If you travel frequently or trade globally, you know how expensive roaming charges can be. Therefore, a messaging service that allows international communication at affordable rates is a breakthrough. I will help you know whether iMessage works internationally and how effective it is in communicating with friends, family, or business partners.
So, does iMessage work internationally? As long as you connect to Wi-Fi, you can text through iMessage from any location in the world. The people you communicate with should own an Apple device that supports this service. You can also send an iMessage to someone using Android, but this will attract an extra cost. Thus, if you do not have an Apple device for iMessage, you can rely on other free texting apps.
iMessage is Apple’s instant messaging that relies on an internet connection to send messages. This service is similar to the normal SMS or MMS in terms of use but offers extra benefits in terms of the data you can send and cost implications.
You can chat via iMessage internationally as long as the person you communicate with has a Wi-Fi connection and uses an iPod, iPad, iPhone, or Mac. You can also send messages via iMessage if you have a data plan, but this will be expensive. Videos and pictures will even cost more, making Wi-Fi the most convenient internet connection.
The iMessage service is in your Apple devices’ messaging app, which enables you to both SMS and iMessage. iMessages will be in blue, and texts will be green. This app works between iPhones and Apple devices.
Thus, if you send an iMessage to a friend using Android, the text will reach them as an ordinary SMS. Messages will also be sent as green if you are not connected to a data network, you will attract charges unless you have a message plan.
Given that iMessage relies on Wi-Fi, you should turn off your Cellular data as the first step to limit use. Next, check whether this app is enabled on your device. This is because iMessage is not enabled by default on the iPhone.
Thus, on your new iPhone, you will get the option to switch it on during setup. To do this, navigate to the Settings app and scroll down to the Messages. While here, toggle on the iMessage to enable it. You will need to enter your iCloud credentials to affect this setup. Once done, turn on your Wi-Fi to enable the connection.
To do this, return to the Settings app and tap on Wi-Fi. While here, ensure that your Wi-Fi is on, and your device is connected. With the above setup, you can now use iMessage from whichever location in the world.
While iMessage features certain limitations, it should be your go-to app for international messaging. With this app, you can share your location, get confirmation if your message is delivered, read receipts, and see someone replying to you in real-time. The recent innovations on this app, including stickers, GIFs, music sharing, and emoji, spice up communication. You can also send and receive money on this app.
Apart from messaging, iMessage has the benefit of syncing your iCloud account. This feature is advantageous if you lose your phone or buy a new one, as you can easily retrieve your old messages. With iCloud, you can also access your messages from any of your Apple devices if you have more than one.
Are iMessage Free Internationally?
Intercontinental communications are known for their high toll on a user’s pockets; however, thanks to technological advancements, people can now rely on the internet connection to use certain apps for free. Knowing whether iMessage is free internationally will enable you to settle for a suitable data plan, especially if you are a frequent traveler and do not have easy access to Wi-Fi.
iMessage allows Apple users to text across macOS and IOS devices for free internationally, as long as you use it via Wi-Fi and the communication is between Apple devices. If you do not have an active data plan or lack a Wi-Fi connection, you will incur extra charges when using iMessage. Thus, if you want to use this service in a Wi-Fi zone only, ensure you turn it off once disconnected lest you incur unexpected charges.
Since iMessage does not use your text message plan, you can use it to share pictures with your friends and family. The messages you send via iMessage could be media, files, or regular text messages, all of which will be free if you meet the above recommendations.
In order to use iMessage on tablets, you do not need to have a phone number. Instead, you can use an iCloud email and send your messages via Wi-Fi. Messages in iCloud will be automatically updated across all your devices and deleting them in one will remove them from all.
In addition to being a free SMS service, you should choose iMessage for its security, courtesy of an end-to-end encryption. As your message goes through the Apple servers, it will remain encrypted, and no one will view its contents. Thus, unlike non-encrypted MMS and SMS, which go through your Carrier’s Cellular Network, iMessages offer a confidential means of communication.
Unauthorized persons can only see your messages if your credentials leak. A person with your Apple ID and password can sign in on an IOS device and receive sent messages simultaneously as you.
If you suspect your credentials have leaked or you have changed your phone number, it is advisable to deregister iMessage online or on your iPhone. Switching to a non-Apple phone will also necessitate deregistering, as you will have issues receiving messages.
To deregister iMessage on your iPhone, put back your sim card to your iPhone and ensure connection to cellular data. Next, navigate to the Settings app and turn off iMessage. If you can no longer access your iPhone, you can deregister online.
After online deregistration, Apple will remove your phone number from iMessage services, and you will be able to receive SMS and MMS shortly after. However, this duration may extend as some Apple devices may take longer to recognize that you are not using iMessage. In this case, anyone sending an iMessage through your Apple ID will get to your Apple devices, and if sending a text through your phone number, you will get it via SMS or MMS.
iMessage is also advantageous as it does not limit the number of messages you can send to your friends and family using Apple devices. In addition, you can send large files of up to 100MB on this service. This is unlike most cellular services, which restrict file attachments to a maximum of 3MB.
Does iMessage Cost Money?
Your iPhone can send traditional SMS and iMessages. If you plan to use iMessage but are worried about the cost implications, I will simplify it for you for the best experience.
iMessage is a free-to-use app, and you will not pay anything to set it up on your device. This app is installed on Mac PCs, iPhones, and iPads. While this app does not cost any activation fees, it may cost you money through cellular data use charges. This is so since it relies on an internet connection to send the messages. On average, you will use up to 1KB per one thousand messages, which should not worry you about exceeding your data limit.
To ensure iMessage does not cost you money, Apple has made it easy to distinguish iMessages from SMS by coloring iMessages Blue and SMS messages green. Blue messages are free, and you can send as many texts as you want as long as you are connected on Wi-Fi or have an active cellular data plan.
If you are on an unlimited SMS plan, you may not be worried about your SMS costing you money as the plan caters for it. However, if you are not, you can do this by checking if the number is an iPhone number or not before sending your message.
To do this, navigate to your Messages app from iPhone and tap on the Pencil icon at the top right to start a new conversation. Next, enter the phone number or name of the contact you want to reach out to, and iOS will populate the contact.
You will know an iMessage is free if the number is blue; however, if it is green, then it is a regular text and will attract extra cost. Another way to tell the difference is through the send tab on iMessage. If the arrow is blue, the message is free, and if green, your mobile provider will charge you to send the message.
You may send an iMessage at other times and are not sure if it is free. In this case, you can check by opening your Messaging app and navigating to the message window of your contact. From here, check the text messages you previously sent to this contact, and if their background is blue, they were free. If the background is green, then the message is not free.
To tell whether the iMessage is free in the case of images, paste the image on the iMessage compose window, and a blue send arrow indicates free messaging while a green one indicates charges.
While you may be diligent enough to check whether your texts are free or not, you may not always be accurate, resulting in accidental charges by your mobile provider. Luckily, there is a way you can set up your device to allow only free iMessaging.
To block messages that will attract extra costs, navigate your iOS settings, then Messages, and Open. Next, scroll to the Send as SMS option and toggle off the Send as SMS option. This action will limit you to sending iMessage only.
Also, you will not be able to send messages to Android users. However, if you are unbothered about the extra charges from sending an SMS, toggle on the Send as SMS option. If you have to communicate with other users without the device limitations for free iMessage, you can consider other apps like Telegram and WhatsApp.
While iMessage is low on data consumption, it is still possible to exceed your data limit, especially if you frequently send heavy files. I will give you a few tips to aid in data management to prevent this.
First, you should use iMessage over Wi-Fi rather than cellular data as much as possible. Even if you are a frequent traveler, you can find coffee shops and connect to the free Wi-Fi to iMessage. Connecting to Wi-Fi backs your data usage, preventing you from going beyond your limits.
Another thing you could do is minimize picture and video messages. This is given that these media will consume more data than plain text. As such, if you have to send your videos and pictures, hold them back until you connect to Wi-Fi. If you have to send images and videos and have no access to Wi-Fi, enable Low Quality Image Mode.
Sending low quality images will cut down your data use significantly. To do this, navigate to your device settings and tap Messages. Next, scroll to the bottom and toggle on the Low-Quality Image Mode. The slider will turn green, indicating successful low quality image mode activation.
Lastly, you can disable the Wi-Fi assist feature on your device. This feature enables your device to switch to Cellular data in an unstable Wi-Fi connection. Disabling this option ensures you remain on a Wi-Fi connection, saving your data fees. To turn off Wi-Fi Assist Function, navigate to the Settings App and tap Cellular. Next, scroll to the bottom of the page and toggle of Wi-Fi Assist.
Wrap Up
iMessage offers an international messaging service via the internet. This service, available to Apple users, allows you to send messages, videos, and pictures, hence a convenient means of communication, especially for frequent travelers.
To enjoy this service for free, your communication should be between two Apple devices, and you should use it over Wi-Fi. An unlimited data plan will also serve you right, without which, you will incur extra costs.
To set up and activate iMessage, you will not pay anything. Thus, you only need to be keen by ensuring your Wi-Fi is on if in a Wi-Fi zone to prevent the service from accidentally consuming your money.
Apple has even made this easy by distinguishing SMS from iMessages. iMessage has a blue background, and SMS has green. To avoid additional charges, your responsibility is to check the differences before sending your messages.
