Here is some helpful information on how the iPhone iMessage feature works and how to use it to avoid unexpected data charges.
iMessage is Apple's built-in instant messaging (IM) service that lets you send messages quickly and easily to anyone else using iMessage on Apple products.
iMessage sends messages over Wi-Fi or cellular data when Wi-Fi is unavailable, rather than through traditional SMS. This means, if you do not have a data plan and are not connected to Wi-Fi, you will incur pay-per-use data charges when using iMessage.
If you only want to use iMessage in a Wi-Fi connected area, please ensure you turn off iMessage when leaving a Wi-Fi connected area to avoid unexpected data charges, or turn on “Send as SMS” to ensure you can still send and receive regular text messages where there is no data.
To turn off iMessage:
- Go to Settings on your iPhone
- Select Messages
- Toggle to the off position
iMessage color bubbles
When sending a message, you can distinguish between iMessage through the colors of the message:
- When your text bubble is green they have been sent using SMS.
- When your text bubble is blue they have been sent using iMessage.
Notes:
- If you’ve recently switched from an iPhone to a non-iPhone device (Android) please make sure you’ve deregistered from iMessage so you don’t experience any issues sending or receiving SMS messages.
- As iMessage uses data, it is not considered text messaging. Additional roaming charges may apply.
