FaceTime calls are not part of your ATT plan. As long as it is a FaceTime call there will be no ATT charges. If placed over the cellular network, a FaceTime call just uses data from your data plan. If the call is a "regular" phone call over ATT's cellular network, you will pay applicable long distance charges.
Hi there -- I'm late to this conversation, but appreciate the input. After a huge bill for a FaceTime call to Switzerland during which we were both in wifi environments, AT&T told me to put my phone on airplane mode then manually activate wifi. That has worked except that I regularly get charged $1.99 for 1 minute of long distance for each call I make to Switzerland. AT&T tells me I must have lost my wifi connection for minute and it reverted to voice, but if I was in airplane mode, how can that be? Also, since it regularly happens, it sounds more like an access fee to me. Any thoughts?
@pgdoglover Do you happen to have wifi calling enabled on your iPhone? If so, even in airplane mode you are probably connecting to the cellular network meaning your call could easily be a cellular call, not FaceTime. Any call to Switzerland over ATT's voice network would get international long distance charges.
If this is a duplicate, my apologies. I’m new to this stuff. Yes, wifi calling was enabled on my phone, so I have turned it off and will see if that helps. If that was the problem, tho, it’s curious that I was only charged for 1 minute out of what was a 30 minute call to Switzerland. We shall see. Thanks again for the suggestion.
If I use my iphone in Western Europe to make a whatsApp call to another Whats App enabled iphone in the US, and I have unlimited calls and data, will be be charged for this long distance call?
If I use my iphone in Western Europe to make a whatsApp call to another Whats App enabled iphone in the US, and I have unlimited calls and data, will be be charged for this long distance call?
Fred P.
It won't be a long distance call. If you are on a cellular network, though, you will be charged for data roaming, which can get very pricey.
To make sure you stay on WiFi, turn off data roaming, put your phone in airplane mode, and then turn WiFI back on.
@PomFred35 You won't get charged if the call is placed over wifi or if the call just uses data (you will get charged for the data usage, though, unless you have an international plan that covers the data), however many customers have complained of WhatsApp calls being charged because they got placed over the cellular voice network. I'm not sure if that is a WhatsApp bug or feature, just be aware your WhatApp call could easily be a chargeable cellular call. If you are calling another iphone, my advice is stick to facetime calls.
Sorry, but I don't know anything about WhatsApp. I do know that you can make FaceTime calls free of charge to another iPhone user, regardless of where both of you are. I use it a lot to call from California to Switzerland.
Should have added to my suggestion of using FaceTime for free calls from Europe to the US that the best way to do it (and least likely way to mistakenly get any cell phone charges), is to put your phone on airplane mode, turn wifi back on, and use audio only unless you really want to see the face of the person you’re calling or vice versa. I find that the reception is much better when using only audio.
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sandblaster
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64.7K Messages
8 years ago
FaceTime calls are not part of your ATT plan. As long as it is a FaceTime call there will be no ATT charges. If placed over the cellular network, a FaceTime call just uses data from your data plan. If the call is a "regular" phone call over ATT's cellular network, you will pay applicable long distance charges.
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DenverCO
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8 years ago
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pgdoglover
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4 Messages
7 years ago
Hi there -- I'm late to this conversation, but appreciate the input. After a huge bill for a FaceTime call to Switzerland during which we were both in wifi environments, AT&T told me to put my phone on airplane mode then manually activate wifi. That has worked except that I regularly get charged $1.99 for 1 minute of long distance for each call I make to Switzerland. AT&T tells me I must have lost my wifi connection for minute and it reverted to voice, but if I was in airplane mode, how can that be? Also, since it regularly happens, it sounds more like an access fee to me. Any thoughts?
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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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64.7K Messages
7 years ago
@pgdoglover Do you happen to have wifi calling enabled on your iPhone? If so, even in airplane mode you are probably connecting to the cellular network meaning your call could easily be a cellular call, not FaceTime. Any call to Switzerland over ATT's voice network would get international long distance charges.
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pgdoglover
Tutor
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4 Messages
7 years ago
If this is a duplicate, my apologies. I’m new to this stuff. Yes, wifi calling was enabled on my phone, so I have turned it off and will see if that helps. If that was the problem, tho, it’s curious that I was only charged for 1 minute out of what was a 30 minute call to Switzerland. We shall see. Thanks again for the suggestion.
pgdoglover
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PomFred35
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1 Message
6 years ago
If I use my iphone in Western Europe to make a whatsApp call to another Whats App enabled iphone in the US, and I have unlimited calls and data, will be be charged for this long distance call?
Fred P.
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MicCheck
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14.2K Messages
6 years ago
It won't be a long distance call. If you are on a cellular network, though, you will be charged for data roaming, which can get very pricey.
To make sure you stay on WiFi, turn off data roaming, put your phone in airplane mode, and then turn WiFI back on.
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sandblaster
ACE - Expert
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64.7K Messages
6 years ago
@PomFred35 You won't get charged if the call is placed over wifi or if the call just uses data (you will get charged for the data usage, though, unless you have an international plan that covers the data), however many customers have complained of WhatsApp calls being charged because they got placed over the cellular voice network. I'm not sure if that is a WhatsApp bug or feature, just be aware your WhatApp call could easily be a chargeable cellular call. If you are calling another iphone, my advice is stick to facetime calls.
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pgdoglover
Tutor
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4 Messages
6 years ago
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pgdoglover
Tutor
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4 Messages
6 years ago
Should have added to my suggestion of using FaceTime for free calls from Europe to the US that the best way to do it (and least likely way to mistakenly get any cell phone charges), is to put your phone on airplane mode, turn wifi back on, and use audio only unless you really want to see the face of the person you’re calling or vice versa. I find that the reception is much better when using only audio.
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