att unlock travel abroad

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How to Use an AT&T Mobile Phone Internationally

Last Updated: March 28, 2024 Fact Checked

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 290,972 times. Learn more...

The majority of mobile phones offered by AT&T have built-in frequencies and features that allow them to function efficiently when you travel overseas to other countries. To use your AT&T phone overseas, you will be required to activate a roaming feature on your phone account that allows you to connect to the mobile phone towers at your overseas destination. If you do not want to activate the roaming feature or pay the additional rates for phone calls, messaging, and data capabilities, you can contact AT&T to have your phone unlocked so you can use an international prepaid Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card.

Activate AT&T's International Roaming Service

• Visit AT&T's "Travel Guide" website featured in the Sources section of this article to verify your mobile phone's functionality in other countries. If you do not have Internet access, call AT&T's International Customer Care department for assistance at 1-800-331-0500. [2] X Research source
• Select the continent and country you are traveling to and click on the "Continue" button.
• Select the manufacturer and model of your AT&T mobile phone and click on "Continue."
• Review your phone's ability for voice and data services in the country you are traveling to. Voice services include phone calls and text messaging; whereas data services include email and Internet connectivity.
• If your AT&T mobile phone will not work in the country you are traveling to, you may want to consider upgrading your phone model or renting a mobile phone when you arrive at your international destination.

• Click on the "Details" link under the "Rates and Coverage" column to view your rates for the country you are traveling to. Rates for voice calls will vary depending on the country; however, messages and data charges have fixed rates regardless where you travel to.
• Each outgoing text message will cost 50 cents (0.36 euros), whereas each outgoing picture and video message will cost 1 dollar and 30 cents (0.94 euros).
• Data services will cost 1.95 cents per kilobyte, i.e. $19.50 (~15 EUR) per megabyte; In Canada it costs 1.5 cents per kilobyte ($15.00 per megabyte).
• If you travel overseas frequently, you may want to consider signing up for an international rate plan or discount package that may provide you with lower roaming fees. Visit AT&T's International Roaming website featured in the Sources section of this article or call AT&T at 1-800-331-0500 to sign up for an international package.

• You may call AT&T's International Customer Service department at 1-800-331-0500, dial 611 directly from your mobile device, or visit an AT&T retail store.

• To make phone calls or send messages, you will be required to dial the "plus" symbol, followed by the country code, then the phone number you are calling. For example, if you are calling a United States phone number, dial the "plus" sign, enter the number "1" for the country code, then dial the 10-digit phone number you are calling.

Unlock your AT&T Mobile Phone

• AT&T can unlock your mobile phone if you meet specific eligibility requirements. You must have had active AT&T service for at least 60 days, your account must be current on payments, your phone model must be available from other service providers or companies, and an unlock code must be available from the manufacturer. [5] X Research source
• Apple iPhones cannot be unlocked; however they have the ability to function overseas using AT&T's international roaming feature.

• Prepaid SIM cards can usually be purchased from stores in airports, department stores, or from phone merchants. You may want to ask the vendor salesperson about the rates and applicable fees for your prepaid SIM card.

Community Q&A

• Call AT&T's International Customer Service line free of charge if you have questions about roaming while you travel. Dial the "plus" symbol on your phone, followed by the phone number 1-916-843-4685 to speak to an AT&T representative. [7] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• After you call them you can actually give them your local number and the AT&T representative will call you back. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.att.com/international/
• ↑ https://www.att.com/Common/merger/files/pdf/international_calling/world-quick-ref-fs-en.pdf
• ↑ https://www.att.com/international/long-distance/
• ↑ https://www.att.com/support/article/wireless/KM1009432/
• ↑ https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/
• ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/109357
• ↑ https://about.att.com/content/dam/snrdocs/ATT%20International%20Roaming%20Fast%20Facts.pdf

About This Article

If you’re travelling internationally, you can still use your AT&T mobile phone with a little preparation. Visit AT&T’s travel guide website to see if their service will work in the country you’re travelling to. You can also check the roaming rates there. To activate international roaming on your account, you’ll need to call AT&T’s international customer service department. Alternatively, if you’ve had your SIM card for at least 90 days, you’re up to date on your payments, and your phone’s eligible, call customer service to have your phone unlocked. Then, buy a prepaid SIM card when you arrive at your destination. For more tips, including how to dial a U.S. number from overseas, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Unlock an iPhone for International Travel

If you're heading out on a trip anytime soon, one thing that should be on your checklist is getting your iPhone unlocked. Don't worry—it sounds like a complicated process, but it's very easy. And it's definitely worth doing, too. With an unlocked phone, you'll find that travel instantly becomes easier and more affordable. 

Why Should I Unlock My Phone?

Depending on who you bought your phone from, it may come locked or unlocked. What does this mean? If your phone is locked, it means you can only use it with the provider you bought it from.

If, for example, you bought your iPhone from AT&T, you may find that you'll only be able to use AT&T SIM cards in your phone. This means that your phone is locked. If you can use SIM cards from other cell providers in your phone, you have an unlocked phone, which is useful for travelers.

There are many benefits to unlocking your phone for international use . The main one is avoiding horrendously expensive roaming charges  while you're traveling. With an unlocked phone, you can turn up in a new country, pick up a local SIM card , and have all the data you need at affordable rates.

Outside of the United States, you'll find that many countries offer very inexpensive data options. In Vietnam, for example, for just $5, a traveler can pick up a SIM card with 5GB of data and unlimited calls and texts.

How Can I Unlock My Phone? 

It's much easier than it sounds, and Apple has a useful guide for how to get yours unlocked. Once you've clicked the link, scroll down to your phone provider and click the link for "unlocking" to gain instructions for doing so. 

Once you've found the unlocking instructions, call up your cell provider and ask them to unlock your phone for you. They should be able to do so in a matter of minutes. If you've owned your phone for a year or more, your provider will have to unlock it, so make sure they're not trying to take you for a ride if they refuse to. 

Here is a quick note here on GSM and CDMA technologies. All cell providers apart from Verizon and Sprint use GSM, and GSM is the technology that allows you to unlock your phone and use it abroad. If you have a Verizon iPhone, you'll have two SIM card slots in your phone—one for CDMA use and one for GSM use, so you'll also be able to unlock your phone and use it overseas.

If you're with Sprint, unfortunately, you're out of luck. You won't be able to use your iPhone outside of the United States because very few countries (Belarus, the United States, and Yemen) use CDMA. If you are with Sprint, then, your best bet is to have a thought about picking up a new smartphone for your trip. You can get many budget smartphones for under $200, and the amount of money you'll save through using local SIM cards makes it more than worth it. 

What Happens If My Provider Won't Unlock My Phone? 

In some cases, a network provider won't agree to unlock your iPhone. When you sign up with a provider, you'll usually be locked into a certain time period (usually a year after buying the phone) when you have to use that provider and won't be allowed to unlock your phone. After this time period, however, the provider will have to unlock your phone at your request.

So what happens if your provider refuses to unlock your phone? There is an alternative. You may have noticed small independent phone stores while you've been out and about, who offer to unlock your phone for you. Pay them a visit, and they'll be able to unlock your phone in just a few minutes and for a small fee. It'll definitely be worth it. 

If that's not an option, you can try doing it yourself. A company called Unlock Base sells codes you can use to unlock your phone for just a few dollars—definitely worth trying out!

What Should I Do Now My iPhone Is Unlocked?

Celebrate that you won't have to pay exorbitant fees to stay connected on your travels.  Buying local SIM cards on your trip is an affordable and hassle-free experience. In most countries, you'll be able to buy one in the arrivals area of the airport.

If you can't find a phone store there, a quick search online for "local SIM card [country]" should bring up a detailed guide for buying one. It's rarely a complicated process—you'll typically just ask someone for a local SIM card with data, and they'll tell you the different options. Choose the one that best suits you, and they'll set up the SIM so that it works in your phone. Simple! 

Local SIM cards are cheaper and have inexpensive data rates. You don't want to rely on data roaming while you're overseas unless you want to end up with a five-figure bill when you return home. They're also easy to get your hands on—most of them are available from an airport, and if not, most grocery stores stock them and can help you get yours set up and working before you leave. 

What If You Can't Get Your iPhone Unlocked?

If you're not comfortable with getting a stranger in a dark store to unlock your phone, or you're a Sprint customer, there are still some options available for you. 

Resign yourself to using Wi-Fi only:  Some have traveled for several years without a phone and coped just fine (although they may have lost their way more than they would have liked), so a phone isn't a total necessity. If you can't get yours unlocked, you could just resolve to use Wi-Fi and put up with not having data.

It'll mean you'll have to do your research before you leave, cache any maps you'll want to use before exploring, and save those social media posts for when you get back to your room, but for the most part, it won't affect your travels much more than that. Wi-Fi is becoming more and more common, so in emergencies, you can always find a McDonald's or Starbucks. 

Pick up a cheap phone for your trip:  It's not recommended to do this if your trip will be lasting less than a month (it's simply not worth the expense and hassle), but if you are traveling for longer (several months or more), it'll be well worth picking up a cheap smartphone for your travels. Most recommend picking up one of these budget smartphones (under $200) for your time away.

Use a portable hotspot:  You can buy or rent a portable hotspot for your trip, depending on how long it is. If it's a short trip, rent a hotspot and you'll have unlimited data for your trip (at a high price); if you are traveling for longer, you can buy a hotspot, put a local SIM card in it as you would your phone, and connect to the hotspot as if was a Wi-Fi network. 

Use your tablet:  If you own a tablet that has a SIM card slot, you're in luck! These always come unlocked. If you can't unlock your phone to use it as you travel, use your tablet instead. This is definitely more convenient in a dorm room than when trying to navigate when walking around a city. 

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How to Unlock Your Phone for Overseas Travel

If you want to use a local data plan when traveling to another country, you might be able to get your carrier to free your phone for use on another network.

By J. D. Biersdorfer

Q. What does it mean for a mobile phone to be “locked” in regards to international travel? Does that mean it will not work overseas?

A. In this situation, a “locked” phone works only on the network of the wireless carrier that activated the device and not on the network of a competing domestic company. Locked phones can “roam” onto international networks, but without the proper service plan from your carrier, the charges for international roaming can be hefty .

“Unlocked” devices are free to use other networks around the world. Travelers who want to buy a local number and an inexpensive data plan can then swap in a compatible SIM card (short for subscriber identity module ) from international wireless carriers.

If your phone meets certain requirements, you can ask your carrier to unlock it from the network. Those requirements vary by company, so check with yours before you go.

Verizon doesn’t lock most of its phones (except for some in its 3G World Devices line). If you’re an AT&T , a T-Mobile or a Sprint customer, or use another carrier, check the company’s site for unlocking instructions. In most cases, typical requirements include a completed contract commitment with the company and a device that has not been reported as lost or stolen. Many requirements are waived for active-duty members of the military.

Most carriers will also have instructions for changing out SIM cards from your phone model. You can also find the information on the site of the phone manufacturer, like Apple , Google or Samsung . When exchanging SIM cards, make sure you get a new one in the correct size for your phone and keep the old one in a safe place.

If you are traveling abroad just for a quick trip and do not want to fuss with unlocking the phone or juggling SIM cards, ask your carrier about getting a short-term international plan for voice and data. Investing in an inexpensive “burner” phone and a local SIM card is another option that may cost less.

Personal Tech invites questions about computer-based technology to [email protected] . This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually.

J.D. Biersdorfer has been answering technology questions — in print, on the web, in audio and in video — since 1998. She also writes the Sunday Book Review’s “Applied Reading” column on ebooks and literary apps, among other things. More about J. D. Biersdorfer

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To comply with recent European regulations, Apple will make a switch to USB-C charging for its iPhones. Here is how to navigate the change .

Photo apps have been using A.I. for years to give you control over the look of your images. Here’s how to take advantage of that .

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Many default settings make us share superfluous amounts of data with tech companies. Here’s how to shut those off .

Here's how to avoid a big cell phone bill when traveling abroad

by Dani Dredger, Checkbook.org

Passport? Check. Flights, accommodations, and tours booked? Check. Bags packed? Checkity-check. Made sure your phone will still work when abroad? Well, it probably will, but without doing some advance planning you might get hit with a huge bill.

When you travel outside the U.S. you leave behind the cellular networks maintained by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Because the major American mobile companies have agreements with foreign networks, your phone will automatically switch to them when you arrive. But with most U.S. mobile companies you’ll pay extra to “roam” on non-U.S. networks, and some companies—especially Verizon and Xfinity Mobile—charge big fees for talking, texting, and data while abroad. Customers of some resellers can’t connect to foreign cellular networks at all.

International travelers have several options for staying connected, including ditching your U.S. carrier in favor of local ones. Unfortunately, most options incur extra costs, and the least expensive methods are a bit of a hassle to set up. Here’s a rundown of what’s available.

Option 1: Stick with Your U.S. Mobile Company

This is the easiest route, but potentially pricy.

The advantage is that you’ll be able to use your phone just like you do at home after your plane lands, but this convenience often comes with an expensive catch in the form of international roaming fees, and while some cellular companies have reasonable rates, others charge for every little thing. And some resellers, including Cricket, Straight Talk, Tracfone, and Visible, don’t offer international roaming outside of Canada and Mexico.

The first step is to turn on international roaming capabilities for your phone. Do this in the “Cellular” or “Mobile Network” menu under “Settings.” Also contact your cellular provider to make sure international connections are authorized for your account. Note: If your phone is more than 10 years old, or if you’re on a prepaid calling plan, you might have to make different arrangements.

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Below are summaries of costs for international cell service for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, plus some popular resellers. Because some companies’ offerings vary by location—for example, Xfinity’s Global Travel Pass works in Norway, but in Sweden you’ll get charged its pay-as-you-go rates—do your own checks for your destination(s).

• AT&T — Customers enrolled in its “unlimited” plans get free calling, texting, and data within Canada and Mexico; elsewhere, they automatically get charged for AT&T’s International Day Pass when roaming abroad, which costs $10/day ($5/day for each additional phone on account). AT&T charges its Day Pass fee for only up to 10 days per billing cycle. AT&T customers not enrolled in “unlimited” plans can sign up for the Day Pass; if they don’t, they are charged pay-as-you-go rates of $1–$3/minute to talk, $.50–$1.30 to text, and $2.05–$10.24/MB for data.
• T-Mobile —For travel in Canada and Mexico, all customers get free calling and texting, plus generous data allowances. In other foreign countries, fees depend on which monthly plan you have. Customers with T-Mobile’s Go5G, MAX, and Plus plans get up to 5GB of high-speed data at no extra charge. Those with Go5G Plus, Go5G, MAX, Plus, Magenta, ONE, and Simple Choice plans get unlimited texting and data at no extra charge, but unless they sign up for a separate calling plan for $5/day, they’ll pay $.25/minute for phone calls.
• Verizon —By default, customers roaming abroad are charged pay-as-you-go fees, which are astonishingly expensive: Depending on the country, Verizon charges $.99–$2.99/minute for calls; up to $.50 per text message; and $2.05/MB for data. For most, a better choice is to sign up for Verizon’s optional TravelPass, which costs $10/day per line ($5/day in Canada and Mexico) and provides free calling, texting, and data allowances. If your trip is longer than 10 days, sign up for Verizon’s optional International Monthly Plan, which costs $100/month per line.
• Google Fi —All customers get free calling and texting in Canada and Mexico. Fi’s Unlimited Plus customers get free texting and data abroad, but pay $.20/minute for calls. Fi’s Flexible plan members get free texting and pay $10/GB for data, and $.20/minute for calls. Customers enrolled in Fi’s Simply Unlimited plan can’t make cellular calls, text, or use data while outside the U.S., Canada, or Mexico.
• Xfinity —Costs are similar to those for Verizon, for which Xfinity is a major reseller. By default, customers roaming abroad are charged expensive pay-as-you-go rates: Depending on the country, it costs $.10–$2/minute for calls; $.05–$1 per text; and $.10–$2/MB for data. For most, a better choice is to sign up for Xfinity’s Global Travel Pass, which costs $10/day per line ($5/day in Canada and Mexico) and provides free calling, texting, and data allowances. Unlike Verizon, Xfinity doesn’t offer a monthly plan for long trips—go on a three-week trip and you’ll pay $210 to use your phone.
• Boost Mobile —Customers must have phones equipped with eSIM technology (see next section) and purchase credits to offset international roaming fees and usage charges that vary by country. For Europe, a $20 eSIM provides 5GB of data over 15 days.
• Consumer Cellular —Pay-as-you-go fees for each call, text, and MB of data, with rates varying by region. Advertised rates for France, for example, are $.06–$.29/minute for calling, $.06 per text, and $.06–$.23/MB for data.
• Mint Mobile —Customers can purchase credits to offset its pay-as-you-go fees for each call, text, and MB of data, with rates varying by region. Advertised rates for most of Western Europe, China, Japan, and Australia are $.25/minute for calling, $.02 per text, and $.02/MB for data.
• Cricket, Straight Talk, Tracfone, and Visible —No international cellular roaming arrangements outside Canada and Mexico.

Among the largest U.S. cellular services, T-Mobile and Google Fi stand out as the best options for international travelers. Outside North America, most of T-Mobile’s customers get free data—although you’ll want to avoid long phone conversations to duck its $.25/minute charge. And most Google Fi customers can continue to use their phones as they do at home and pay no extra international roaming fees; Fi’s top-tier Unlimited Plus plan costs only $65/month ($110/month for two phone lines).

But unless you plan to rely on public Wi-Fi (see below) or use very little data, pay-as-you-go options for AT&T, Verizon, and Xfinity are astonishingly expensive. Definitely sign up for day passes—although you’ll still get hit with a big bill: For a one-week trip, a family of two would pay $105 in fees with AT&T and $140 with Verizon or Xfinity.

Unfortunately, while many resellers offer great savings for domestic use compared to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon , charging rates as low as $25/month for domestic calling and data, these lesser-known companies are mostly inadequate for most international travelers who need more than just Wi-Fi access. Mint does charge reasonable pay-as-you-go prices, but having to purchase credits periodically to buy more data allowances can make it a pain to use.

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Many of the companies we shopped provide confusing and vague explanations of how they calculate international roaming charges. The lack of details offered by Consumer Cellular, which markets to older adults, is particularly worrisome: Its website states that while in France, it charges $.06 to $.29 per minute for calls and provides the same range per MB of data. What will we be charged while in Paris? In Marseille? While touring Versailles? The company’s website provides no answers.

Finally, check on data caps; especially when abroad, “unlimited” data usually doesn’t mean what it says. If you go over a company’s cap, you’ll usually see reduced speeds.

Option 2: Use Your Phone, but Swap in a Foreign SIM or Activate an eSIM

One way to avoid the expensive international roaming fees charged by some U.S. cellular companies is to switch your business to a foreign provider when you arrive. You can do this by buying and installing onto your phone a different SIM [Subscriber Identity Module], which is the device that authorizes access to cellular networks.

For most phones, swapping out SIM cards involves using a small tool that pops open a drawer that houses a tiny chip; take out the one that lets your phone connect to your domestic cellular carrier and put in one you can purchase to use on an international mobile network. Many new cell phones do away with physical SIM cards, instead using electronic SIM, or “eSIM,” which allows their owners to more easily switch their phones to different networks. Simply purchase an eSIM before your trip and scan the QR code on your phone to set it up.

First, contact your U.S. carrier to check that your phone is “unlocked;” if it’s not, request it do so. You can’t use a different SIM card or install an eSIM if your phone is locked to your carrier’s network.

Next, consider whether to buy a local SIM or a multi-national one. If you’re planning to spend all your time in one country, you’ll save some money by purchasing a SIM from a local carrier when you arrive at your destination. You can buy them at airport kiosks, but the best prices are available at carriers’ stores or authorized retailers. Note that unless you have a dual-SIM phone, installing a foreign SIM means you’ll get a new, local phone number, and temporarily lose your original one. So make sure to share your new digits with friends, family, and travel contacts.

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Popular foreign SIM and eSIM providers include Orange Travel , Airalo , aloSIM , and SimOptions . Costs with each vary depending on where you’re traveling, but are far less than the $10/day fees you’d pay with AT&T or Verizon. For example, for Argentina, all these SIM sellers offer eSIM packages that include 5MB of data for less than $35 that are good for 30 days. Need more data? Just go to the company’s website and add it. The blog Too Many Adapters provides great how-to advice and pricing info for SIM options in most foreign countries.

Another option is to buy a multi-national/international SIM. This is a better choice if you’ll be visiting multiple countries, or you want to avoid the hassle of purchasing a SIM card after you arrive at your destination. Orange Travel offers a prepaid 14-day, 10GB data-only global SIM for about $55. If you’re traveling in Europe, it offers a 14-day prepaid SIM with unlimited talk and text within Europe, 200 texts and 30 minutes of calls to other countries, and 8GB of data for about $22. Both of these packages are available for phones that use SIM cards and eSIMs.

Note that available multi-national packages are mostly data-only; that means you won’t get a local phone number, and you’ll have to use Wi-Fi-friendly apps such as WhatsApp for calls and messaging with friends and family. If this is a deal-breaker, consider a physical, local SIM card instead.

TIP: Outside the U.S., WhatsApp, a free messaging app owned by Facebook’s parent company, is ubiquitous for calling and texting. Install it on your phone to easily connect with drivers, vacation home managers, and tour guides. In some countries you’ll have to show your passport to authorize SIM purchases. Adding more data to your SIM card, or “topping up,” usually requires just logging on to the provider’s app or website and purchasing from there, but in some places, you may have to visit a store to buy additional credit.

Also note that in some countries, including Japan, it’s illegal to have a local phone number if you don’t have a residence there. That means you’re limited to data-only SIM cards.

Some other tips for using SIMs and eSIMs:

• If your phone uses a physical SIM card, make sure to bring along a SIM needle. It resembles the end of a paperclip and is used to pop open your phone’s card tray. We’ve heard from subscribers who broke their phones using wooden toothpicks and other apparatuses trying to pry this open.
• If you swap out physical SIM cards, make sure to stash your original one in a safe place after you remove it.
• Consider keeping in touch using WhatsApp or one of the other apps we list below under the Wi-Fi section of this article so your contacts back home don’t rack up a bill texting with a foreign phone number.
• If you’re going away for a month or longer, consider freezing your account with your U.S. carrier to avoid paying double for coverage. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon allow this for up to 90 days.

Option 3: Rely on Wi-Fi Only

You can avoid paying all international roaming fees by keeping your phone in airplane mode and sticking with whatever free Wi-Fi you can find, or by renting a Wi-Fi pod.

Availability of free Wi-Fi varies tremendously depending on where you travel, and even in countries with extensive high-speed free wireless internet you’ll encounter fewer options the farther you travel from city centers.

Wi-Fi pods, on the other hand, connect to cellular networks, which you in turn access using your phone’s Wi-Fi signal. These devices are pocket-sized and available from car rental agencies and internet service providers.

For families who mostly stick together, a Wi-Fi pod is a potentially big money-saver; for example, instead of paying Verizon’s $10/day fee per person, they’d pay $8 to $15 total per day to connect to a shared Wi-Fi pod.

TIP: Download offline maps. Whether you’re setting off for a U.S. or foreign destination, before you leave download an offline map of the area. This will allow you to navigate while traveling through areas with spotty cellphone coverage—and often when there’s no coverage at all—because your phone and navigation apps can still ping satellites to obtain GPS info. To download an offline map in Google Maps’ or Apple Maps’ mobile apps, look for it as an option after tapping on your pic or initials.

It’s also important to search for destinations and “Wi-Fi rental” to compare prices online, find discount coupons, and choose the pick-up and drop-off methods most convenient for you. Here’s a sample of what Checkbook staff paid for unlimited portable Wi-Fi during recent trips:

• $6.50/day in Japan. Picked up at airport and mailed back in a local post box using the included prepaid envelope.
• $8.30/day in the U.K. Shipped to hotel and mailed back in a local post box using the included prepaid envelope.
• $9.50/day in Italy. Shipped to hotel and mailed back in a local post box using the included prepaid envelope.
• $13/day in Iceland. Reserved through a car-rental agency and picked up and dropped off at the same time as the car.

As with most other options, although Wi-Fi pod services often advertise “unlimited data,” most will throttle your speed if you go over 5GB per day several days in a row. And because devices typically have only six to eight hours of continuous battery life, consider getting a portable battery to keep it charged.

If you go the Wi-Fi-only route, you’ll likely need to set up a few new ways to stay in touch with important contacts:

• As we’ve already noted, in most foreign countries WhatsApp is used for calling and texting. It makes staying connected to your friends back home a breeze so long as they know that’s how to find you.
• If you use an iPhone, you can use Wi-Fi to send and receive iMessages (texts) and conduct voice calls via FaceTime. But texts you send to Android users—and those they send you—won’t go through unless you have a cellular connection.
• Social media and meeting apps such as Discord, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, Signal, Skype, Teams, Viber, and Zoom all allow messaging and calls via Wi-Fi.

LISTEN: To the Consumerpedia podcast: Avoid a Big Cell Phone Bill When Traveling Abroad

Consumers’ Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get good service and low prices. It does this by providing unbiased ratings, advice, and price information. Checkbook is supported by consumers and takes no money from the service providers it evaluates. You can reach Herb at his website ConsumerMan.com .

The Ultimate Guide to International Smartphone Use

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

We're all for disconnecting while on vacation. But sometimes — whether you're traveling for business or searching for directions — having an internet connection can be seriously useful, even crucial, when traveling abroad.

Not all that long ago, international travelers had to choose between paying exorbitant roaming rates from their US carrier, or worrying about securing and activating a local SIM upon arrival.

Today, things are mercifully different. There are more options, and it's more affordable than ever to stay connected abroad. Most major US carriers have adopted sensible pay-per-day rates to compete with T-Mobile and Google Fi , both of which disrupted the prior model of charging per-megabyte rates. (For reference, TPG himself was dinged by AT&T at $19.99 per megabyte in 2010 while roaming in London. He faced a $180 charge for essentially checking his email twice.)

In this guide, we'll take an in-depth look at what international roaming options exist on the major US carriers; when you should consider procuring a local SIM upon arrival; what an unlocked smartphone is (and who should consider one); and options for long-term travelers and backpackers.

Roaming With Major US Carriers

First, the good news: Every major domestic telecommunications company now offers international data roaming that isn't outrageously expensive. In some cases, throttled (read: slow) data usage is included gratis for a number of countries. Elsewhere, you're able to use your phone exactly as you would in the US for around $10 per day. For short-term stays and vacations, you should be in good shape.

If you want to avoid roaming charges altogether, be sure to leave your phone on Airplane mode even after you deplane. And if you simply want to avoid data roaming charges (but still want calls and texts to come through), visit the "settings" menu on your phone and toggle off Data Roaming.

For $10 per day, per line, you can activate AT&T's International Day Pass (available exclusively for users on AT&T's Mobile Share or Unlimited plans, but unless you're a prepaid customer, chances are high your plan falls into one of those two buckets).

To check your eligibility, log in to your AT&T account and add the International Day Pass, if shown. Make sure to toggle for each line on your account. You won't be charged a dime until you turn your phone on while in a foreign country, and the $10 per day will be added to your bill automatically. Once AT&T detects you're back in the US, those $10 charges will automatically cease.

Unlimited calls are included within countries covered by International Day Pass (currently listed as " over 100 ") and back to the US, plus unlimited texts to the world. A big boon to AT&T's plan is the speed. Your speed overseas will not be throttled, so if you're in an LTE network zone, you'll enjoy LTE speeds. For Mobile Share plan customers, we recommend resetting the data usage counter on your phone upon landing to keep track of how much data you use overseas, as your international data usage will count against your monthly data allotment.

• Effortless to add to your account
• Use your existing phone (no need to hunt for an unlocked one)
• No data speed throttling
• Take calls on your personal number at no extra cost
• Mobile Share plan users have to monitor data usage
• $10 per day, per line, can add up quickly for families and long trips
• While over 100 nations are covered, many still aren't

While Google Fi isn't a "major" carrier in terms of mass awareness, it's a well-known option for frequent travelers. You pay $20 per month for unlimited calls and texts, and $10 per gigabyte for high-speed data. If you happen to use more than 6GB, Google's new "Bill Protection" kicks in to cap your data bill at $60 per month, covering further high-speed data usage up to 15GB per month. In the US, Google Fi latches onto whichever signal is the strongest between its three partner carriers: Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular.

The great news here is that Google doesn't differentiate between domestic data and international data, which makes it an outstanding value for long-term travelers and backpackers . Another major perk of using Google Fi overseas is the breadth of nations that are covered (currently, over 170 ). You won't find Pitcairn Island on the list, but certain African countries like Ivory Coast, Chad and Congo (DRC) are included with Google's plan, whereas they are frequently omitted by rival carriers.

Google Fi's primary limitation is its diminutive list of supported phones. Fewer than 10 phones are supported (all of which use the Android operating system), though the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are excellent devices if you're in the market for a new handset anyway. No, an iPhone won't (officially) work with Google Fi. There are workarounds if you have an unlocked iPhone , but you'll be limited to the T-Mobile network.

• Google Fi treats international data just like domestic data
• Works in more than 170 destinations
• Monthly pricing with no contract or commitment
• The Google Fi-compatible Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL take amazing photos
• Even combined, Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular may not provide ideal coverage for you at home
• Very limited supported phone selection: you may need to buy a new phone

If you aren't concerned with voice calling, Sprint's international roaming plan provides text and data coverage in more than 185 destinations . Sprint Global Roaming is included on postpaid plans with LTE/GSM capable smartphones, giving you text and 2G data coverage at no extra charge. Just fly, land and start using your smartphone as you normally would. Voice calls, however, will run you $0.20 per minute or more, so plan on making calls through Slack, WhatsApp or another platform that uses data rather than voice networks.

However, that little 2G detail means that while overseas, your data will be severely throttled to 128Kbps, which is too slow to stream videos on YouTube or engage in a non-glitchy FaceTime chat. Sprint does allow users to pay extra to enable LTE speeds abroad.

• Canada and Mexico: $2 per day or $10 per week
• Other destinations: $5 to $10 per day or $25 to $50 per week, depending on Sprint's partnership agreements in the nation you're visiting

The 2G data should be fine for checking email and navigating with Google Maps, but at least there's an option to pay for a faster path should you land and determine it's necessary. One other quirk: Sprint offers a dedicated Japan Plan for just $5 per month, which enables high-speed data roaming, texting and voice calls.

• The best option for long-term travel in Japan
• 2G data speeds for free, with an option to pay more for faster access
• Rates are reasonable for those who frequent Mexico and Canada
• Support for 185-plus destinations
• It's Sprint, which doesn't have the best US coverage
• International voice calls can get expensive, fast

As with Sprint, T-Mobile's postpaid ONE plans include international texting and 2G data (capped at 128Kbps) for free in more than 210 countries. Sadly, the carrier recently nixed a $25 monthly upgrade to T-Mobile ONE Plus International, which included unlimited LTE hotspot access in the US; unlimited international calls to landlines in over 70 countries and mobile numbers in over 30 countries; unlimited 4G LTE in Mexico and Canada; and unlimited in-flight Gogo Wi-Fi within the US and boosted international data speeds to 256Kbps. It remains to be seen if T-Mobile will replace that plan with anything comparable.

• 2G data (128Kbps) for free
• Reasonable rates for travelers who frequent Mexico and Canada
• Support for over 210 destinations (basically anywhere you'd be allowed to visit)
• T-Mobile's coverage beyond major US cities isn't spectacular

Similar to AT&T, Verizon's TravelPass allows you to take your domestic talk, text and data allowances with you. You're only charged on the days you use your device abroad: $5 a day per line in Mexico and Canada, or $10 a day per line in over 130 other supported countries. And once you activate TravelPass on your lines, nothing else is required. As with AT&T, just keep an eye on your data usage if you're using a plan with a monthly cap. You'll also want to visit Verizon's list of supported nations to make sure the place(s) you'll be visiting are covered.

• Verizon's US LTE coverage is fantastic
• $5 to $10 per day, per line can add up quickly for families and long trips
• While over 130 nations are covered, many still aren't

When to Buy a Local SIM Upon Arrival

If you're planning on being in a country for more than two weeks, you can expect to use a significant amount of data. It can also be helpful to have a local telephone number to call and text with residents and businesses. That's when having a local SIM may be right for you.

Local SIMs typically cost between $20 and $50, include between 1GB and 5GB of data (plus a sizable allotment of texts and voice minutes for in-country calling), and can be purchased at minimarts or vending machines at major airports. Once you have a SIM, you can typically "top-up," or add data, texts or minutes using your smartphone and a credit card.

It can be surprisingly easy, too. London-Heathrow, for example, has an automated SIM vending machine. But then there's the rest of the world — airports like Fa'a'ā in Tahiti — where you're as likely to ride a unicorn through immigration as you are to find a store that's open and selling SIM cards with English instructions when you land.

Still, if a local SIM seems like the option for you, you'll need an unlocked smartphone.

Getting an Unlocked Smartphone

A "locked" smartphone is chained to an exclusive carrier with software settings that can't be changed by the user. Generally speaking, if you purchase a phone from AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon or Sprint (and still owe money on it) it's locked — and will remain that way. While it's locked, it will refuse to work with any SIM from another carrier.

An "unlocked" smartphone, on the other hand, will readily accept any SIM from any carrier, either domestic or international. If you maintain solid standing with your carrier and your smartphone is fully paid off, they will almost always provide an unlock code to customers who fill out an online request form. (To save you the trouble, they're linked here: AT&T , Verizon , Sprint and T-Mobile .)

Alternatively, you can order an unlocked smartphone directly from a manufacturer like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Motorola or Google. You can also search for a gently used, unlocked smartphone on an auction marketplace. Just don't be surprised by the cost, as the flexibility to use them with any carrier results in premium pricing.

If you're planning a whirlwind tour of Europe or Asia, you'll undoubtedly cross borders. Each country has its own set of carriers and generally, a SIM purchased in one nation won't function in another. With an unlocked smartphone, you can swap prepaid SIM cards from various countries in and out as you travel. Many of these SIMs don't expire, so much like foreign currency, you could theoretically save SIMs with remaining credit to use whenever you return.

Still, having a single SIM from Google Fi is a far more elegant solution. But that only works if you're willing to hitch your wagon to the Android operating system.

Getting a Dual SIM Phone

Frequent flyers may also be interested in scooping up a Dual SIM smartphone, which can either hold two physical SIM cards, or, in some cases, a single physical SIM card with an additional onboard eSIM. This type of phone allows a user to initiate a call, text or use data with more than one carrier (versus just a single carrier).

Phones such as the Huawei P20 Pro, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max , OnePlus 6, Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Asus Zenfone 5Z and Honor 10 all support dual SIMs, and that list is growing rapidly. This option is generally best for regular business travelers that consistently spend time in two countries (think: Canada and Germany). Keep in mind, however, that you'll need to pay for either data or a plan for both SIMs individually.

There are two major, competing radio systems used by cell phones: CDMA (code division multiple access) and GSM (global system for mobile). In the US, only two of the major carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) utilize GSM — but that's the network preferred by pretty much every other country on Earth. Verizon and Sprint operate on CDMA. However, most modern smartphones that support CDMA also have SIM card slots to support the LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network: the standard for data.

To cut down on the techno-babble, here's what most travelers needs to know: Very generally speaking, a GSM phone will be easier to transfer to a new network. But that's not to say it can't be done with a newer CDMA device. As long as the phone is unlocked and has a SIM card slot, it should work on a GSM network. To be sure your phone will be fully functional abroad — voice, data and texts — research the specific model of your phone and the bands it supports, and cross-reference that with the frequencies available in the countries you'll be visiting.

Using a Laptop Abroad

Many of the international plans mentioned support tethering — the function that allows your smartphone to share its data plan with other nearby devices like laptops.

That said, the 2G speeds offered by T-Mobile and Sprint won't cut it on a laptop, and both AT&T and Verizon will begin to throttle your speeds after you exceed approximately 22GB per month. Carriers are quick to notice prolonged tethering, and will typically take action on your account if you do it enough.

If having data internationally for use on a laptop is a primary concern, supplement whatever Wi-Fi you're expecting to have available with an international hotspot.

Skyroam , for example, offers a compact mobile hotspot for about $150. Once you have it, you can pay $9 per day or $99 per month for unlimited global data in over 120 countries to use on up to five devices simultaneously (phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches). For travelers who can't take chances with coffee shop or hotel Wi-Fi, the hotspot also delivers peace of mind, and the puck itself also doubles as a charging device.

How to Choose the Right Option for You

Before deciding which phone to buy or network to choose, there are a handful of factors to consider:

• On an international trip for under two weeks, it's usually easier to use the day pass option provided by your carrier. If you also need data for a laptop, rent a Skyroam hotspot for the duration of your trip.
• On overseas trips longer than two weeks, travelers who already have an unlocked phone should see if the arrival airport sells local SIM cards. Travelers can also consider buying an unlocked phone for this purpose.
• Buy a Skyroam hotspot and carry it with you as you go, keeping your smartphone connected to data while you travel.
• If you're not married to a carrier already, consider the switch to Google Fi , as it's one of the best options for travelers.
• None of this advice really applies to cruising. Each carrier has their own rate charts for texting, calling and using data while at sea — and they're all pricey. For avid cruisers, you're better off paying for Wi-Fi once aboard.
• Whatever phone you end up using on your international escapades, be sure to use a card that offers cell phone protection , such as the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card or Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa® card (up to $600 of protection (subject to $25 deductible).

Do you have any other suggestions for staying connected abroad? Sound off in the comments below!