Cellular Settings

Use Cellular settings to turn cellular data and roaming on or off, set which apps and services use cellular data, see call time and cellular data usage, and set other cellular options.

If iPhone is connected to the Internet via the cellular data network, the , , , , or icon appears in the status bar.

LTE, 4G, and 3G service on GSM cellular networks support simultaneous voice and data communications. For all other cellular connections, you can't use Internet services while you're talking on the phone unless iPhone also has a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet. Depending on your network connection, you may not be able to receive calls while iPhone transfers data over the cellular network-when downloading a webpage, for example.

  • GSM networks: On an EDGE or GPRS connection, incoming calls may go directly to voicemail during data transfers. For incoming calls that you answer, data transfers are paused.
  • CDMA networks: On EV-DO connections, data transfers are paused when you answer incoming calls. On 1xRTT connections, incoming calls may go directly to voicemail during data transfers. For incoming calls that you answer, data transfers are paused.

Data transfer resumes when you end the call.

If Cellular Data is off, all data services use only Wi-Fi-including email, web browsing, push notifications, and other services. If Cellular Data is on, carrier charges may apply. For example, using certain features and services that transfer data, such as Siri and Messages, could result in charges to your data plan.

Turn Cellular Data on or off. Go to Settings > Cellular. The following options may also be available:

  • Turn Voice Roaming on or off (CDMA): Turn Voice Roaming off to avoid charges from using other carrier's networks. When your carrier's network isn't available, iPhone won't have cellular (data or voice) service.
  • Turn Data Roaming on or off: Data Roaming permits Internet access over a cellular data network when you're in an area not covered by your carrier's network. When you're traveling, you can turn off Data Roaming to avoid roaming charges.
  • Enable or disable 3G: Using 3G loads Internet data faster in some cases, but may decrease battery performance. If you're making a lot of phone calls, you may want to turn 3G off to extend battery life. This option is not available in all areas.

Set whether cellular data is used for apps and services. Go to Settings > Cellular, then turn cellular data on or off for any app that can use cellular data. If a setting is off, iPhone uses only Wi-Fi for that service. The iTunes setting includes both iTunes Match and automatic downloads from the iTunes Store and the App Store.

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