Completely disable data

[ThosD]

Can I have data completely disabled (for instance on an account that will be used for a child’s emergency phone)

[Anonymous]

 @ThosD : Lose the signature. It identifies you. Or maybe an Oracle can remove it.

On their behalf...thanks @Dunkman .

[ThosD]

Turning data off on the phone seems to be working now.  It didn't with my previous provider or it could have been that an OS update fixed something.

This topic can now be considered closed.  Thanks for everybody's help!

Cheers

ThosD

Vxxxx

Edit by Dunkman: removed personal information

[pkaraa]

You need to turn data off on the phone as all plans comes with data now

[ThosD]

Thanks for the info., all very useful!

[Nezgar]

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@ThosD wrote:

To clarify: I changed my cell provider to Public because my former provider charged me and my wife's account for additional data when neither of us used ANY data - my wife doesn’t know how to use data - and data was/is off on our phones. After 3 bills with additional data charges, I pulled the plug and got the Public account.

You can rest easy with Public Mobile, because even if all the data gets "accidentally" used, it will just stop until the next billing cycle, with no risk of overage costs.

...I also would prefer to disable voice mail

Here are the steps to disable voicemail:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Getting-Started/Re-Disable-Voicemail/m-p/213805#M3875...

call waiting and call forwarding

Call waiting is enabled by default but can easily be disabled via your phones menus, or by manually dialing #43#.  Re-enable it with *43#

Unconditional call forwarding is disabled by default, and conditional call forwarding is set to voicemail by default. The conditional call forwards can not be disabled, but can be directed elsewhere, or to an invalid phone number, but the best way is to use the method previously mentioned within the voicemail system itself which plays a friendly custom announcement to the caller in your own voice that you don't accept messages, instead of a mystery error message or beeps from the phone system.

We do text, about 20 messages per month

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Well you're covered here - Even the $15 plan includes unlimited international texting.

[darlicious]

@ThosD 

Perfect candidates for the $15 plan! Refer your wife for the $1 monthly reward and the $10 bonus referral credit for your wife. No overages or extra billing /fees with pm....ever.

Look into downloading the fongo app to compliment your plan. Many of the features you want to disable are included free of charge with your plan so you don't have to disable them if you are worried they may cost you extra.

You can save 20% off your first month and get a free sim card if you order from Canadian Cell Supplies and possibly score a free month credit if you wait for one of their monthly pm flash sales. Read this thread for other ways to save with CCS.....

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Retail/CCS-latest-pm-marketing/td-p/644382

[ThosD]

Thanks for this! Very useful

[Anonymous]

 @ThosD : The fact that there are no extra charges here then you'll be right at home.

You can stop the voicemail system from taking messages. But it'll still play a greeting.

Voicemail works by way of call forwarding so you kinda can't stop that.

Your phone dialer probably has a switch to turn off call waiting.

[ThosD]

Thanks for that!

[ThosD]

To clarify: I changed my cell provider to Public because my former provider charged me and my wife's account for additional data when neither of us used ANY data - my wife doesn’t know how to use data - and data was/is off on our phones. After 3 bills with additional data charges, I pulled the plug and got the Public account. If it works out, I’ll switch my wife to Public as well I also would prefer to disable voice mail, call waiting and call forwarding if they’re a ‘thing’ at all with Public. We don’t use our phones much. My wife’s phone has a total of 417 minutes talk time on it in 4 years while mine is about 3 times that but in 5 years. We do text, about 20 messages per month

[darlicious]

@softech 

This "bug" with the autopay data bonus has been around for two years long before the recent announcement of CTRC low cost mobile plan expectations and the 250mb plan data minimum is suggested for postpaid plans.

What find more interesting is the $100 annual prepaid mobile plan expectation that freedom has aggressively promoted in the marketplace and is often asked by potential pm customers to how it compares to the $15 plan offered by pm.

While it goes against the maximum plan flexibility philosophy that pm had been touting it would satisfy pm customer's demands for the return of the $10 50/50 plan for low use/emergency phone customers and lower the actual cost per month to $8.25 (averaged) while guaranteeing pm 12 consecutive paid months of service from the customer.

It could be excluded from rewards (or earned on an annual basis only) ie. maximum 5 year loyalty would make the plan $100-$5=$95 after the 5th year and a maximum 5 year autopay reward of $10 would make the plan $85 per year after the 5th year vs the $15 plans no effort maximum reward discount of $7 per month = $15 - $7=$8×12=$96 per year.

[softech]

I also wonder if they have to "add" the 250MB data to compliant with the CTRC's Low-cost plans guidelines

Low-cost and occasional-use wireless service plans | CRTC

[darlicious]

@Nezgar  @Korth 

.....or maybe you don't want to change to the newer plan with the autopay data bonus coded to the plan. I have have always surmised that the reasoning behind the "bug"was so pm didn't have to supply full speed 4G LTE data to the $15 plan like they do with holders of the grandfathered $10 50/50 plan.

@Korth 

It would be interesting to see the data speed of the $15 plan without the autopay data bonus if it has a free data add on gift on the account or if the $15/1gb was purchased for the plan.

[softech]

not sure about grandfather plan, the current $15 plan comes with 250MB regardless of autopay enabled or not.

@ThosD   you might want to disable Data on the phone level.  Then use some app to lock down the Setting or Mobile data page  

the way @darlicious suggested is perfect as well.. 

[Nezgar]

@Korth 

Maybe the $15 plan you mentioned that does not include the 250MB without autopay is an older/grandfathered version of the plan, ie the one that doesn't include unlimited incoming calls?

If so you might be able to gain that with a plan change to the current version for the same price...

[JK8]

@Korth 

When I first signed up on the $15 plan, I was not on autopay and received 250 MB. I did not know of the bug. I thought that activating autopay would give me an additional 250 MB for a total of 500 MB, but not the case. 😞

[Korth]

@JK8 

I manage a couple $15 plans without AutoPay and one (not both) of them gets the 250MB.

I'd guessed it must be because the network already knows all about the person using the number, no need to link a credit card and confirm exact physical identity, etc. I only have the one example to go off (and I didn't want to disturb the free bonus data "glitch" thing, lol) so I never really asked why online.

The thread you linked confirms that it's a common "problem". Although no reason is given for why this "glitch" happens.

[JK8]

Hi @Korth fyi,

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Plans-Add-Ons/Data-on-the-15-plan-without-autopay/m-p...

[Korth]

The $15 plan actually comes with no data unless you activate AutoPay (which gives you 250MB "bonus" data).

You can simply deactivate data in phone settings. Or deliberately misconfigure the APN. You would need to set APN up properly to get MMS photo attachments and iMessage/RCS/etc to work - but you can also usually enable/disable data permissions on a per-app basis.

Most (Android) phones let you set some sort of personal security code/PIN to lock settings. This could be repurposed as a parental lockout.

Another option is to run a few speedtests on the phone every month, they'll probably eat all 250MB of data in a few minutes so no more would be available for the rest of the billing cycle.

Or you could enable data. Install some sort of parental/nanny software. If your child is old enough and responsible enough then you can educate them about good and evil on the internet. Or, if you don't think they're responsible enough yet, you can (truthfully) tell them that every site they access and every communication they make is logged, and (half-truthfully) that you have the ability to check all these activity logs on the account.

Beware that while you might be able to control access to data over cellular, you cannot really control access to data over WiFi outside your home. Data-addicted kids get savvy about free public WiFi hotspots, about which of their friends openly share private (but unfiltered and unblocked) WiFi, etc.

Also beware that, from time to time, Public Mobile might give their subscribers free gifts like data add-ons. At least they've done so over recent years, several times. Some of these gifts have required people to claim them through Self-Serve login. But others have simply required you type "yes" in an SMS reply.

If your worry is data overages then don't worry. Public Mobile is strictly prepaid. Once you use all your data you get no more (and can't be charged for more) until you pay for more up front. If you squander all your data on an hour of streaming video then you gotta wait out the rest of the 30 day billing cycle before you can do anything else online.

[darlicious]

@ThosD 

Do you want to completely disable data or only have MMS available and access to data restricted? As suggested you can always burn thru the data, upload photos, allow a supervised online game time or video etc....or add a couple of misplaced periods or commas etc....here or there to render the APN ineffective or change the APN to allow MMS only.

Name: Public Mobile mms only

APN: sp.mb.com

Proxy: Not set - leave blank

Port: Not set - leave blank

Username: Not set - leave blank

Password: Not set - leave blank

Server: Not set - leave blank

MMSC: http://aliasredirect.net/proxy/mb/mmsc

MMSC proxy: 74.49.0.18

MMS port: 80

MCC: 302

MNC: 220

Authentication type: Not set

APN type: mms

APN protocol: IPv4

APN roaming protocol: IPv4

APN enable/disable: APN enabled

Bearer: Unspecified

MVNO type: GID

MVNO value: 4D4F

* the original values for APN type: default,mms,agps,supl,fota,hipri

By using this configuration, your cellular data connection will only work for MMS.  If you have or add a data plan and wish to use cellular data, you must restore 'APN type' to the original values (listed above).

[JK8]

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@ThosD wrote:

Can I have data completely disabled (for instance on an account that will be used for a child’s emergency phone)

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Data comes with all the plans. The $15 plan has 250 MB and the $25 plan has 1 GB. You can turn data off on the phone, but your child can turn it on again. Those 2 plans have such little data that after renewal just watch a youtube video and you will burn through it quickly. You can then give the phone to your child after burning through the data after renewal.

[computergeek541]

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@ThosD wrote:

Can I have data completely disabled (for instance on an account that will be used for a child’s emergency phone)

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Sorry, but there is no option at the account level to do this. All currently offered plans include data.  Your only option would be disable mobile data by changing the settings on your device.