Is FaceTime free?

[BUDDY23]

Just wondering is FaceTime free or do you get charged for it by your carrier? Thanks guys.

[Comet]

If you ring first and then turn facetime on, then you will be charged for that call bit. The rest of hte time spent on facetime is free. If you go directly from your contacts to make a facetime call then it's free.

[matthew858]

Just remember that you're paying with the amount of data that you use through WiFi. So strictly speaking it is free, but it's 3MB per 5 minutes of calling that comes from the WiFI bandwidth.

[NeoRicen]

If you do FaceTime through a call, and change over right away, that's likely to cost you 35c flagfall plus 90c for the first minute, going by the average rate. So it'll cost $1.25, but that will come out of your cap, so it's still much less that a similarly long voice call over 3G. That's not actually a 'FaceTime Charge', just the cost for spending that first couple of seconds on a voice call, as has been said before, making a FaceTime call directly won't cost you anything.

[route74]

Why is it using Wifi to begin with? dont the networks provide video calling as part of the 3g network? Or is this something Apple in their wisdom have decided we dont need - like changing your sms tones?

[Tzortst]

Why is it using Wifi to begin with? dont the networks provide video calling as part of the 3g network? Or is this something Apple in their wisdom have decided we dont need - like changing your sms tones?

Because it is free... Why would the carriers want you to have free calls?

[tom_mclean]

Because it is free... Why would the carriers want you to have free calls?

Settings > Sounds > New Text Message > _

[marcorony]

so do you need to be in range of a wifi network for this to work?

[bennyling]

so do you need to be in range of a wifi network for this to work?

Yeah, FaceTime only works over WiFi.

Unless you've jailbroken and installed some app which allows it to work over 3G, that is

[iJohn]

Hi Guys. sorry to bring a up a bit of a old topic.. Just need clarification on a "face time call"

Do the carrier's only charge for when the FT call is made before it is connected to the wifi network?

What im trying to say is.. Telstra for eg is my carrier will they only charge me the call cost for the 1min before it was connected to wifi.

Or if im only facetime for 20mins.. will i get charged a 20 min call... I understand the data component comes off the wifi usage.


I do also understand if i have jb my phone and got ft over 3g it will come off my 3g data!

DOSE this make Sense?

Cheers

[bennyling]

If you're making a FaceTime call, you need to be connected to Wi-Fi, and thus, your carriers can't charge you a cent.

[iJohn]

If you're making a FaceTime call, you need to be connected to Wi-Fi, and thus, your carriers can't charge you a cent.

So they won't even charge you a call connection fee(ie 42c) is this what your saying?

[bennyling]

No, and why would they? FaceTime is a completely data-only call and has nothing to do with your carrier.

Note that it's only a data-only call if you actually start the call as a FaceTime call. You can, for example, start calling them normally, and THEN start a FaceTime call — of course, you'll then end the normal call and be charged your normal fees.

[Exocet]

If you are so concerned about call costs (which you shouldn't be), remove your SIM before making it. Then you can't possibly be charged any fees from your carrier.

[daveriddler]

Yes it is free, but this is why it is restricted to wifi only calling. Apple dont want the telco's to go out of business, remember they sell their phones.