and two blackjack 2's and one razr, and not sure what the last one is.

 

[chargit]

I broke my LG Xeon and my friend gave me a Blackjack II, I was able to use it for two weeks without a data plan the one day I got a message from AT&T saying that my smartphone requires a data plan. They added it to my bill. I went on their website and removed it. They then put it back on and this went on for a week until one day I went to remove it and the radio button to "remove" this was mysteriously missing. So I switched my sim back to the broken phone and called AT&T gave them the old IMEI and later that day switched back and the same thing happened. Their network knows, it can detect your phone and act accordingly. I am glad now that AT&T did that to me because I now have the Galaxy S and still have my unlimited data plan that they made me have which is no longer available. HAHA AT&T.

you just got unlucky and got caught. both of my daughters are using a blackjack 2 with no data and we have never been caught. (were lucky I guess)

but, I agree with Applejuiced about what he is saying in reference to the iPhone. he is correct!

 

[Applejuiced]

Not every one with a monthly plan is tied into a contract.
Some peoples contract might have expired and others might have bought used or full price iphones without signing a 2 year agreement.

That is funny. If you are on a monthly (postpaid) plan then you have a contract. Maybe for only a month, but it is a contract. Are you dense?

 

[crawsfire]

Is it really that hard to comprehend or you need me to say it slowly?
Not every one with a monthly plan is tied into a contract.
Some peoples contract might have expired and others might have bought used or full price iphones without signing a 2 year agreement.

Everyone who is on a monthly plan has a contract. A contract in this context is an agreement to pay. If you have a monthly contract or a two year contract with more stips or any other kind of agreement where you are paying after the fact then you are at risk of getting a data plan added to your account.
If you are on a pre-paid plan (no contract) or are using a MVNO (no contract) you don't have to worry about it.

 

[Applejuiced]

Not everyone who's on a month to month plan HAS A CONTRACT.
An agreement to pay at the end of the month? No way, really? I thought it was free.
Thats not called a contract, its called a post paid account, wake up and stop trying to make things up as you go.

Everyone who is on a monthly plan has a contract. A contract in this context is an agreement to pay. If you have a monthly contract or a two year contract with more stips or any other kind of agreement where you are paying after the fact then you are at risk of getting a data plan added to your account.
If you are on a pre-paid plan (no contract) or are using a MVNO (no contract) you don't have to worry about it.

 

[jav6454]

I keep laughing at people trying to avoid a charge when ToA clearly state you must accept the $15 or $25 fee from AT&T to use an iPhone.

If you can't pay, don't play. AT&T's system will add a data plan to you like it or not. This is true for all iPhones starting the iPhone 3G; some cases reported on the 1st Gen even.

 

[annk]

It's fine to disagree, but insulting comments generate post reports and work for the moderation team. They've been cleaned up now, and we'd appreciate it if further discussion here doesn't include more of them.

Carry on...

 

[forcetactic]

I have my iPhone device activated by deactivated sim so everytime I turn it on it will say waiting for activation.... If I insert dumbphone sim will it add a data plan automatically because it hasn't been activated on att network before?