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Smart to offer Unli Facebook for free!

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Smart Comm. today announced that it will offer free Facebook access to all its 50 million subscribers. If you’re on Smart, you can now access FB on your mobile phone starting tomorrow.

To gain access to the free Facebook mobile, just follow these instructions:

Step 1) Text “FB” and send to 211.

Step 2) You will receive an SMS with a link to a site. Click on the link.

Step 3) Follow instructions there to download the “Facebook Mobile App” from that link.

That’s it. As long as you have at least Php1.00 balance in your load, you can use the FB Mobile App to check your account.

For non-smartphone users, you can just load your browser and point it to m.facebook.com and you’ll be able to access Facebook Mobile for free.

In order to avoid automatic charging, you’ll have to set your browser’s default URL or home page to m.smart.com.ph (or just set it to m.facebook.com).

There’s no need to change your APN settings in order to activate this.

Just a warning though — only Facebook Mobile site is free. If you clicked on a link that jumps to another site, you will get charged the normal rates. This is where it’s going to be tricky so be careful.

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[07June 2012] Filipinos on Facebook – now over 27 million and the 8th biggest community in terms of nationality – have another reason to love the massively popular social networking site. Aside from keeping one informed, entertained, updated, and connected in so many ways, Facebook has also become the friendliest, most accessible site available to the social networking-crazy Pinoy. More importantly, access to Facebook has become free, thanks to wireless leader and official Facebook mobile partner Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart).

Starting June 8, access to Facebook will be offered free for over 50 million Smart subscribers, and they can get on the social networking site with virtually any kind of cellphone they have in their hands.

“We want to encourage more Filipinos to discover the benefits of being online and on Facebook – whether for information, for entertainment, and for simply keeping abreast with the rest of the world,” said Emmanuel Lorenzana, head of the Wireless Consumer Division of Smart.

To get started, Smart subscribers simply need to text FB to 211, then click on the download link which will be sent via SMS for free. Simply follow the instructions to get the ‘Facebook Mobile App’ always on, ready to use, unli, and for free, with a P1 maintaining balance.

By using the Facebook Mobile App, a big bulk of Smart subscribers – more than 24 million users of basic but MMS-capable handsets – can connect to Facebook right away, all day using any ‘Java’ cellphone – almost 2,500 kinds of it.

Having free and ‘unli’ access through the easy-to-use Facebook Mobile App means always being updated, and being low on load is not even a problem anymore. Users can access Facebook with the phone they are used to and comfortable with. And with Smart’s ‘nationwidest’ coverage, users can check Facebook wherever they please.

Users of mid-range, Internet-enabled phones and smartphones get an even better deal. Using their cellphone’s browser, access to m.facebook.com is also free for all Smart subscribers.

With free and unli access to m.facebook.com, Smart subscribers can continue enjoying Facebook even when they are mobile, right on their cellphone. They can make quick checks on live news feeds, post comments, view profiles and photo albums, update their status, read and send private messages, and find friends, without having to find an Internet café.

The free offer is only for access to Facebook, and regular charges will apply when a user clicks on a link to browse photos, videos, news articles or any other content outside of Facebook. Users must also set the Smart site m.smart.com.ph as their mobile browser’s home page to ensure that no charges will apply upon start of browsing.

Smartphone users availing of the free Facebook offer can also protect themselves against unexpected data charges, by subscribing to affordable, catch-all data plans such as Always On 20, which provides 24 hours of data connection to all background activities like push mail, auto updating of apps, among others.

“The growth of the number of Filipinos getting on Facebook and the sheer amount of information that we share in that space like photos, videos, have been simply phenomenal. And the experience for a user becomes twice as delightful if done via mobile – more timely, more personal – which is how we would like to engage our subscribers to ‘live more’. Smart is in a unique and pivotal position to encourage this – at the same time as we make data connectivity more pervasive in the country, and make connected devices more widely available,” added Lorenzana.
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Written by
Abe Olandres

Abe Olandres

Editor-in-chief

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

View all posts by Abe Olandres →

86 Comments

ST
Stop Grow Reviews · 13 years ago

What’s up, all is going perfectly here and ofcourse every one is sharing data, that’s genuinely fine, keep up
writing.

Reply
NE
never cold call · 13 years ago

I get pleasure from, cause I discovered exactly what I was having a look
for. You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you
man. Have a great day. Bye

Reply
EM
emmanuel · 13 years ago

paano po mag unli sa smart ung 1day poh ?? reply asap

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AR
Arnoldwebs · 13 years ago

ok pa sya ?

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AL
algie · 14 years ago

22o ba ito bkit ayaw gumana sakin nawalan pa ako ng 10 php loud !

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JL
jlapitan · 14 years ago

free parin b until now?

Reply
JO
John · 14 years ago

Kapalit?

Merong kapalit sa mga nagbabayad!

Sobrang bagal ng internet simula ng June 7.

Pati kameng mga Smart Bro na apektuhan. Tsk.

Congested.

Reply
MY
Mykel · 14 years ago

Mabagal c Smarty khit nakamodded mga browser ko. Dun ako sa Globobo, baka mayamaya may free fb din un gaya last february. Anyway, maigi nagpapalibre sila, Ano kaya ang kapalit?

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SA
sam · 14 years ago

ako nawawalan madalas..pero isang bese lng binalik ng smart load ko

Reply
AN
ANTI-MVP · 14 years ago

This is definitely a trap or an old school marketing strategy by Greedy Smart owned by greedy himself Manny Pangilinan who wants to buy all the things in this world for his own greed. This promo is until july 8, 2012 only after that back to normal.

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GH
ghie · 14 years ago

thank you sa smart zero balance ako pero nkka free fb po ako. sana wag na mawala ito

Reply
DA
daniel · 14 years ago

dont give conclusions kung di nyo pa na try… na try ko na sya since June 7 nung nag-start at 0.50 lng load ko… until now gumagana pa din… nakakapag-browse pa nga ako ng ibang site eh… ewan ko kung glitch or what… sinamantala ko na ung free haha nag-update ng mga apps via 3G… at hindi binabaan ang speed ng free facebook… full-fleged 3.7mbps dito sa QC area according sa speedtest ko. sulit na din hahah :)

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DA
daniel · 14 years ago

Xperia Neo pala phone ko :)

WA
wangbu · 14 years ago

forever free lang naman sa sun awooooooo!

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RA
ramzed · 14 years ago

hindi to mag work if naka smart phone ka at may load ka.. mag work lng to sa mga feature phone, if naka smart phone ka naman, siguraduhin mo na wala kang load, kaso mabagal sobra.. mas pipiliin mo mag bayad nalang kaysa mag antay na mag load and fb

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SH
showbiz · 14 years ago

Good offer from smart considering that facebook has a lot of pinoy users.

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MI
mightymodyakhoz · 14 years ago

GLOBE had an offer before the same as this one and I was able to enjoy this. However its better to have powersurf so that you’ll not be charged in clicking links, or if there are other background apps in your phone that uses the internet.

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TR
true friends quotes · 14 years ago

You’ve made some decent points there. I looked on the web for more info about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website.

Reply
KY
Kyoshiro Consunji · 14 years ago

I suppose this requires packet data to be turned on, yes?

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KY
kyo · 14 years ago

I suppose this requires data to be turned on, yes?

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BR
Bryan · 14 years ago

Till July 8? Definitely a trap.

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IT
itachi1 · 14 years ago

AFAIR Globe and TM had the same promo around Feb or April this year… pero it was for selected subscribers lang ata.

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DA
Dan · 14 years ago

There is no such thing as free lunch in this world

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SD
sdfalgew · 14 years ago

good way to congest your network, smart!

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JF
jfk · 14 years ago

i agree, sa panahon ngayon meron pb talaga free? cguro sa bgla tingin maganda, di halata pero business is business. pagalingan n lng mag isip kng paano kikita. ingat lang wag m trap :)

Reply
KA
Karen Bernarte · 14 years ago

They’re giving us a chance to LiveMore!:)
Thumbs up smart.

Reply
GU
Guest · 14 years ago

Its a trap!
Pano kung uninformed ang gagamit! haha. Tapos click click click. Magcclick ng mga youtube shared videos sa fb app. Ayun, charged! Lagyan sana nila ng malaking warning para sa subs nila.
Kahit pa piso load mo, kahit 10M subs ganyan pala ang magiging scenario, edi 10M gross revenue kaagad! Eh ang dami nilang subscribers, hindi naman kasi lahat ng tao mabubusisi sa detalye, pag nalamang free sige gamit kaagad.

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X
x · 14 years ago

wag mong igaya ang ibang tao sa yo kaw lang ang ganyan, lol….

LE
leeto · 14 years ago

kaya nga wag tatanga-tanga

GU
Guest · 14 years ago

@x
Sinabi ko bang ako? Intindihin mo muna laman nung komento bago ka magbitiw ng ganyan. Hanggang “uninformed” lang siguro binasa mo tapos react ka na kaagad.
Ikaw siguro nakuhanan na ng load ng hindi mo alam kung bakit kaya ka ganyan sumagot.
May ‘lol’ ka pang nalalaman.
Better subscribe to a mobile data plan, unless you’re a cheapo!

GR
Gray · 14 years ago

and what’s wrong with that? realidad na yan. kung hindi tatanga tanga ang user sa paggamit niya, at asa lang ng asa sa libre, then problema niya na yun.

CH
chris · 14 years ago

will this free FB work on iphone?? hmmm

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SA
Sanctuarian06 · 14 years ago

Is this forever free?

Reply
LE
Levite · 14 years ago

No this is not forever free. It is only up to July 8 at least according to the reply text from Smart after sending FB to 211

SO
Soul Annihilator · 14 years ago

Sir Yuga paano po kung meron na kong FB app sa Android phone ko? Kelangan ko pa rin ba idownload yung from Smart?

Reply
LA
la lang! · 14 years ago

napaka-negative na talaga ng mga tao ngayon, o talaga lang paranoid na ang iba, kasi sila sa sarili nila siguro may duda na kung tama ba o mali ang mga ginagawa nila, hindi na lang magpasalamat sa free na binibigay sa kanila, eh kung ayaw nilang ma-charged eh di piso lang ang i-load nila problema ba yun, mga utak talangka talaga kayo!

Reply
PI
Pier · 14 years ago

No. It’s called anticipation sa mga scenarios na highly likely mangyari pero indi ginagawan ng Smart ng paraan. (e.g. outside facebook traffic na ginagawa ng mga ads). Kung magla-launch sila ng feature, gawin nilang fully working.

LE
leeto · 14 years ago

correct ka la lang, may kasabihan kasi na ang magnanakaw takot sa kapwa magnanakaw

SW
Swordstech · 14 years ago

yeap he’s right… i agree.. marami mga galit sa telcos na mali lang kadalasan ng mga user.. kahit kailan di pa ako nanakawan ng load. no violent reactions pls… magsubscribe nalang tayo ng data plan para walang problema or wag nalang pansinin ang free fb

ED
Edsar Bondoc · 14 years ago

Hayyy naku kunware free! If I know gumagawa nanaman ng paraan ang mga telco para magnakaw ng LOAD! Corporate greed nga naman tsk tsk

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SA
sam · 14 years ago

mag balance muna kayo ng below 10php para sure. kung pospaid ka naman mag wi-fi ka na lang…

Reply
HA
halojin · 14 years ago

Pano kaya gagawin ng GLOBE? Libre Twitter naman hehehe

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TR
trap! · 14 years ago

this is a trap! i can just imagine at least 25M smart subscribers who will unknowingly click non-FB links and get charged automatically…. that’s a whopping P10 multiply it with 25M “trapped” subscribers! what a way to earn…… tsk tsk tsk

Reply

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