Get Your Phone Usage Through a Text on Sprint

So, you want to check your Sprint phone usage through a text? It’s very easy to do, and it's a good idea so you don’t end up paying more than you want or expect.

Steps

Learning Your Phone Usage Through Texting

  1. Request a text update from your phone. On your phone, text the word “usage” to 1311. You will receive a text message with your usage information. It’s that simple!
    • If you are the primary account holder, you can also see usage alerts for all phones on the plan. Obviously, this only works if you have a Sprint data plan.[1]
    • You can check your current usage at any time by sending a text message with this process, by sending the word usage to 1311. Both the text message and response from Sprint are free, and they do not count towards your text plan. You will also generally get notifications after exceeding 20 percent increments over the original threshold too.
    • This short code also lets you request your upgrade eligibility, as well as current usage information (minutes, text and data). Text "upgrade" or "usage" for the different data.
  2. Check for usage alerts. Text updates are sent to your phone and email once a usage threshold is passed. That means you will get a text after you use different increments above your data usage plan, depending on the kind of plan you have. Often these come at 75% of your available time, 90% and 100%.
    • Be aware that a large update will not trigger an update until it is finished, making it possible to go over your limit.
    • Determine differences among plans. If you have a Sprint Family Share Pack Plan, you will get notifications at 40 percent increments over the original data allowance if you have a 600 MB allowance. The notifications arrive at 20 percent increments if you have a 1 GB, 2 GB or 4 GB allowance, or at 5% increments if you have an 8 GB or higher allowance.
    • If you’re on the $15/GB additional high speed data buy up, you will receive notifications at 75%, 90% and 100% of additional purchase data allowance.

Checking Your Usage Online or by Phone

  1. Check your MySprint account online. Yes, you wanted to learn how to get usage by a text message. You can set that process up online!
    • Set up an account on My Sprint (go to www.sprint.com and click on My Sprint at the top left), then log in.
    • On the My Sprint page, scroll down to "About My Devices" for a summary of your usages. Click "See All Usage" for a detailed view of your minutes, text, and data usage. You can also access your My Sprint account on your smart phone or tablet using the Sprint Zone app.
  2. Change your data alert preferences. You can also set your data alert preferences via email or text by logging into your account at http://mysprint.sprint.com.
    • Go to "My Preferences," and select "Email Notification" and then the "Security and Usage Notification" to choose email or text messages.
    • If no preference is selected, Sprint will use text messaging as the default for usage alerts.[2]
  3. Call for an automated usage summary. On your phone, dial *4 and follow the voice prompts, or dial 4 again to hear all your usages.
    • Dialing *4 allows you to receive text, data, and voice minute usage via a voice response.[3]
    • You can request a text with the information when the call is complete.

Using Other Methods to Check Phone Usage

  1. Use third-party diagnostic tools. Popular apps such as 3G Watchdog, Dataman, and Data Monitor are frequently used to measure data usage on a device when built-in diagnostic systems are insufficient.
    • They can be downloaded from the Internet. Using one or more of the options listed here will help you keep your data usage within reasonable limits.
    • You will never be surprised by your monthly bill again.
  2. Use other Sprint texting short codes. Sprint has many other texting short codes for its users that allow them to learn all kinds of things about their plans. [1]
    • Use 3223. Sprint account alerts provide educational information about your device.
    • Use 7726. Report spam text messages using this code.
    • Use 8353. Use text to landline to receive notifications about message delivery when texting a landline phone number if it doesn’t support SMS messaging. The phone will inform you whether the message was successful.
    • Use 9016. You can get visual voicemail notifications this way.
    • Use 9999. Use this code if you want to block or unblock text messages from some numbers. [4]
  3. Obtaining alerts on international usage. If you’ve gone overseas, Sprint will send you a welcome message when you register in a foreign country.
    • This message will send you a test message that includes rate information for things like texts and data in that specific country.
    • Sprint will also send you a notification for every $50 increment of international data roaming charges. You will have to opt-in to receive the data roaming capabilities and charges when you exceed $100.
  • Sprint will suspend your account after you receive $500 in charges internationally. You can call Sprint to reactivate the phone service though.

Tips

  • This only works for Sprint users.
  • The informational text should include your billing cycle dates, minutes used, number of text messages sent, and the amount of data you've used so far.
  • If you have a tablet, your data usage will be suspended when you hit 100 percent of your plan. You can pay overage charges to continue.
  • You can use the text message system to check for data usage while roaming, too.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://support.sprint.com/support/article/Check_your_usage_via_text_message/case-fk158645-20110824-120953#!/
  2. ↑ https://www.sprint.com/legal/usage_alerts.html#!/
  3. ↑ http://classroom.synonym.com/sprint-text-details-17910.html
  4. ↑ https://community.sprint.com/baw/docs/DOC-2581
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Get_Your_Phone_Usage_Through_a_Text_on_Sprint&oldid=311422"