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Quick Tip: Check Minutes and More From Your iPhone

Submitted by Michael Johnston on September 21, 2007 - 1:21am.
in

Don't you just hate trying to manage cell phone minutes? Sure, you can call in or check your usage online, but what if you need a quick reminder of your remaining minutes? Thankfully, Apple has graciously provided a really easy way to do this right from the Settings app. From the Home Screen, tap Settings>Phone>"AT&T Services" and "View My Minutes". In a moment, you'll get a free text message telling you about your remaining minutes.

If that's not sweet enough, from the same menu you can check your balance, pay your bill, and there's even a shortcut to view your account online. Now that's nice. I don't recommend using the Voice Connect or Directory Assistance as they almost certainly cost money. If you need directory assistance, try 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-4664-411). Totally free.

And yes, I realize that you could memorize all those little shortcut numbers, but that's not as cool as tapping a shortcut, right? At the very least, it does display the shortcuts for quicker access in the future.

this was already there

Submitted by Unregistered (not verified) on September 21, 2007 - 8:25am.
all you had to do was call a number like *646# and you get that same text message. Any phone on AT&t can do it.

Not accurate minutes ...

Submitted by Unregistered (not verified) on September 21, 2007 - 10:59am.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
all you had to do was call a number like *646# and you get that same text message. Any phone on AT&t can do it.
Beware: according to AT&T rep, the minute usage is not accurate, it is about one day or more old! Last month, I went over my minutes by 100, even though on last day of my billing cycle it was showing 150 minutes remaining. Perhaps the situation is different elsewhere... I live in NYC
....

Submitted by Spoon on September 21, 2007 - 12:24pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
all you had to do was call a number like *646# and you get that same text message. Any phone on AT&t can do it.
Dude, he says "And yes, I realize that you could memorize all those little shortcut numbers" right there.

Get over yourself.

You can hack this for other Carriers

Submitted by Guest (not verified) on September 24, 2007 - 2:47pm.
Here's are two sets of instructions for hacking this to work with T-Mobile and other carriers:

http://hackint0sh.org/forum/showthre...T%26T+Services

htp://modmyiphone.com/wiki/index.php/Carrier_settings_for_iPhone

Data query more useful

Submitted by MacMuse (not verified) on October 11, 2007 - 9:29am.
paahh, who cares about minutes!

Under the standard iPhone/AT&T package you get 200 text messages. Yikes, 1 active FaceBook account (with Mobile app), a news alert package, or any group of 3 or more teenagers blow through 200 text messages in a week. You need to know how many text messages are left on your account.

Setup a new Contact entry like "AT&T Data Check" and assign it the 'phone number' *3282# I even made this a Favorite so I can get to it with fewer taps. 'Call' that number, and you'll be rewarded with a FREE text message telling you how many text messages are left on your account for the month.

As mentioned earlier, the number *646# is the same as selecting the 'View my minutes' option. Add that to the Contact entry and you can get to it quickly as well.

Submitted by addisonlange on October 15, 2007 - 11:21pm.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacMuse View Post
paahh, who cares about minutes!

Under the standard iPhone/AT&T package you get 200 text messages. Yikes, 1 active FaceBook account (with Mobile app), a news alert package, or any group of 3 or more teenagers blow through 200 text messages in a week. You need to know how many text messages are left on your account.

Setup a new Contact entry like "AT&T Data Check" and assign it the 'phone number' *3282# I even made this a Favorite so I can get to it with fewer taps. 'Call' that number, and you'll be rewarded with a FREE text message telling you how many text messages are left on your account for the month.

As mentioned earlier, the number *646# is the same as selecting the 'View my minutes' option. Add that to the Contact entry and you can get to it quickly as well.
i agree if i need a text message counter i send about 5000 texts a month and it would be nice to know how many ive sent and reseaved per month or week or instantly

Submitted by *Shawn James (not verified) on December 1, 2007 - 10:24am.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MacMuse View Post
paahh, who cares about minutes!

Under the standard iPhone/AT&T package you get 200 text messages. Yikes, 1 active FaceBook account (with Mobile app), a news alert package, or any group of 3 or more teenagers blow through 200 text messages in a week. You need to know how many text messages are left on your account.

Setup a new Contact entry like "AT&T Data Check" and assign it the 'phone number' *3282# I even made this a Favorite so I can get to it with fewer taps. 'Call' that number, and you'll be rewarded with a FREE text message telling you how many text messages are left on your account for the month.
Thank you for this, just what I was looking for.

Text Message Remaining Not Accurate

Submitted by SumDuud (not verified) on July 24, 2008 - 8:25am.
I just tried this and when I added it to my contact it owuld not send initially. I sent it manually and it said I have 72 messages left. I added it to my favorites and then testing the favorites sent it again and it said I had 68... No messages sent or received in between except the first one telling me I had 72 left. I guess it is playing catchup from when text messages were sent 4 hours ago maybe?

Either way it should give at least an idea of what is left i hope it is close to accurate.