Aug 17, 2023, 7:44 am
Last edit by: serpens
Here are instructions for what phone settings to use when a travel SIM has been activated. The initial wiki is for an iPhone (in particular, an iPhone SE 2020 with iOS 16.6), but perhaps others will expand the wiki to clarify the steps for other phones or other operating system versions.
* Before arriving in the travel area, turn off roaming on the home SIM (to avoid any roaming charge).
- At Settings > Cellular, under SIMs, choose the home SIM and turn off Data Roaming.
If there is a Network Selection option (which is apparently not available with Consumer Cellular), choose a network on which the phone cannot roam, for example, 313-100.
* After arriving in the travel area, use the following settings.
- At Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data, choose the travel SIM and turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching.
- At Settings > Cellular > Default Voice Line, choose the home SIM.
- At Settings > Cellular, under SIMs, ensure both home and travel are On.
- At Settings > Cellular > [home SIM], ensure Wi-Fi calling is On and Data Roaming is Off.
- At Settings > Cellular > [travel SIM], ensure Data Roaming is On and (optionally) Low Data Mode is On.
Corrections are welcome, as are elaborations of what these settings mean and do.
* Before arriving in the travel area, turn off roaming on the home SIM (to avoid any roaming charge).
- At Settings > Cellular, under SIMs, choose the home SIM and turn off Data Roaming.
If there is a Network Selection option (which is apparently not available with Consumer Cellular), choose a network on which the phone cannot roam, for example, 313-100.
* After arriving in the travel area, use the following settings.
- At Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data, choose the travel SIM and turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching.
- At Settings > Cellular > Default Voice Line, choose the home SIM.
- At Settings > Cellular, under SIMs, ensure both home and travel are On.
- At Settings > Cellular > [home SIM], ensure Wi-Fi calling is On and Data Roaming is Off.
- At Settings > Cellular > [travel SIM], ensure Data Roaming is On and (optionally) Low Data Mode is On.
Corrections are welcome, as are elaborations of what these settings mean and do.
SIM for multi-country Europe trip and options for calling home
Aug 11, 2022, 9:06 am
#226
Join Date: Sep 2008
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It might still apply. Last year when I went to Scotland my roaming was turned off because I supposedly was outside the UK for too long although my usage was once or twice turn it on, get the welcome to USA message and the at the time CDC message, and then turn it off. They did re enable it for me.
Aug 11, 2022, 9:09 am
#227
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Finkface. As I wrote earlier, it depends on what you need. A tourist visiting France one time for a week is unlikely to really need a French number, someone who regularly visits France, perhaps has bank accounts, actual Friends on teh ground, or some interaction with local business will actually need a French number.
Last edited by Finkface; Aug 11, 2022 at 9:15 am
Aug 11, 2022, 10:42 am
#228
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 270
I travel frequently to India, and it seems the whole country revolves around text messages for everything. WhatsApp is certainly gaining ground, but text messages still rule there for quick, ad hoc communications.
Aug 11, 2022, 10:44 am
#229
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Aug 11, 2022, 3:05 pm
#232
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Aug 11, 2022, 6:46 pm
#233
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,057
And don't forget the one-time password obsession for everything. Even things that tourists are likely to use like booking event or museum tickets and food delivery apps require OTPs and the vast majority won't send them to anything but a +91 number.
Aug 11, 2022, 6:57 pm
#234
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Do you mean in India? If so, why?
Aug 11, 2022, 7:20 pm
#235
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEL
Posts: 1,057
Yes. It's a cheap and easy fraud-prevention measure for a country where everyone has a smartphone but tons of people have never used a computer. A site or app that would ask you to make an account with an e-mail address in Europe or North America will use SMS'd one-time passcodes in India and tie the account to your mobile number. It's infuriating for tourists or recent arrivals but the plus side is no passwords to forget.
I never had any issues in Europe with a foreign phone number--no one uses SMS anyway. You use apps to message friends and voice calls or e-mail to communicate with shops, doctors, etc. and even apps or sites that use OTPs will e-mail them. The one thing I can think of that insisted on SMS was the ticket app for De Lijn (the bus/tram operator in Flanders) but it'll text any country the average Belgian has heard of. I had a UK number when I first moved there and a French number for a couple years and had no issues with either.
So really the answer to "is Airalo or Fi good enough for my trip" is "it depends where you're going".
I never had any issues in Europe with a foreign phone number--no one uses SMS anyway. You use apps to message friends and voice calls or e-mail to communicate with shops, doctors, etc. and even apps or sites that use OTPs will e-mail them. The one thing I can think of that insisted on SMS was the ticket app for De Lijn (the bus/tram operator in Flanders) but it'll text any country the average Belgian has heard of. I had a UK number when I first moved there and a French number for a couple years and had no issues with either.
So really the answer to "is Airalo or Fi good enough for my trip" is "it depends where you're going".
Aug 13, 2022, 2:40 pm
#236
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: san francisco.
Programs: Marriott Ti, OW Ruby
Posts: 1,852
Hello,
I've read most of the thread so apologies if this has been asked and or answered before.
When traveling to the UK from the US can I:
A) buy and install a UK SIM card for my phone and:
B) set up call forwarding on my iPhone to the new UK /SIM card phone number?
Thanks for any replies,
I've read most of the thread so apologies if this has been asked and or answered before.
When traveling to the UK from the US can I:
A) buy and install a UK SIM card for my phone and:
B) set up call forwarding on my iPhone to the new UK /SIM card phone number?
Thanks for any replies,
Aug 13, 2022, 6:34 pm
#237
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Hello,
I've read most of the thread so apologies if this has been asked and or answered before.
When traveling to the UK from the US can I:
A) buy and install a UK SIM card for my phone and:
B) set up call forwarding on my iPhone to the new UK /SIM card phone number?
Thanks for any replies,
I've read most of the thread so apologies if this has been asked and or answered before.
When traveling to the UK from the US can I:
A) buy and install a UK SIM card for my phone and:
B) set up call forwarding on my iPhone to the new UK /SIM card phone number?
Thanks for any replies,
B) I’m unclear what you’re asking. Are you talking about two phones? I’m assuming you’d need your US forwarding phone to have an active US SIM in order to forward to your UK SIM. The other issue would be that your original/forwarding SIM provider in the US would presumably charge you international rates to forward to an international number.
Aug 14, 2022, 9:08 am
#238
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
Aug 15, 2022, 9:05 pm
#239
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: san francisco.
Programs: Marriott Ti, OW Ruby
Posts: 1,852
A) If your phone is unlocked, yes you can.
B) I’m unclear what you’re asking. Are you talking about two phones? I’m assuming you’d need your US forwarding phone to have an active US SIM in order to forward to your UK SIM. The other issue would be that your original/forwarding SIM provider in the US would presumably charge you international rates to forward to an international number.
B) I’m unclear what you’re asking. Are you talking about two phones? I’m assuming you’d need your US forwarding phone to have an active US SIM in order to forward to your UK SIM. The other issue would be that your original/forwarding SIM provider in the US would presumably charge you international rates to forward to an international number.
Yes, my phone is unlocked and ,
I see what your getting at for the second part.
In order to forward a call I'd have to have 2 phones.
However my provider ( mint mobile) isn't really set up for international service so my US phone may not be reachable in the UK to be able to forward a call to a second, UK sim phone.
Rats
Aug 16, 2022, 1:23 am
#240
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
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Thank you for your reply,
Yes, my phone is unlocked and ,
I see what your getting at for the second part.
In order to forward a call I'd have to have 2 phones.
However my provider ( mint mobile) isn't really set up for international service so my US phone may not be reachable in the UK to be able to forward a call to a second, UK sim phone.
Rats
Yes, my phone is unlocked and ,
I see what your getting at for the second part.
In order to forward a call I'd have to have 2 phones.
However my provider ( mint mobile) isn't really set up for international service so my US phone may not be reachable in the UK to be able to forward a call to a second, UK sim phone.
Rats