Google Fi as multi-country travel SIM?
Dec 10, 2018, 9:13 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 14
Google Fi as multi-country travel SIM?
Hi All,
I saw the news last week about Google Fi officially supporting iPhones. I'm wondering if it might be a good option for us.
We travel internationally several times/year. It's never for work, so we're on our own for cell roaming/data fees. In the past, we've bought SIMs and a small plan for minutes/data in every new country. (The forum won't allow me to post links because I don't have enough cred yet, but you can find a previous story I shared as Post 21 of a thread called "Singapore SIM card recommendations")
I'm not ready to port my number and give up my VZW plan domestically, but I'm thinking I could swap out the Google Fi SIM each time we traveled.
The phone service is $20/month, but the plan can be put on hold for up to 3 months at a time if we didn't have travel planned. Data is $10 per GB, charged as you go. Don’t use, don’t pay.
Our other options are, Verizon's International Flex Plan, which is $10/day. Or, buying SIMs everywhere we go, which varies in cost since SIMs and data plans vary by country and service provider. And while there’s a certain James Bond coolness about doing that, there’s also uncertainty and extra headaches.
Another nice thing is that friends and family could save the Fi number as my "international travel" number, since it wouldn't change from trip to trip. This is an improvement over the current "burner SIM" scenario, where my number changes not only every trip, but sometimes multiple times within a single trip if we go to different countries that don't share a carrier/service between them.
Any thoughts on using Google Fi this way? Any experience doing so?
Thanks, and happy travels.
I saw the news last week about Google Fi officially supporting iPhones. I'm wondering if it might be a good option for us.
We travel internationally several times/year. It's never for work, so we're on our own for cell roaming/data fees. In the past, we've bought SIMs and a small plan for minutes/data in every new country. (The forum won't allow me to post links because I don't have enough cred yet, but you can find a previous story I shared as Post 21 of a thread called "Singapore SIM card recommendations")
I'm not ready to port my number and give up my VZW plan domestically, but I'm thinking I could swap out the Google Fi SIM each time we traveled.
The phone service is $20/month, but the plan can be put on hold for up to 3 months at a time if we didn't have travel planned. Data is $10 per GB, charged as you go. Don’t use, don’t pay.
Our other options are, Verizon's International Flex Plan, which is $10/day. Or, buying SIMs everywhere we go, which varies in cost since SIMs and data plans vary by country and service provider. And while there’s a certain James Bond coolness about doing that, there’s also uncertainty and extra headaches.
Another nice thing is that friends and family could save the Fi number as my "international travel" number, since it wouldn't change from trip to trip. This is an improvement over the current "burner SIM" scenario, where my number changes not only every trip, but sometimes multiple times within a single trip if we go to different countries that don't share a carrier/service between them.
Any thoughts on using Google Fi this way? Any experience doing so?
Thanks, and happy travels.
Dec 10, 2018, 11:37 am
#2
Join Date: May 2013
Location: USA
Programs: AA Plt Pro, UA Silver, DL, QF; HHonors Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 128
That's how I use my Google Fi line, with the exception of I keep my Fi line active year-round and use the number as my personal/non-business line, and for data coverage where Verizon is lacking when I'm on the road domestically. And now with the acceptance of iPhones officially I have the SIM in my iPhone XS as Fi, and the eSIM as Verizon. It works well, though it likely will not be cheaper than local SIMs in most destinations. It is generally easier, though you can read about the occasional service hiccup on these and other forums. Just make sure your typical travel destinations are covered in the country list...
Dec 10, 2018, 12:33 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 189
I also use fi as my main cell service, but the international coverage is pretty sweel. Get of a plane, and the phone just works (usually after a couple minutes). Lot easier than buy local sims, which I used to do. Also nice is you can get extra data only sims, so if you are traveling with a partner, the other person can use a data sim as well so you can both get data (only the primary can get cellular service, but the 2nd phone with data only could make outbound calls over data via hangouts dialer).
Dec 10, 2018, 1:52 pm
#4
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
You could even set your Verizon phone to forward to Fi when you're traveling abroad, so nobody would have to know your second number. That might or might not be desirable depending on the kind and volume of calls you receive.
Dec 10, 2018, 6:46 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: I 35 south bound, finally stopped
Programs: LT Plt, 4mm, *A GLD, burned out medical provider, executing our estate plan
Posts: 1,665
mods should merge, this has been covered. My work phone is Sprint and they are doing a better job of covering international travel. However My travel phone and my wife's primary phone is Google Fi. Six eastern european countries Oct-Nov- great. Our phone/text is $35 a month. Wifi calling great, data always the same price, great. My Son and daughter in law just ditched Verizon for Google Fi last week with the great deal on Pixel 3. I run a Fi data sim in an Iphone 6 with a mophie juice pack for those international days that are very long.
Dec 11, 2018, 4:27 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: YUL
Programs: UA 1K, MR Bonvoy Bonzaiiiii, National EE
Posts: 622
Right now I have a Verizon SIM and phone # I've had for 18 years, but a few years back I got a Google Voice # that I've been slowly transitioning to. Haven't made the total switchover because Google seems to love to change up their messaging apps and features every year.
I have my Google Voice # forward calls to my Verizon SIM at the moment. If I leave the country, I can get a Google Fi SIM and then just switch that up! Might be something to do with my next phone if an Android phone comes out that has eSIM support with Verizon.
Dec 11, 2018, 7:56 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
One important gotcha regarding Verizon call forwarding, which has bit me several times now: when you enable or disable it on myverizon.com, Verizon verifies your request by sending a text to a number on your account. You can choose which of your Verizon numbers you want to receive it, but you understandably can't send it to another number. I suppose you can call support to set it up for you; I've been able to work within the limitations of the online system so far.
Dec 16, 2018, 9:05 am
#8
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,784
One important gotcha regarding Verizon call forwarding, which has bit me several times now: when you enable or disable it on myverizon.com, Verizon verifies your request by sending a text to a number on your account. You can choose which of your Verizon numbers you want to receive it, but you understandably can't send it to another number. I suppose you can call support to set it up for you; I've been able to work within the limitations of the online system so far.
Dec 16, 2018, 10:58 am
#9
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: DAY/CMH
Programs: UA MileagePlus
Posts: 2,474
Yes, you can. I have the sequence to set it up stored in a contact, along with the sequences that turn it off and set my account to forward missed and dismissed calls to my Google Voice number. Despite having a thorough pre-departure checklist for my last trip, I managed to forget to run the "forward all" sequence before leaving the States.
