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If you’re considering getting a new iPhone or other smartphone, you may also be considering a new cell phone plan. Owners of smartphones may not be aware of this, but you can actually use a smartphone as a phone. That’s right, it’s not just for apps!
When you sign up for a cell phone plan, you choose lots of options, like voice minutes, data and text messages. Voice minutes, a/k/a how much time you talk on the phone, may be the least of your concerns as you debate which data plan you want and whether you need unlimited text messages. Many people underestimate the number of voice minutes they need, thinking they will use free night and weekend minutes or free mobile-to-mobile minutes, available with many plans. They sign up for only a few hundred minutes in their plan, figuring the money they save on their minutes can be better spent towards a data or text plan.
But then they get in the habit of using their cell phone instead of their home phone, or they travel, or they spend a long time on hold calling a 1-800 number. The next thing they know, they get a cell phone bill that resembles their mortgage payment.
Back in April I wrote about tracking your data in Mind the Cap! Tracking your voice minutes is important as well. You can track your minutes by going to your carrier’s website and logging into your account. You can also download apps that will tell you how many minutes you have used. Using these tools can help you avoid nasty surprises at the end of the month.
iPhone
Many iPhone apps will track your minutes, but an iPhone app called VoiceMan will alert you when you are nearing your voice minute limit. You can set up to four alerts at different intervals (50%, 60%, etc.) to warn you of how close you are to going over your limit. You can also set the number of monthly minutes in your plan and whether you have free nights and weekend minutes. (Note that there is no setting to exclude mobile-to-mobile minutes.)
VoiceMan gives you the option to use Location Services so you can track where you are when you are talking on the phone, but this feature can drain your battery, so use it only when you need to.
VoiceMan is available for iPhone in the iTunes App Store for $3.99: VoiceMan for iPhone.
(The developer provided me with a promo code to test this app.)
Android
If you want to keep track of your voice minutes on your Android phone, two apps in the Android Market can help you, Droid Stats and Stats Free. Both apps are free and monitor voice minutes, data and text messages, though neither one gives you alerts like the VoiceMan app does for the iPhone. Reviews are mixed about the accuracy of these two apps, based upon the model of Android phone being used, so try out each one to see which is best for your phone.
Here are the links to the apps in the Android Market: DroidStats and Stats Free.
myAT&T
myATT will let you monitor your voice minutes, text messages and data usage for the month from your smartphone. You can also keep track of your Rollover Minutes with this app. The App has a Notifications feature on the iPhone, but it notifies you when you receive a bill, not when you go over your plan.
Download the free myAT&T app from the iTunes App store here: myAT&T for iPhone and from the Android Market here: myAT&T for Android.
My Verizon Mobile
My Verizon Mobile lets you monitor your voice, data and text message usage for your Verizon Mobile account from your smartphone. Check out the app for iPhones in the iTunes App Store here: My Verizon Mobile for iPhone. The app is also available in the Android Market here: My Verizon Mobile for Android.
Bottom Line
Exceeding your voice minutes can be very expensive. To avoid surprises on your cell phone bill and save money by staying within your limits, check out these apps.
Have you ever gone over your limit with voice minutes? Have you been surprised by a cell phone bill that made you want to never talk on your cell phone again? Let us know in the Comments section below!
* Image by Judith
This is a very interesting thought Carolyn. Love the fact that you focus on such details. I bet there are so many people who use smartphones have no clue about when their plans are ending. With the busy schedule, its apps like these that keep us sane.
Hi Eddie, I’m so glad you enjoyed this article. Yes, going over your voice minutes can be very expensive. If people use these handy tools, they can avoid some unnecessary surprises on their cell phone bills. You’re right, the more we stay sane the better! 🙂
That would be really helpful. I’m guilty of not using my phone as much for calling as for the other things, email, browsing, apps. I’m on a Sprint Unlimited plan so I’ve gotten out of the habit of checking my minutes or data. Would be interesting to see though.
Bryce
Hi Bryce, you might be interested to see how many minutes you are using for your phone as a telephone. You may not need unlimited voice minutes after all (though if you’re with a business plan, you might get unlimited minutes anyway).
I have unlimited data and I check my data periodically just out of curiosity. I use too much to have AT&T’s cheaper plan, so for an extra $5 I keep my grandfathered unlimited plan over the 2GB data plan.
Thanks so much, Bryce, for your visit and comment! 🙂
Hi Carolyn,
I have an iPhone, but I don’t have any clue about how much money I’m using.. not when it comes to data traffic or voice. I just keep using it. In fact, I don’t like to keep restrictions on what I’m doing when it comes to phones or computers, because it feels like I’m putting restrictions on my work, and then I won’t be as creative as I want to be. But that’s just me. The app sounds like a great idea for most people 🙂
– Jens
Hi Jens, So do you have unlimited data and voice minutes with your iPhone plan? I agree with you, I don’t like to have to worry about restrictions. I have unlimited data and 1000 voice minutes with about 8000 rollover minutes banked. 1000 minutes sounds like a lot but I have had months where I run over that. I’m very happy my carrier (AT&T) has rollover minutes.
The key is to find a mobile phone plan that works for you. By monitoring your minutes you can see how much you use and how much you need!
Very timely; my wife’s plan has unlimited minutes. The options available for my sons will not have the same option when they get their phones this week. One son uses more minutes than the other so my wife is considering switching phones with him. Hmmmm, she’s the shopper so I’ll let her figure it out but I will forward this to her.
Our office phones I’m going to assume are unlimited but have no idea. We will have to kick in $50 a month for them but I’m ready for a new one. My crackberry is on it’s last legs. I’m ready for some toys……….:)
Hey Bill, Yes, if you’re switching plans, and perhaps switching phones, having an app on your iPhone to monitor minutes used is very important.
Let me know if you would like any assistance with your iPhone. I’m so excited you’re getting one! You have a whole new world ahead of you, discovering the apps that will change your daily life. Utilities, games, and news apps will be great additions to your new toy!
Thanks so much for your visit, awesome tweet and fantastic comment, Bill!
Those apps Sounds interesting, though am not much into using up my mins. However I end up exhausting my data plan every month for whatever reason….
Hi Praveen, You may find my article, Mind the Cap!, interesting. That article discusses how to monitor your data usage on mobile devices: https://wonderoftech.com/2011/04/mind-the-cap/
Thanks for your visit and your comment, Praveen!
Hi Carolyn,
The apps looks nice and would help people who use mobile minutes more and can eliminate amazing bills. 🙂
For me, exceeding minutes is very rare situation since I hang up at mobile with less time. I had a situation 1-2 times where data plan was touching the limit during my vacation, since mobile was the main source to communicate. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the post.
Hi Manickam, Yes, I have only rarely gone over my voice minutes but when it happens, Yikes! Check out my article, Mind the Cap!, for apps that will help you monitor your data usage. https://wonderoftech.com/2011/04/mind-the-cap/
Enjoy!
Hey Carolyn,
Perhaps I should have read your post BEFORE I called Europe and chatted with a long lost friend for 2 hours. Then the bill of $300 came in the mail…..I wasn’t tooooo happy about that. 🙂
Thanks for the share!
Akos
Hi Akos, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yikes, that’s a high bill! I would definitely call your carrier to see if there is any way you can get that reduced. Try to sign up for an international plan next time before you call Europe or use Skype to reduce your charges. Sorry that happened to you, Akos!