"Dumb" question about iPhone "Airplane Mode"

[kristieboyd]

Please forgive my dumb question, but I am not terribly technology savvy.

If I put my phone on Airplane Mode while on the ship, will this prevent charges related to roaming, texts/calls coming through, etc? I want to be able to use the apps I have on my phone (specifically my white noise/digital clock app) but don't want the charges for being out of my area! I normally text a lot, and while most of my friends/family know about the trip, I'm sure a few will still text me while I'm gone. I don't want those coming through and causing charges!

Thanks!

 

[bellelinus]

Please forgive my dumb question, but I am not terribly technology savvy.

If I put my phone on Airplane Mode while on the ship, will this prevent charges related to roaming, texts/calls coming through, etc? I want to be able to use the apps I have on my phone (specifically my white noise/digital clock app) but don't want the charges for being out of my area! I normally text a lot, and while most of my friends/family know about the trip, I'm sure a few will still text me while I'm gone. I don't want those coming through and causing charges!

Thanks!

Yes, putting it in airplane mode will allow you to use it as a clock and even to use it in port to check email if you can get free wifi, but it is basically turned off as a phone and you can't get or receive calls, texts, or use data.

 

[MrRay]

Keep in mind your phone wont automatically adjust to time zone changes so be careful using it as an alarm clock if you happen to pass through one.

 

[123LuckyMom]

If you prefer, you can just turn off cellular usage. Then if there is wifi, you can still access the Internet without incurring fees.

 

[mamamac]

When I was in Honduras back in October I turned it onto to airplane mode and then went in and turned my wifi back on. I was scared to death that I would still get roaming charges, but I didn't.

 

[2Princess&aPrince]

Not a dumb question at all!! I was wondering the same thing. I sail in 6 days and am so glad you asked this question...

 

[Green Tea]

Correct. Put it in airplane mode. DON'T move that toggle until you are home . But while its still in airplane mode you have an option to enable wifi. Then if you find wifi in port you will have use of iMessages, Internet, can check email, etc. But no calls or such come thru. But you can text via iMessage with others on Apple products while in the wifi area.

 

[Jareds_mommy]

COOOOOOL I didn't know I could turn the wi-fi part pack on after airplane mode was turned on, it took a few toggles but it just worked at home here.
Thanks

 

[MedicGoofy]

You don't need to put it in airplane mode. Just turn off your data roaming. You won't be charged for incoming texts and calls as long as you don't answer them.

 

[Jareds_mommy]

when we come to the US even though I turn off data rioaming I still get texts and am charged $1.60 each for them unless I put a 30 day US data plan on for $40

 

[MedicGoofy]

when we come to the US even though I turn off data rioaming I still get texts and am charged $1.60 each for them unless I put a 30 day US data plan on for $40

Really? I find that interesting. I'm in the US weekly, and have never had a problem. I would be calling your company. If you are not reading your texts, opening your message folder, then you shouldn't be charged.

I have never had a charge while in the US. When away for an extensive time, I buy a package. But the rest of the year, I have no problems. I even work very close to the border and my phone often picks up the At&T tower. And I still have no problems. Didn't know what 'airplane' mode meant until someone explained it to me recently.

 

[Dizzyworld]

My DS is on a training cruise for his maritime college. So he is currently in the Caribbean for 6 weeks. (I know, poor baby.) He got the iPhone5 for Christmas. We were really worried about roaming charges since we heard horror stories from other parents about their kids making one call to home but not turning off the roaming feature and the parents getting $2500 phone bills. To prevent this from happening to us, we were told to physically turn off the data roaming feature, turn off "Fetch", and use the airplane mode. In port, I think he has to turn off the airplane mode and will have to find free wifi in those ports to communicate with us via email or skype. We know he would be responsible about sending text messages, but he can't control his friends back home from sending texts which we would have to pay for. He is a teenage guy with a girlfriend. His monthly text messages is in the 5000 range. If you would convert that into individual charges we could get a not so nice bill.

There is an app called WhatsApp that works with Smartphones. I'm sure someone here can give you more details if you would like. You can text message under your regular data package to other Smartphones for free. I know some of the parents had positive things to say about this app.

Good luck.

Good luck.

 

[MrRay]

On the Iphone...

Once you turn on Airplane mode you can still turn wi-fi back on, you do not need to ever turn it off. It just keeps cellular data off, so you wont get those kinds of charges. If you connect to wi-fi you can still use iMessage with other people that have Iphones and use iMessage because that works through the internet not text messages. It only uses cellular texts if it can't connect to the internet, but it wont try to do that if you are in airplane mode.

So just keep your phone in airplane mode and rest easy.

 

[DLBDS]

Correct. Put it in airplane mode. DON'T move that toggle until you are home . But while its still in airplane mode you have an option to enable wifi. Then if you find wifi in port you will have use of iMessages, Internet, can check email, etc. But no calls or such come thru. But you can text via iMessage with others on Apple products while in the wifi area.

My mother and I both have an iPhone4. Are you saying that I can text her using wi-fi only and no charges will accrue? That would be great. Just don't know if I wanna take the risk.

 

[DLBDS]

On the Iphone...

Once you turn on Airplane mode you can still turn wi-fi back on, you do not need to ever turn it off. It just keeps cellular data off, so you wont get those kinds of charges. If you connect to wi-fi you can still use iMessage with other people that have Iphones and use iMessage because that works through the internet not text messages. It only uses cellular texts if it can't connect to the internet, but it wont try to do that if you are in airplane mode.

So just keep your phone in airplane mode and rest easy.

Well, you pretty much answered that for me. I just tested that theory. I turned on Airplane mode and turned Cellular Data off and turned wi-fi back on and texting still worked. Interesting. Thanks, folks!

 

[DLBDS]

Did this work for you on your recent cruise? Were you able to text in each port using this method? Was there a port it didn't work in? Anything you can share would be helpful. I was just going to turn Cellular Data off and just not use the phone for any kind of communication. Texting would be nice though. Thanks! (Again, great trip report!)

 

[hudson3709]

As said here only turning data off will not suffice as you will still receive text messages and most likely be charged for them.

As stated here put phone in airplane mode and turn wifi back on then use iMessage or one of many other free texting apps. You would of course need to find a wifi spot at the port for this to work.

 

[MrRay]

Did this work for you on your recent cruise? Were you able to text in each port using this method? Was there a port it didn't work in? Anything you can share would be helpful. I was just going to turn Cellular Data off and just not use the phone for any kind of communication. Texting would be nice though. Thanks! (Again, great trip report!)

I haven't done this on a cruise but have done it before. You just need to be connected to wi-fi, so finding that in port is the only tricky part. You can ask the crew, if there is free wi-fi at a port they will know where it is.

iMessage is like using an instant message program like aol, just try to remember that. So as long as you have airplane mode on and are connected to wi-fi you won't get any weird texting charges.

 

[Tiger926]

Some confusion about how data and texting works...

Texts do not use data, as they go through the voice part of phone. The only exception is a data app such as TextPlus, as this works through data; therefore, you need to put an international/roaming text package on your phone, or pay a la carte prices per text. So if you don't turn your phone to the proper settings, you will still receive texts, and you will be charged at a roaming rate/international rate, which could be quite expensive.

As for free wi-fi, we found that on our Western Caribbean cruise in August, there was no free wi-fi anywhere in our ports, except for with purchase of food/drinks. In Cozumel, there is a Starbucks at port, which requires a purchase (no minimum, so you could buy a coffee), and then you are given the code on the bottom of your receipt.

Grand Cayman was a disaster. We got scammed by their big phone company in purchasing phone cards, as we found out after searching for 1 hour from the police at port, that most of the public phones no longer work. We purchased a $7.00 card that went in the garbage. Something with the infrastructure...needless to say, no free wi-fi besides we saw a few restaurants (Margaritaville?) advertising, but they did require food/drink purchases.

In Costa Maya, we heard some people saying that they got free wi-fi after purchasing lunch at Senor Frogz, so not sure about that either?

No free wi-fi on Castaway Cay either.

We used the free wi-fi at Starbucks, and sent emails from the cruise (quick email without photos was about .75 each).

Best of luck, Tiger

 

[MrRay]

Some confusion about how data and texting works...

Texts do not use data, as they go through the voice part of phone. The only exception is a data app such as TextPlus, as this works through data; therefore, you need to put an international/roaming text package on your phone, or pay a la carte prices per text. So if you don't turn your phone to the proper settings, you will still receive texts, and you will be charged at a roaming rate/international rate, which could be quite expensive.

As for free wi-fi, we found that on our Western Caribbean cruise in August, there was no free wi-fi anywhere in our ports, except for with purchase of food/drinks. In Cozumel, there is a Starbucks at port, which requires a purchase (no minimum, so you could buy a coffee), and then you are given the code on the bottom of your receipt.

Grand Cayman was a disaster. We got scammed by their big phone company in purchasing phone cards, as we found out after searching for 1 hour from the police at port, that most of the public phones no longer work. We purchased a $7.00 card that went in the garbage. Something with the infrastructure...needless to say, no free wi-fi besides we saw a few restaurants (Margaritaville?) advertising, but they did require food/drink purchases.

In Costa Maya, we heard some people saying that they got free wi-fi after purchasing lunch at Senor Frogz, so not sure about that either?

No free wi-fi on Castaway Cay either.

We used the free wi-fi at Starbucks, and sent emails from the cruise (quick email without photos was about .75 each).

Best of luck, Tiger

Just to piggy back off of this iMessage works as both a data app and texting. If you are in airplane mode with wi-fi on you will not get charged for individual texts.