Frequently asked questions…

The m.abc.net.au site offers a selection of ABC content that has been optimised for viewing on a mobile phone. The m-site can be viewed on any mobile phone which can connect to the internet and you can browse content from ABC News, Sport, Weather, Television, Local, Radio, triple j, Sport and the ABC Shop.

The majority of new mobile handsets available in Australia today have the capacity to connect to the internet. The ABC m-site has been developed specifically for mobile use and ensures you can easily read stories as well as download content quick. File sizes are kept to a minimum to ensure minimal data usage.

Anytime you are out and about and may want to access ABC content via your mobile. You can read the latest news, sport and weather information, check what's on TV tonight, browse the triple j gig guide, and a whole lot more.

The mobile internet is pretty much the same as the normal Internet except rather than viewing web pages designed for PC's or Mac's, mobile web sites are designed for mobile phone screen sizes; this means they are fast to load. Most sites optimised for the mobile web have a URL that consists of m, mobi, or /mobile or .mobile.

m.abc.net.au is provided by the ABC at no charge. However browsing the site on your mobile may incur data charges depending on your service plan. Please check with your mobile phone operator for details as each operator offers different plans and services. (To manage the cost of using internet services on your phone, it's a good idea to sign up to a mobile data pack if available. Some mobile companies call this a web pack, data plan or data service).

Look for a mobile internet browser or mobile web icon on your handset. Click on that and type in the ABC's mobile address http://m.abc.net.au. If it loads then you should be fine to start browsing. If you are having problems accessing the internet on your phone or if you would like to sign up to a data plan, contact your mobile phone operator for assistance:

• Telstra: 125 111
• Optus: 1300 300 937
• Vodafone: 1300 650 410
• Three: 133 320
• Virgin: 1300 555 100
• AAPT: 133 007

A mobile data pack may also be called a web pack, data plan or data service. It is a plan that you can go on to with your mobile carrier which includes a certain amount of monthly mobile internet usage within your mobile plan.

It is measured in terms of the 'data' that you access when browsing the mobile internet. Data is mobile content displayed as you browse the mobile web and includes, images, text, video and audio files that are played. It also covers files that you download via the mobile web e.g. mp3 files.

At this stage the ABC has concentrated on delivering essential ABC stories on the m-site. We are looking to offer audio and video streaming in future phases of the site.

The ABC iPhone app features selected content from ABC TV, ABC Radio and up to the minute news and sport stories from ABC News.

You can watch the News in 90 Seconds video bulletins, stream live ABC News 24 and listen to 28 ABC radio stations on the go and more.

To download the ABC iPhone app, go to the iTunes App Store with your iPhone or iPod Touch. You can also access the app store from your computer, download it and synchronise with your device later. To make it easier for you, here is the link to initiate the download

To check the full list of iPhone apps produced by the ABC, check out our Apps section.

Yes, you need either and iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to run it.

The ABC has a variety of applications available as free downloads to the Australian public. The ABC iPhone app, rage mobile and the triple j Unearthed app are examples of this. To check the full list of apps available for your device visit our Apps section.

The ABC Android app features selected content from the ABC, including ABC News 24 and 28 live streams of ABC radio stations.

The app is available for download on the Google Play Store, which you can access from your Android phone.

Yes. Like the ABC iPhone app, the ABC Android app is also free of charge. Version 2.0 and above are distributed in Australia only.

Android is an operating system for mobile devices which has been developed by the Open Handset Alliance. The alliance is made up of 48 companies, including Google and a number of handset manufacturers and telecommunication providers.

Only if you have a compatible handset, running Android OS 2.2 (Froyo) and above. Distribution of this app is restricted to Australia only.

Google Play is a digital service from Google that offers music, movies, books, games and mobile app downloads. It is accessible from the web via computers, smartphones, tablets and Google TV.

The current version of the ABC iPad app doesn’t support multitasking, an update is in the works to fix that.

Until we are ready to submit the new version to Apple, here is a temporary solution we are recommending to our users to ensure they have the latest information shown on the ABC app:

1. Double click (quickly) on the iPad start button (the rounded one immediately below the display)
2. When you see the multitask bar on the bottom of your screen, scroll until you find the ABC iPad app
3. Press and hold the ABC iPad icon until all apps in the multitask bar start wobbling
4. Tap on the red ‘minus’ symbol on the top left of the wobbling ABC iPad icon
5. The ABC iPad app should disappear from your multitasking bar but still be visible on your iPad dashboard
6. Launch the ABC iPad app from your iPad dashboard

NOTE: latest versions of the ABC iPhone (2.7) and ABC iPad (1.3.1) apps now available on the App Store have fixed this bug: http://bit.ly/oZKZwn