Using a US cell phone overseas
December 29, 2023 10:32 AM Subscribe
Another "explain this to me like I'm 5" question: Kid Blah is going to the UK for a semester. He'll take his US cell phone (unlocked, AT&T) with him, and we've been instructed to have him purchase a SIM upon arrival at the airport. I have questions...
First of all, he does need a local SIM card because it's a condition of his program that he have a local phone number. We've been assured this is super easy.
Beyond that:
-- How do I ensure we don't trigger overseas charges on his regular US phone number? Like, what if someone in the US calls him? What happens?
-- Even if we wanted to enable international calling on his plan, how would that work once his US SIM card isn't in his phone?
-- His program says eSIM cards are hard to get in England without a local bank account, which he otherwise has no need for (and which we've been told are hard to get for those on a student visa).
Basically I feel like I have a big chunk of non-understanding in the middle of this, and I'd like to be educated. Help?
First of all, he does need a local SIM card because it's a condition of his program that he have a local phone number. We've been assured this is super easy.
Beyond that:
-- How do I ensure we don't trigger overseas charges on his regular US phone number? Like, what if someone in the US calls him? What happens?
-- Even if we wanted to enable international calling on his plan, how would that work once his US SIM card isn't in his phone?
-- His program says eSIM cards are hard to get in England without a local bank account, which he otherwise has no need for (and which we've been told are hard to get for those on a student visa).
Basically I feel like I have a big chunk of non-understanding in the middle of this, and I'd like to be educated. Help?
Assuming that he's going to remove his US SIM and replace it with a UK SIM:
How do I ensure we don't trigger overseas charges on his regular US phone number? Like, what if someone in the US calls him? What happens?
If he removes his US SIM all calls to his US number will go to voicemail. He can check AT&T voicemail overseas by dialing +1 then his area code and number, and pressing the * key when he hears his voicemail message start. If the SIM isn't in the phone, the calls won't make it overseas and there won't be additional charges.
Even if we wanted to enable international calling on his plan, how would that work once his US SIM card isn't in his phone?
This would be something he would need to activate with the UK cellular provider he chooses at the airport. However, to communicate with people back in the States, he may want to conserve costs by using iMessage & Facetime (if you guys are iPhone) or Google Chat & Meet (if you're Android) or Zoom or some similar conferencing solution - and of course, plain old email - over Wi-Fi if that's available.
His program says eSIM cards are hard to get in England without a local bank account, which he otherwise has no need for (and which we've been told are hard to get for those on a student visa).
He should certainly be able to get a physical SIM at the airport or in town and then chat/email you the new number from his new SIM.
posted by eschatfische at 11:12 AM on December 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
How do I ensure we don't trigger overseas charges on his regular US phone number? Like, what if someone in the US calls him? What happens?
If he removes his US SIM all calls to his US number will go to voicemail. He can check AT&T voicemail overseas by dialing +1 then his area code and number, and pressing the * key when he hears his voicemail message start. If the SIM isn't in the phone, the calls won't make it overseas and there won't be additional charges.
Even if we wanted to enable international calling on his plan, how would that work once his US SIM card isn't in his phone?
This would be something he would need to activate with the UK cellular provider he chooses at the airport. However, to communicate with people back in the States, he may want to conserve costs by using iMessage & Facetime (if you guys are iPhone) or Google Chat & Meet (if you're Android) or Zoom or some similar conferencing solution - and of course, plain old email - over Wi-Fi if that's available.
His program says eSIM cards are hard to get in England without a local bank account, which he otherwise has no need for (and which we've been told are hard to get for those on a student visa).
He should certainly be able to get a physical SIM at the airport or in town and then chat/email you the new number from his new SIM.
posted by eschatfische at 11:12 AM on December 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
Does his phone have a physical SIM card or an eSIM currently? What model of phone is it?
If physical, it’s very simple: When you remove the US card and put in the UK one, his phone no longer has any access to his US phone number and can’t incur any charges from it.
If the current SIM is an eSIM, you’ll need to follow directions to disable it, depending on the type of phone.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:14 AM on December 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
If physical, it’s very simple: When you remove the US card and put in the UK one, his phone no longer has any access to his US phone number and can’t incur any charges from it.
If the current SIM is an eSIM, you’ll need to follow directions to disable it, depending on the type of phone.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:14 AM on December 29, 2023 [2 favorites]
(Some phones allow two SIMs to be installed at once; if you want to do this, then again the details depend on the type of phone. But it may be best to uninstall the US SIM regardless.)
posted by mbrubeck at 11:16 AM on December 29, 2023
posted by mbrubeck at 11:16 AM on December 29, 2023
In case it’s not clear, an eSIM is a “virtual” SIM that you download, while a “regular” SIM is a physical card you insert into the phone. Some phones support only physical or only eSIM, while others support both.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:21 AM on December 29, 2023
posted by mbrubeck at 11:21 AM on December 29, 2023
Response by poster: Current phone is a newer iPhone (I forget which model but under 2 years old) with physical SIM.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:23 AM on December 29, 2023
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:23 AM on December 29, 2023
(eSIM cards are hard to get in England without a local bank account <-- This fact is probably an anti-crime measure, to make it harder to produce untraceable "burner" phones.)
posted by heatherlogan at 11:23 AM on December 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by heatherlogan at 11:23 AM on December 29, 2023 [1 favorite]
By the way, if, upon his return to the US, he finds that he has lost or damaged his US SIM card, it is a trivial matter to get his cellphone carrier to send him a new one. This will not change his usual US phone number or account.
posted by heatherlogan at 11:26 AM on December 29, 2023
posted by heatherlogan at 11:26 AM on December 29, 2023
One last tip, to avoid overseas charges on his US plan in the time between getting off the plane and getting a UK SIM card installed: just leave the phone on "airplane mode" (or, for the slightly more sophisticated, go to Settings > Cellular, and either turn Cellular Data to Off, or go into Cellular Data Options and turn Data Roaming to Off; the latter would allow him to use the airport WiFi).
posted by heatherlogan at 11:32 AM on December 29, 2023
posted by heatherlogan at 11:32 AM on December 29, 2023
WhatsApp is very popular for free international calling, video calls, and messaging in Europe and can be installed on android and iPhone.
posted by ellieBOA at 12:25 PM on December 29, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 12:25 PM on December 29, 2023 [6 favorites]
I got an eSim in Ireland in June with no local bank account and it worked fine. I don't know about telecom in the UK post-Brexit, but I suspect an eSim from Orange or another provider from any EU country would work.
posted by zippy at 12:27 PM on December 29, 2023
posted by zippy at 12:27 PM on December 29, 2023
Here are some things to consider:
1. If he doesn't yet have Telegram, WhatsApp, or Signal, I would suggest he get them and set them up with his current SIM.
This will allow his friends and family who have his current number to contact him for free by also using those apps. My belief (someone else can correct me if I'm wrong) is that the initial set ups requires a SIM check but then you can swap out the SIM without affecting your Contact number on those apps. So, once he gets overseas and puts in a new SIM he'll still be able to talk / message people in the US for free.
2. WhatsApp is *extraordinarily* popular in Europe. In fact, I'd say the majority of people use it exclusively to text and talk. I hate it because it's owned by Facebook but it's hard to communicate with anyone without it.
It, I believe, and Telegram, allow you to have multiple accounts on one phone. So, once he has set up his plan in the EU, he can create another account in each of those apps and his account numbers would then be consistent with his local sim. Signal does not allow this, to my knowledge.
If WhatsApp does not allow multiple accounts, he may want to use Signal or Telegram for his US friends and WhatsApp for his EU friends.
3. Regarding eSim... this will depend on a few factors. Some providers provide you with an eSim when you sign up for a new plan. Some will give a physical sim. (Note that I'm speaking as someone who's done this in Canada). If he is given the option, I would recommend a physical sim. eSim slots are limited on phones. For instance, I believe my iPhone 15 Pro Max has a max of 8 eSims over its lifetime. That may seem like a lot but it will depend how much you travel and how long you intend to own that particular phone. I've lived in 7 countries and have 2 Canadian and 1 US phone numbers all times — not considering the local numbers for those other countries.
My current phone has 3 phone numbers: two eSims and one Google Voice number. The physical Sim card tray is empty specifically so that when I travel I can pop in a local sim.
Now, here's the thing, once you have a physical sim inside the phone, some phones allow you to convert that sim into an eSim. So, with each of my true phone numbers (work and personal), I requested a physical sim when I signed up and then I converted each to an eSim at my leisure.
So, depending on the model of phone that your kid has, he may be able to convert his physical sim into an eSim. It's very simple: just go into the Settings of the phone, choose Cellular, click on the Phone Number, and choose Convert to eSim. Takes 30 seconds. The physical sim then becomes useless.
Why would your son want to do this? Because it would allow him, once the procedure is complete, to pop his US Sim back into the sim tray for safekeeping. He could then go into the Settings for that sim's phone number and turn off Roaming and Cellular Data, or just disable it altogether and just keep the sim there so it's never lost.
Because he has an unlocked US phone, I'm not sure how being in EU would make a bank need to be involved. I suspect, but am not 100 percent sure, that once he has the physical sim, he could convert to an esim, assuming his phone model allows that to happen when he's stateside. (The phone wouldn't disallow that outside the country, though I suppose the provider might be able to block in on the physical sim, though I'm not sure why they would want to.)
posted by dobbs at 12:30 PM on December 29, 2023
1. If he doesn't yet have Telegram, WhatsApp, or Signal, I would suggest he get them and set them up with his current SIM.
This will allow his friends and family who have his current number to contact him for free by also using those apps. My belief (someone else can correct me if I'm wrong) is that the initial set ups requires a SIM check but then you can swap out the SIM without affecting your Contact number on those apps. So, once he gets overseas and puts in a new SIM he'll still be able to talk / message people in the US for free.
2. WhatsApp is *extraordinarily* popular in Europe. In fact, I'd say the majority of people use it exclusively to text and talk. I hate it because it's owned by Facebook but it's hard to communicate with anyone without it.
It, I believe, and Telegram, allow you to have multiple accounts on one phone. So, once he has set up his plan in the EU, he can create another account in each of those apps and his account numbers would then be consistent with his local sim. Signal does not allow this, to my knowledge.
If WhatsApp does not allow multiple accounts, he may want to use Signal or Telegram for his US friends and WhatsApp for his EU friends.
3. Regarding eSim... this will depend on a few factors. Some providers provide you with an eSim when you sign up for a new plan. Some will give a physical sim. (Note that I'm speaking as someone who's done this in Canada). If he is given the option, I would recommend a physical sim. eSim slots are limited on phones. For instance, I believe my iPhone 15 Pro Max has a max of 8 eSims over its lifetime. That may seem like a lot but it will depend how much you travel and how long you intend to own that particular phone. I've lived in 7 countries and have 2 Canadian and 1 US phone numbers all times — not considering the local numbers for those other countries.
My current phone has 3 phone numbers: two eSims and one Google Voice number. The physical Sim card tray is empty specifically so that when I travel I can pop in a local sim.
Now, here's the thing, once you have a physical sim inside the phone, some phones allow you to convert that sim into an eSim. So, with each of my true phone numbers (work and personal), I requested a physical sim when I signed up and then I converted each to an eSim at my leisure.
So, depending on the model of phone that your kid has, he may be able to convert his physical sim into an eSim. It's very simple: just go into the Settings of the phone, choose Cellular, click on the Phone Number, and choose Convert to eSim. Takes 30 seconds. The physical sim then becomes useless.
Why would your son want to do this? Because it would allow him, once the procedure is complete, to pop his US Sim back into the sim tray for safekeeping. He could then go into the Settings for that sim's phone number and turn off Roaming and Cellular Data, or just disable it altogether and just keep the sim there so it's never lost.
Because he has an unlocked US phone, I'm not sure how being in EU would make a bank need to be involved. I suspect, but am not 100 percent sure, that once he has the physical sim, he could convert to an esim, assuming his phone model allows that to happen when he's stateside. (The phone wouldn't disallow that outside the country, though I suppose the provider might be able to block in on the physical sim, though I'm not sure why they would want to.)
posted by dobbs at 12:30 PM on December 29, 2023
Oh, and the US versions of the iPhone 14 and 15 do not have a physical sim tray. They are esim only. Not the case outside the US, but is the case with American models. The 13 and earlier do support physical sims.
posted by dobbs at 12:33 PM on December 29, 2023
posted by dobbs at 12:33 PM on December 29, 2023
Response by poster: Okay, dobbs's last comment scared me so I checked? It's a 12 Pro Max.
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:43 PM on December 29, 2023
posted by BlahLaLa at 12:43 PM on December 29, 2023
We got an esim this year for a recent iPhone that covered all of Europe using the Airalo app - and it worked fine in Italy, France, Ireland and the UK, with no local bank involved anywhere.
posted by mmc at 7:12 PM on December 29, 2023
posted by mmc at 7:12 PM on December 29, 2023
I have an iPhone 13 pro max, I use AT&T and was in England for three weeks in October. They have an international day pass service where you use your phone exactly as you would if you were at home for $10/day, maximum $100 per month. They charge only on the days when the phone or data are used. That's not cheap, but it does work as advertised, and I didn't have to do a thing other than turn on my phone when the plane landed. It was lovely.
Here's a link.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:17 AM on December 30, 2023
Here's a link.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:17 AM on December 30, 2023
Get a google fi account with a sim or eSIM. No roaming charges ever, no daily charge, data same cost as US ($10/GB), calls 20c/min anywhere in the world from the UK from phone (and obviously, much cheaper over whatsapp if just voice). Just turn phone on in UK and bang. it works.
Source: someone who goes to the UK a lot and chose google fi so I could keep my american # with zero hassle.
EDIT: this will not help with the local phone # issue. Leaving this here for posterity.
posted by lalochezia at 7:15 AM on December 30, 2023
Source: someone who goes to the UK a lot and chose google fi so I could keep my american # with zero hassle.
EDIT: this will not help with the local phone # issue. Leaving this here for posterity.
posted by lalochezia at 7:15 AM on December 30, 2023
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The last time we went to the UK (2019), my husband stopped at a small shop in the lower level of Heathrow Airport and bought a pre-paid 1-month SIM card, which the helpful shop attendant installed into his phone in place of his usual SIM card (stashing the usual SIM card in a safe place where it won't get damaged or lost, so that it can be reinstalled into the phone upon return!). The new SIM card had associated with it a UK phone number -- dial or text that phone number, and the call connected to his phone, and if he called out, the outgoing call showed as coming from the number associated with the SIM. Once we left the UK, he simply popped out the UK SIM and disposed of it, and popped his usual SIM back in.
You can probably get pre-paid SIMs that are good for different lengths of time, have different amounts of cellular data associated with them, and/or can be topped up by credit card through the provider's website for additional months. Keep the packaging, because it will include the serial number of the SIM and instructions on how to pay for additional data or time.
posted by heatherlogan at 11:12 AM on December 29, 2023 [1 favorite]