ESIM roaming and connecting one line via the other
 

I’m in London and using both my Verizon and a roaming eSIM. I want Verizon to connect via the roaming SIM’s connection so Verizon doesn’t bill me for TravelPass. How do I get it to do this?

I have data roaming off on the Verizon line and cellular data switching on. But I keep getting texts from Verizon notifying me of my using TravelPass.

I can’t disable the line because then it disables iMessage for my US mobile number.

It may depend on what make and model phone you are trying to use.

Dual sim iPhones since 2018 can use one carrier in the esim position and another in the sim slot. In this profile you can set either line to a non roaming carrier and the other line will act as a WiFi connection, providing service. Your carrier must allow WiFi calling, but that is pretty common on the big three US carriers. The latest iPhones allow dual esim service, but the configuration is basically the same. This setup is called IMS, and I use it on occasion and it works perfectly everywhere I have tried it with my 13 Pro Max. My wife's 11 Pro Max does the same with an esim and a sim card.

Set your esim as your data line. Turn off Wifi. Your Verizon Network selection needs to be put on a non roaming carrier with "No Service" in the Status Bar. After a few minutes the Verizon line should display "No Service", then "Using Cellular Data" in a few moments.

Edited to add: Data Roaming switch doesn't seem to matter, On or Off. If you have free WiFi calling to the US or elsewhere, this setup makes the calls free also. Your iMessage should work normally also, so although you are getting no data on your Verizon line, it acts as if it has a WiFi connection for general use.

If you have other questions, or it works for you, let us know please.

Ah, setting it to a nonroaming carrier was what I was missing. Im in London and apparently all the carriers are Verizon roaming partners except “234 32”, whatever that is.

A quick search of that network code says it is a test network on EE.

So, did you get the service you were desiring for your trip? You should have good data depending upon the esim carrier you've chosen, in addition to your Verizon connection being enabled on the pseudo WiFi link. Best of both worlds thanks to Apple.

I'm very grateful for this feature and also for T-Mobile giving 5Gb data free per billing month per line. I have several free lines I can swap in and out of my phone. This gives me about 15Gb of free data per month while traveling. Double that if I end & restart a billing month while away.

Does it have to be set to a no roaming carrier? Can you just use airplane mode and turn on wifi? That works for me and my crappy payg US service which doesn't work outside the US. I can still use wifi calling as long as it is connected to wifi or tethered and I get imessage texts.

This is the setup for carriers that DO get international roaming. If you can connect to a carrier with roaming, I don’t think your device will seek the second line for service. And that line needs cellular to be enabled to provide service to the voice line. In your case you probably don’t even need to have cellular enabled just for WiFi calling. I don’t, but this is two different goals. I hope that explains it.

I am using an Orange France eSIM. It was €20 for 15 GB, free roaming throughout Europe, unlimited calls and texts to/from anywhere in Europe, and 30 min calls/200 SMS elsewhere. Oh, and I get a French phone number.

Did you buy it locally or ordered before you traveled?

So gfunkdave,

is the workaround functioning properly for you with your two lines? I test mine every month or two just to check. It has been very stable for a week or more at home, so far.

I have heard good things about the Orange France cell service. I think it was here on Flyertalk actually. I seldom make in country calls while away, and I am willing to pay $.25 a minute to call a hotel or Uber. I only end up with a couple of bucks in charges, tops. I will make free WiFi calls to and from the US much more than locally. Also, my phone remains active for calls & texts coming in from the US 24/7 while set up on the IMS function we've discussed.

I also have recently bought a BNesim data plan for testing. It has pretty good features for the price. 3 Gb of Global data with no expiration for $9 total for the Germany version. It has the same roaming countries listed as any other higher priced plan. I was planning on testing it in Europe later this year, but T-Mobile came through with their amazing 5Gb Freebie. BNesim roams on AT&T in the US, so maybe I'll just burn it up on my US excursions.

I bought it before leaving and installed/activated it when I got to France.

Yup, works well. Thanks.

Turn TravelPass off. You can do this from the Verizon website.

I found the best practice for Apple iMessage is to use your apple id email with Messages. (initiate new conversations from ...) However that won't help you with any existing conversations already using your Verizon phone number. But when you make the transition, then your existing conversations that are using the Apple ID email as the "address" generally just keep working regardless of what phone number you have active with Messages at the moment.

Once you make that transition you can probably use the Verizon virtual number app (similar to t-mobile digits, if they have one) to keep your VZ number active when on another SIM, using the other SIMs data. Messages using the VZ phone number in the address might get a chance to send as SMS when you do that.

After all that you own't need to keep the physical VZ SIM active and you can turn it off and turn off the related VZ stuff.

Does that help at all?

-David

But setting my email address as the conversation starter won’t help when people in the US (or elsewhere) text me by texting my number.

Correct - this is a huge limitation. Same applies to anyone trying to reach you by FaceTime via that number. The ideal solution here would be for Apple to allow "Airplane mode" (or give it a new name if required) to be enabled or disabled on a per-line basis. Then the number would remain active, you'd be able to make calls / send and receive SMS via WiFi calling, and you could use iMessage / FaceTime as normal via the temporary eSIM.

In the days of physical SIMs I used to carry a second phone with me when traveling just so I could put my US SIM card in it and leave it in Airplane mode. This shouldn't be necessary in today's eSIM world!

Regarding that TMobile plan, is it available in both a SIM card and Esim? Is it a standard plan or a add-on to a existing plan?

What is it’s official name? Thx