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I am temporarily abroad (outside the EU) and needed to contact my bank. Unfortunately, the only way to make authorized inquiries (card blocking, etc.) is via phone. The bank provides two numbers, for domestic (Czech) and international calls labeled as phone calls (i.e. no Skype, FaceTime, etc.). I don't know what software and devices their operators use.

I connected to the stable WiFi and called to the international-purpose number via FaceTime on a MacBook bound to an iPhone having a domestic (Czech) SIM card. My browser propted me to use FaceTime. The other party picked up the call can we had a talk I need.

I assume as long as the call worked and I used FaceTime, the call should be free-of-charge (I mean the Wifi costs but not a roaming consts). How can I verify the call was fully via FaceTime and the internet network (not the phone network)?

iPhone

My iPhone does not show the call in the FaceTime history but instead does in the Recents calls as an outgoing one:

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Upon the update to iOS 17 and tapping on the (i) icon, I see this:

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MacBook

My MacBook shows the call in the FaceTime history but not the call details:

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I found a similar question, but it's almost 7 years old (technology changes rapidly) and my question is a bit more detailed.

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2 Answers 2

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A call is entirely FaceTime Audio or entirely a standard Cellular call.

If it was a FaceTime audio call, you will see a data transfer amount next to the call duration after tapping (i) (tested on iOS 17 only).

September 9, 2023 ata 7:02 PM: Outgoing Call, 19 seconds (13 KB)

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  • First of all, thanks for the answer! I updated to iOS 17. I checked the FaceTime app on my iPhone and the call is not in the history, though it is on the Mac (however FaceTime on Mac doesn't show call details, I love when the apps are inconsistent). However, I found the call in the standard phone call app in the Recents tab on my iPhone that says 8 minutes (Zero KB) - I added the screen to the question. Does it mean it was a FaceTime call with no data (LTE) usage as long as the connection was via WiFi?
    – Nikolas
    Commented Sep 20, 2023 at 4:47
  • Very much possible, since my regular calls show nothing following the time. I think that's conclusive that it was a FaceTime Audio call. You do make a good point about the fact this number specifically refers to cellular data, but if it shows Zero KB I think that's conclusive.
    – Ezekiel
    Commented Sep 20, 2023 at 12:41
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Okay, I got my billing and I was so lucky I got charged for the international call. I was even fortunate that I made another such call a week ago, so I assume the very same scenario.

Perhaps, Apple should make the information in the FaceTime application clearer and more user-friendly (it is not at all).

So the answer based on the thorough empirical research is...

Zero KB with non-zero minutes = International Call

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