topic iMessage data use in Get Support

iMessage data use

Spokeshave — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 08:50:20 GMT

Will the use of photos in iMessage consume data in this plan?

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

Lieux — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:19:57 GMT

@Spokeshave a écrit :
Will the use of photos in iMessage consume data in this plan?

No and in no other plans either... EDITED my answer is for MMS....

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

hairbag1 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:19:59 GMT

@Spokeshave wrote:
Will the use of photos in iMessage consume data in this plan?

Nope

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

CalgaryBen — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 20:21:27 GMT

@Spokeshave wrote:
Will the use of photos in iMessage consume data in this plan?

Yes, photos and videos sent via iMessage, if not in WiFi, will use up cellular data. To get around this, you'd have to disable iMessage so that you're using SMS/MMS, which won't consume your 250 MB of data.

iMessage data use

computergeek541 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:16:10 GMT

@Spokeshave wrote:
Will the use of photos in iMessage consume data in this plan?

As Calgaryben said, yes, it absolutely will use up your data. If iMeessage is sending the either the text-based messages or pictures through the Apple server, both fail to actually be standard SMS or MMS messages. At that point, it is standard internet use and all data use will count.

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

Spokeshave — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:06:43 GMT

Thanks. So text only through iMessage won’t count as data? Only if sending photos?

iMessage data use

computergeek541 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:16:47 GMT

@Spokeshave wrote:
Thanks. So text only through iMessage won’t count as data? Only if sending photos?

Both will count as data usage. Anything that goes through the Apple iMessage servers goes through the internet, and as such, counts.

The only way for it not to count is if you use Public Mobile's text messaging protocol. The same goes for pictures. If you use standard MMS, data won't count. If you use iMessages' servers, the pictures are no longer consdiered MMS and the usage will count.

@CalgaryBen , would you happen to have a screenshot available to show @Spokeshave how to disable the iMessage features?

Re: iMessage data use

Spokeshave — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:18:16 GMT

How is Public Mobile's text messaging protocol enabled on iPhone

Re: iMessage data use

computergeek541 — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:21:12 GMT

@Spokeshave wrote:
How is Public Mobile's text messaging protocol enabled on iPhone

There is setting inside your phone to tell it not to the send the messages through the Apple server, although not being an iPhone user, I don't have the exact location of those settings.

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

CalgaryBen — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 21:27:18 GMT

@Spokeshave wrote:
Thanks. So text only through iMessage won’t count as data? Only if sending photos?

Basically:

Blue bubbles and blue "send" button in messages = iMessage = uses data (cellular or WiFi)
Green bubbles and green "send" button in messages = true SMS/MMS (uses your unlimited text)

To disable iMessage: Settings --> Messages --> iMessage (slide selector left so the background becomes white and not green).

Re: iMessage data use

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 22:03:35 GMT

@Spokeshave wrote:
How is Public Mobile's text messaging protocol enabled on iPhone

It's not so much Public Mobile's protocol as it is a standardized protocol across all carriers.

It's called SMS or Short Message Service.

You already have answers to enabling it on an iphone.

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

srlawren — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 00:19:49 GMT

@CalgaryBen wrote:
@Spokeshave wrote:
Thanks. So text only through iMessage won’t count as data? Only if sending photos?
Basically:
Blue bubbles and blue "send" button in messages = iMessage = uses data (cellular or WiFi)
Green bubbles and green "send" button in messages = true SMS/MMS (uses your unlimited text)
To disable iMessage: Settings --> Messages --> iMessage (slide selector left so the background becomes white and not green).

We can always count on @CalgaryBen to distill complex iOS concepts down to something easily digested, and to provide clear instructions. Thanks Ben!

EDIT: to whomever selected this reply as the solution, could you please un-mark it and choose of of Ben's replies? Either https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/iMessage-data-use/m-p/341495/highlight/true#M25723 or https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/iMessage-data-use/m-p/341543/highlight/true#M25730 should be marked as the solution. RE-EDIT: thanks @Luddite

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

luke11992 — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 02:20:59 GMT

To give you a bit of peace of mind, even using iMessage doesn't use very much data at all when sending just texts. Sending pictures uses a bit more, but still not much. It's really only if you're sending lots of videos that you'll see your data be eaten up. And that's only when not on wifi, none of this applies when you have a wifi connection.

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

Haiggy — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 03:35:59 GMT

If you still want to use iMessage, you can enable 'low quality image mode' which is available under "Settings --> Messages" and what this does, is it tells your phone to both send and receive pictures that are significantly reduced in size, saving you tons of data if you have a picture-happy friend who decides to send you their entire album.

Some features it strips off are the Live Photos, so if you are hoping for a 3 second movie each time you get a picture from another iPhone user, you're out of luck with this feature turned on.

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

wetcoaster — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 03:37:34 GMT

@luke11992 wrote:
To give you a bit of peace of mind, even using iMessage doesn't use very much data at all when sending just texts. Sending pictures uses a bit more, but still not much. It's really only if you're sending lots of videos that you'll see your data be eaten up. And that's only when not on wifi, none of this applies when you have a wifi connection.

As long as WiFi assist is off... 😉

Re: Get Unlimited Text and 100 mins of Talk for $15

CalgaryBen — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 03:48:36 GMT

@Haiggy wrote:
If you still want to use iMessage, you can enable 'low quality image mode' which is available under "Settings --> Messages" and what this does, is it tells your phone to both send and receive pictures that are significantly reduced in size, saving you tons of data if you have a picture-happy friend who decides to send you their entire album.

Good tip, @Haiggy! But I think it's only for sent messages. If you're on the receiving end and the sender hasn't enabled low-quality mode, you receive pictures in all their glory.