Turning Mobile Phone Off

[Alg63]

Your phone must be different from mine - either that or we have a different definition of "off". When I turn my iPhone off it is powered off and is truly turned off in all sense of the word. None of the things you discuss happen when it is powered off and it can not incur costs. I can put it in standby mode and then the things you discuss would happen, but that is not "off".

 

Not when you are traveling internationally. So many people are "shocked" when they get back from overseas - Europe or other - because they listened to music or used GPS or played games not realizing data was streaming.. So yes take the advice offered by the poster - forewarned is forearmed... And "I didn't realize" will not fly with your cell provider

[Lsimon]

Your phone must be different from mine - either that or we have a different definition of "off". When I turn my iPhone off it is powered off and is truly turned off in all sense of the word. None of the things you discuss happen when it is powered off and it can not incur costs. I can put it in standby mode and then the things you discuss would happen, but that is not "off".

Not when you are traveling internationally. So many people are "shocked" when they get back from overseas - Europe or other - because they listened to music or used GPS or played games not realizing data was streaming.. So yes take the advice offered by the poster - forewarned is forearmed... And "I didn't realize" will not fly with your cell provider

Sorry but your reply indicates that you and I in fact have a different definition of "off".

My definition is the same regardless whether we are at home or around the world. In my definition of "off" one can not have "listened to music or used GPS or played games". Why not? Because the phone would be "off"!! If you can listen to music, use the GPS or play games then your phone is "on" and not "off". I don't know how I can make it clearer than that.

 

Now there is a standby mode that turns the screen off but leaves music playing on and the phone will continue to use GPS if that is on, although I don't imagine that one can play any games when the screen is off. However the standby mode is not "off", it is the phone "on" with the screen "off".

[obira]

Please read the following information:

 

Consideration

 

 

• Even when a customer turns off his cellphone while in a foreign country, he can incur roaming charges. When a customer turns on his device in another country, the local carrier will register the device on its network. This means that even if the customer keeps his phone turned off or chooses not to answer calls, the customer's home carrier will still route calls to the local carrier, which then forwards the calls back to the home carrier. The local carrier will often charge a per minute rate to route calls. If the caller leaves voice mail, the customer may have to pay for it.
  

Read more: What Are Cellphone Roaming Charges? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8370495_cellphone-roaming-charges.html#ixzz23m3QYNS9

Even if you subsequently turn the phone off, it will still remain registered as being within that foreign country until you switch it on when you arrive back in your home country and connect to your home network.

 

This can be avoided by setting an unconditional divert for all calls, to your voicemail, for example. That way your home phone network will not route calls to the foreign country's network.

 

Cheers

obira

[obira]

I have been following 'turning wifi off thread below' and have a similar question regarding our phones but regarding texts and calls. We have elderly mothers who like us to keep intouch whilst abroad, mainly through a daily text and say 1 phone call per week. I have never had any problems picking up the local network (I'm Vodafone) from wherever and assume that the same would apply when in each port, so am planning on keeping intouch by text when ashore. However do we need to turn anything off on our android phones to stop incoming calls or texts when onboard.

Thanks

 

You can divert all incoming calls to your voicemail or some other number on your android phone by going to 'settings' then 'call' then 'call forwarding'.

 

You can bar all incoming calls while roaming by going to 'settings', then 'call', then 'call barring settings'. One of the options here is 'Incoming calls when roaming'. You will need to enter your call barring password which your network provider (ie Vodafone) will be able to give you if you don't already know it.

 

Cheers

obira

[tenusma]

You can also leave your phone on but get your calls forwarded to another # so you won't get charged for any incoming calls or voicemails. Turn off data roaming so you can just do texting. At and T has an international plan where you get 200 texts for $30 but is also prorated so if you're only gone for a week it's less than $10. Of course that's only while in ports. On the ship it's always .50/text.

[BlueCat1105]

I had no idea that people thought the standby mode was the same as "off."

[abigailuk]

Thanks for all the replys, I understand about the data issue and I will be taking my ipad for that but my concern is keeping intouch with back home (UK) by text on my (vodafone) android phone. This is probably a stupid question but can I text (or receive) text actually from onboard ship as opposed to when being ashore, what is the cost and is that charge through my vodafone account or the ship

Thanks again for help

[u2cruiser]

Thanks for all the replys, I understand about the data issue and I will be taking my ipad for that but my concern is keeping intouch with back home (UK) by text on my (vodafone) android phone. This is probably a stupid question but can I text (or receive) text actually from onboard ship as opposed to when being ashore, what is the cost and is that charge through my vodafone account or the ship

Thanks again for help

 

Yes, you certainly can send and receive texts onboard. I do that all the time. The charge will be on your normal vodafone account just the same as it is when you use it abroad. No ship charges.

 

Normal rates apply to people texting you as it just goes via your vodafone account. I make sure I keep texts brief so as not to be charged for double texts. I think you can check how many characters = 1 text. If I recall correctly, you get a message with the cost of the texts and calls. Not sure, but I think they are around 40/60p per text. Don't be tempted to send pictures via MMS. I did that one cruise and got a nasty £100 extra bill on my vodafone account.

[u2cruiser]

abigailuk, I checked Vodafones Terms and Conditions.

 

'Standard text messages can contain up to 160 characters. If your handset allows for more, these will be divided and sent in numerous messages, each of which will be charged at the standard text message rate.'

 

This includes spaces and punctuation. You can read more about charges here: http://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-uk/about-this-site/terms-and-conditions/products-and-services/pay-monthly-price-plan-terms-anytime/index.htm

 

Have a great cruise :)

 

ps This is to indicate how many characters = 1 text. Standard message rate only applies in UK.

[u2cruiser]

At the risk of hogging this thread :rolleyes: I have just found out the iPhone has a character count in settings > messages > character count, which needs to be turned on. The character count is shown above the sent button only when you get to your second line of text. It's useful for when you're texting onboard or abroad when off plan charges apply.

 

It doesn't work for iphone to iphone contacts if imessaging (blue messages) is enabled as that gives unlimited texts.

[6andy6]

That if you turn your iPhone "off"

That it could not use data, right?

However, there are large numbers of people who monitor

Their data usage and report that the device did in fact use data

In the middle of the night while turned completely off.

How and why are a mystery, but it seems to be true based on

the number of people reporting it.

 

The best advice remains TURN DATA ROAMING OFF

texts onboard ship are relatively cheap, it's the data that uses $$$$

 

Lol.

 

In other news...cars with the ignition turned off continue to use gas even though the keys are on a bedside table, electrical outlets leak electricity if the 'on' switch is turned on and nothing is plugged in, and daylight savings (summer time) really bleaches the curtains and stop cows making milk....

[EithneMay]

If the phone is truly "off" and not in sleep, it does NOT receive anything. However when powered back on, it then receives everything. No charges while truly off regardless of airplane mode. My brother is an Apple Genius and he does only mobile tech. He has never steered me wrong with my iPhone.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lsimon]

...can I text (or receive) text actually from onboard ship as opposed to when being ashore, what is the cost and is that charge through my vodafone account or the ship

Thanks again for help

 

Yes you can send and receive text messages on the ship at sea - at least I can with our ATT service. The messages don't always come, or go, through as quickly as they do on land.

 

The rates will depend on Vodafone so you need to check their web site or call them. Both the voice and data rates vary by carrier depending on their roaming agreements with the operator of the ship's cellular service. I can say that for ATT all outgoing text messages at sea are $.50/message and incoming messages are charged at the same rate as our home rate - so since we have unlimited messages at home we pay nothing for text messages received at sea.

[robsaw]

Please read the following information:

 

Even if you subsequently turn the phone off, it will still remain registered as being within that foreign country until you switch it on when you arrive back in your home country and connect to your home network.

 

This can be avoided by setting an unconditional divert for all calls, to your voicemail, for example. That way your home phone network will not route calls to the foreign country's network.

 

Cheers

obira

 

I know there are inconsistencies with this and it does vary with carriers, but:

a) You MAY be charged for unanswered calls that ring and divert to voicemail while roaming. As this does effectively use call connect - no answer - forward between the foreign and home network but some carriers do not charge for this.

b) You should NOT be charged when the phone is OFF because there is no "connect" on the foreign network. This is a subscriber not on the network event and the divert is handled by the home network. Yes, there may still be signaling between the last roaming network and the home network but it should not be charged, although I know there are cases where it has happened.

 

Yes, if you change to an unconditional call-divert to voicemail it ensures the call never even attempts to connect to the foreign network.

 

AT&T description verbatim below:

 

Q. How am I charged for voicemail calls while roaming internationally?

A. Voicemail calls are charged as follows:

When your device is on:

• Calls that you do not answer that are routed to the AT&T voicemail system will be charged as an international roaming incoming call to your device.
  
• In addition, the foreign carrier's routing of that call to the AT&T voicemail system may generate an outgoing call charge from your device's location to the U.S.
  
• These charges apply even if the caller disconnects from the voicemail system without leaving a message.
  

If your device is turned off or in flight mode and the wireless network is off:

• When someone tries to call you, the call will go directly to your personal voicemail greeting.
  
• Since the network does not try to deliver the call to you in a foreign country, there are no international roaming charges.
  

[davwen81]

I understand what you are saying, but even after you slide the phone totally off, it still will incur charges from incoming texts, messages, and data.

And I agree with BKFlowerMound, that over the last few years, I have always read your posts and gotten such fabulous advice, that I don't want to see you have a problem with this!!

I just wanted to say i have just come back from travelling with an iphone and did not incur any charges whatsoever and I never turned my phone off. All I did was disable global roaming -tap settings>general>network>data roaming>off. I also disabled auto downloads of apps (settings>store>enter yr password>auto downloads off) emails (settings>mail,contacts, calendars>fetch new date> push> off. this meant I never enabled data roaming whilst it was on and just used the free wifi that was available to download emails, messages, etc. No problems. ;)

If you buy a travel sim or some other sim which will give you a phone number abroad you can load it up with some money to make calls etc which was much much cheaper than my provider in Australia, and they didnt charge to receive calls from home either, a big advantage.

I also loaded every piece of info i wanted onto my phone before i went so i didnt have to enable global roaming while I was away to access maps etc.

Hope that help, Cheers,Wendy

[abigailuk]

Thanks very much for your help As I said we have elderly mothers at home and they enjoy receiving a daily text from us and feel reasured when it is read out to them I didn't realise we would still be able to send them a text message on the sea days

[denims]

Thanks...that answers EVERYONE'S questions!

 

The "other" Larry is correct.....as "almost" usual!:D