I just added my brother to my phone plan and he wants to know if he can IM using SMS service on windows live on his phone. And if he can, does it charge texting or data?
Hi,
What kind of phone is being used? On 3G Smartphones, Instant Messages (IMs) are part of the data plan. I use Blackberry Messenger and AIM on my BB Tour and I can IM until the cows come home, all for the same price.
Doc
He has a samsung intesity, just a regular phone with no data plan at all.
It will probably billed as data, not text. So, I would tell him not to instant message or it will cost you some data charges.
Dave2232 wrote: He has a samsung intesity, just a regular phone with no data plan at all.
The Mobile IM application DOES NOT use data to send and receive messages. All usage counts towards your normal text allowance, or is unlimited if you have it.
This is a frequently asked question. If you do a tag search for the terms "Mobile IM" you'll find lots of Accepted Solutions which support that Mobile IM uses TEXT.
@ StreetDoc - don't you remember seeing this question asked at least once a week last year? There was even a couple of threads that had good debates about Mobile IM and whether or not it used data or text. Really, it became quite annoying for people to debate it when it's a simple answer.
Yeah, you are right nmchileman....but no need to get mad at StreetDoc. He was just trying to help. I still like ya Doc
Here was a discussion awhile ago on mobile IM.
Hey,
I do recall it, now that you mention it. My brain isn't working well...been trying to quit smoking the past few days and my neurons aren't quite clicking like they used to be...sorry.
Dave2232 wrote: I just added my brother to my phone plan and he wants to know if he can IM using SMS service on windows live on his phone. And if he can, does it charge texting or data?
Short answer, as I think you've already been given, is it charges TEXTS. The initial download of Mobile IM app may involve less than 1 MB of data - if it's already installed on t he phone, then start it up and log in and begin texting.
My daughter uses it to "text" to friends in the UK and Canada. We have unlimited text and she makes good use of it!!
I had the same original question and I've spoken with 2 store reps and 1 tech support rep.
All of them have said that the IM apps that come with the phone use DATA, not texts.
These are the 3 that are under the "IM" app that comes standard with my Samsung Stratosphere.
This turned out to be how the salesperson got me to get a smartphone. I needed to increase my texting allowance...which was going to cost me $10 to upgrade. He said if the people that I text the most also have smart phones, instead of texting, we could start using the IM apps mentioned above, and use only data instead of the texts.
I can see why this has become such a debate in the past if Verizon reps are stating one thing and the company is actually doing something different. But I'm just passing along the information I've been given.
If they do use texts, then I'm going to be upset, becuase that was the premise that I chose a smartphone under.
Thorxes wrote:I had the same original question and I've spoken with 2 store reps and 1 tech support rep.All of them have said that the IM apps that come with the phone use DATA, not texts.These are the 3 that are under the "IM" app that comes standard with my Samsung Stratosphere.AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) - Data usageYahoo! Messenger - Data usageWindows Live Messenger - Data usageThis turned out to be how the salesperson got me to get a smartphone. I needed to increase my texting allowance...which was going to cost me $10 to upgrade. He said if the people that I text the most also have smart phones, instead of texting, we could start using the IM apps mentioned above, and use only data instead of the texts. I can see why this has become such a debate in the past if Verizon reps are stating one thing and the company is actually doing something different. But I'm just passing along the information I've been given.If they do use texts, then I'm going to be upset, becuase that was the premise that I chose a smartphone under.
Thorxes wrote:
Thorxes,
I see you have been posting essentially the same response in a number of threads; this one is 18 mos old!
The Mobile IM apps we all speak of are on the "multi-media" phones of yesteryear, a class no longer in existence. It allowed those of us without a smart phone or a data plan to use AIM, Yahoo Messenger, etc, to connect with others using those messaging apps on their computer to communicate with us via our phones using text messages.
Times have changed, and if you still have one of the old multi-media phones and no data, then those apps will serve you well. If you have a smartphone and are using one of the messaging apps that are pre-installed on the phone, it likely will use data as the reps said, but you'll have to check the documentation to be sure, as well as check your billing to see what messages are counted as texts.
In sum, i think the apps and phone you are dealing with are different than the phones/apps we were discussing 1-2 years ago. Check the dates on the posts.... :smileyhappy:
