Revenue Recognition (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability [Abstract]
Contract asset balance - current portion (in millions)	$ 1,244
Contract liability balance - current portion (in millions)	5,846
Advanced billings and customer deposits	6,045	$ 4,213
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations (in millions)	$ 40,474
Aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations (percentage)	70.00%
WarnerMedia [Member]
Revenue, Remaining Performance Obligation, Expected Timing of Satisfaction [Line Items]
Aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations (in millions)	$ 12,661
Deferred Customer Contract Acquisition Costs [Member]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net [Abstract]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net (in millions)	3,409
Capitalized Contract Cost, Amortization (in millions)	$ 959
Capitalized Contract Cost, Amortization Method	Costs to acquire customer contracts, including commissions on service activations, for our wireless and video entertainment services, are deferred and amortized over the contract period or expected customer life, which typically ranges from two to five years. For contracts with an estimated amortization period of less than one year, we expense incremental costs immediately.
Deferred Customer Contract Acquisition Costs [Member] \| Other Current Assets [Member]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net [Abstract]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net (in millions)	$ 1,572
Deferred Customer Contract Fulfillment Cost [Member]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net [Abstract]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net (in millions)	11,304
Capitalized Contract Cost, Amortization (in millions)	$ 2,983
Capitalized Contract Cost, Amortization Method	Costs to fulfill customer contracts are deferred and amortized over periods ranging generally from four to five years, reflecting the estimated economic lives of the respective customer relationships, subject to an assessment of the recoverability of such costs. For contracts with an estimated amortization period of less than one year, we expense incremental costs immediately.
Deferred Customer Contract Fulfillment Cost [Member] \| Other Current Assets [Member]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net [Abstract]
Capitalized Contract Cost, Net (in millions)	$ 3,905

Amount of amortization expense for asset recognized from cost incurred to obtain or fulfill contract with customer.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131252-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Description of method used for amortizing cost capitalized in obtaining or fulfilling contract with customer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131251-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostAmortizationMethod
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment loss, of asset recognized from cost incurred to obtain or fulfill contract with customer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 340
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68051541&loc=SL49131252-203054

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostNetAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetAndLiabilityAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after allowance for credit loss, of right to consideration in exchange for good or service transferred to customer when right is conditioned on something other than passage of time, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130531-203044

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130533-203044

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerAssetNetCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130532-203044

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82913815&loc=SL49130531-203044

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The current portion of aggregate prepayments received from customers for goods or services to be provided in the future, as well as the current portion of money or property received from customers that are to be returned upon satisfactory contract completion or as partial prepayment for goods or services to be provided in the future.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CustomerAdvancesAndDepositsCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of transaction price allocated to performance obligation that has not been recognized as revenue.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130556-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligationExpectedTimingOfSatisfactionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of remaining performance obligation to total remaining performance obligation not recognized as revenue.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130556-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueRemainingPerformanceObligationPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=t_WarnerMediaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostAxis=t_DeferredCustomerContractAcquisitionCostsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_OtherCurrentAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedContractCostAxis=t_DeferredCustomerContractFulfillmentCostMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: