T-Mobile to Stop Offering 200MB of Free Data for New iPad Owners

When T-Mobile first began offering cellular iPads in the fall of 2013, the company included a plan that provided customers with 200MB of free LTE data each month for the life of the tablet, a promotion that is now coming to an end.

As noted by TmoNews, T-Mobile has updated its Free Data for Life support page to note that the program is no longer available for new activations as of May 7, 2017. Customers who signed up for Free Data for Life on or before May 6, 2017, are able to keep the 200MB data plan with their current iPads so long as they continue to be T-Mobile subscribers.

tmobile logo
T-Mobile's free data plan has always been tied to a specific device rather than an account, so when upgrading to a new iPad, customers who use Free Data for Life will not be able to keep the data plan. Going forward, no new tablets that are released will be eligible for the program.

Important: As of May 7, 2017, Free Data for Life is no longer available for new activations. If you signed up for FDFL on or before May 6, 2017, you can keep it with your current tablet as long as you own and use your tablet with T-Mobile.

Free Data for Life was originally introduced as one of T-Mobile's Un-carrier initiatives, and T-Mobile was the only company to offer a free data plan for iPads.

T-Mobile currently offers just one data plan, T-Mobile One, with unlimited data. T-Mobile One customers can add a tablet to their plans for $20 per month.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...

Top Rated Comments

zorinlynx Avatar
112 months ago
200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.
It came in handy sometimes, though.

At one point there was a huge storm that knocked out power and Internet, along with AT&T cellular service.

On a hunch I grabbed my iPad which has that 200MB SIM in it and turned on cellular, and it worked. Was able to tell folks we were okay.

As an emergency communication method, those 200MB free data SIMs are good to have around. They also work in iPhones, though from the sound of it you won't be able to move them between devices anymore. :(
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
anthonysjennings Avatar
112 months ago
200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.
Speak for yourself. With T-Mobile's free (200mb of) data every month, coupled with a free data SIM from FreedomPop both installed in a 9.7" iPad Pro (with embedded SIM) gave me just enough free data every month that actually buying iPad data began to seem weird.

And as for the article suggesting there is only one data plan available for cellular iPads, readers please know there are still many monthly and day/weekly passes available from T-Mobile in the iPad, including the high value 5gb/150 days daily plan for $10. Literally who else sells 5 gigs of mobile data and let you use it over the course of five months (or until it runs out, whichever comes first)?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zaft Avatar
112 months ago
200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
barkomatic Avatar
112 months ago
200mb was nothing anyway.. Just a way for Legere to brag.
It wasn't a lot, but just enough to locate an iPad using your iPhone.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jrholt Avatar
112 months ago

When T-Mobile first began offering cellular iPads in the fall of 2013, the company included a plan ('https://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/22/t-mobile-launches-cellular-ipads-with-free-200-mb-data/') that provided customers with 200MB of free LTE data each month for the life of the tablet, a promotion that is now coming to an end.
It's not like you had to buy the iPad through T-Mobile or otherwise be a T-Mobile customer either. I have an iPad Air 2 with cellular capability that I initially had on a $10/mo Verizon plan. Once I realized I barely used it outside of Wi-Fi, I switched to the Free T-Mobile 200MB data plan and never looked back. It's been awesome. Glad to see I'm being grandfathered in.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmckenica Avatar
112 months ago
This actually helped me locate my stolen iPad 2 a few years back. Someone tried to sell it at a local pawn shop and when they turned it on I got a ping from Find My iPhone and was able to get it back with help from local authorities.
Sad to see this go. Even though it's a small plan, it's very useful.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)