Let’s assume you just got an iPhone and want to use it without activating any data plan. Is it possible? The answer is yes, you can use an iPhone without a data plan. Doesn’t matter if the iPhone is new or used. You just need to ensure that the iPhone is unlocked.
You know activating an iPhone is the most important part before starting to use it. That is mainly for security purposes. You must verify your identity to activate it. Otherwise, you can not get access inside the phone. Android doesn’t have such issues. iPhones are a bit weird in this case.
Today we will explain how to use your iPhone without a data plan. This article contains all the basic and advanced information related to this topic. So stick with us.
The full procedure of using an iPhone without a data plan
Besides unlocking you need a SIM card to verify and activate the phone. Once that is finished you can remove the SIM and start using the iPhone. You do not need that SIM for further use. If you want you can keep it. But as you are going to use the iPhone without a data plan, there is no use for the SIM card now.
Use the iPhone with Wi-Fi only
After accessing the iPhone with the SIM card, you can use it by Wi-Fi. For this, you have to put your phone on airplane mode and turn on the Wi-Fi. Just connect the phone with an available Wi-Fi network. While you do not have any cellular carrier network, you can use the wireless connection to communicate with your friends and family members.
In this case, you can not make a voice call without the internet. You have to compromise any kind of offline network-related activities. You can say without a data plan your iPhone is kind of dead until you connect it with a Wi-Fi network. Yes, you can take pictures, record videos, and download music from a PC through iTunes.
Therefore a wireless network is very important to keep your device fully functional. You know you can not even stream or download any media file when you do not have any network activity on your phone. Downloading from a PC has become old-fashioned. You can not carry it all the time with you.
How to make voice calls without a data plan?
When your phone is connected to the internet, voice calling is a very simple task. You can make calls through Facetime over Wi-Fi. It will work like a regular call. You will not face any trouble doing that. The problem is that Facetime calling only works when the recipient is also an iPhone user.
So for making a call to another operating system you can use some other apps. Skype can make VOIP calls and voice quality is good enough. You can try that. In case you don’t like Skype, we have other options for you. Whatsapp is a very good app for voice calls.
You just have to create a Whatsapp account using your SIM number. For verifying it will send a text message with a code to the phone number. That’s why the number should be active. The good thing is it is not necessary to insert the SIM in the specific iPhone. You can put it on any smartphone around you.
Once you get the code, open the Whatsapp account on the iPhone, and then you are ready to start a conversation with your friends. Keep in mind the app you choose must be installed on the recipient’s phone also. Another important point is that both of your internets should be turned on.
This way you can make hassle-free voice calls to a phone number and talk as long as you want. We have shown many ways for voice calls. Now let’s talk about sending text messages.
How to send text messages without a data plan?
iMessage is the best medium for iPhone to iPhone texting. You can use it over Wi-Fi. It will never work for non iOS devices. But don’t worry. Each of the above apps we mentioned for voice calls has a built-in messenger. Skype and Whatapp both can send text messages.
Both of them are so good at texting and very popular indeed. You will find many other apps in the App Store for calling and messaging. But you can trust only a few of them. Whatsapp provides end to end encrypted texting service for maintaining your privacy. Skype is from Microsoft. So you can blindly trust it.
Regular activities without data plans:
Whatever you say, voice calling and messaging is the main purpose of a mobile phone. When these two functions work properly, you can call it a phone. But some special abilities make it a smartphone.
Through a Wi-Fi network, you can do all the activities that can be done by a data plan. Checking social sites, browsing, downloading, streaming, playing online games, everything will work normally. So you have nothing much to worry about.
We are mentioning some other good apps for calling and texting you can try if you want. They are Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Viber, Google Duo. In advance, all these apps can make video calls. You can try them instead of Facetime.
Final words
Hopefully, till now you have learned to make your iPhone fully functional when you do not want to go through a data plan. Let’s keep the alternatives aside and talk about some facts. Without a data plan, a smartphone is like the furniture of your house. Moreover, It loses portability.
You can not carry it anywhere you go. If there is no Wi-Fi around, the phone will become a dead piece of machine. It can be considered while you are traveling abroad. But you should not use it this way in your local area. As you managed to get an iPhone, obviously you can afford a data plan. In case you are doing this for any other problems, our alternatives will always work.
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