12.06.24
If you use data on a mobile device, it’s important to understand what data roaming means. You may have read stories about travelers coming home from a great trip only to be hit with an unexpectedly hefty cell service bill the next month. To avoid billing surprises, here’s what you should know about data roaming — what it is, how to avoid it, and how to use it in a budget-friendly way.
What is data roaming?
Simply put, data roaming is when you access data on your phone or other device while you’re outside your carrier’s network. In places where your carrier doesn’t have coverage, you may be connected through another company. Your data use continues as normal, but the other company can charge a fee on top of your carrier’s — and that will inflate the next bill for your service.
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Domestic roaming versus international roaming versus home network
Your “home network” is the network belonging to the phone carrier you chose for service. Say you opted for a phone plan through Verizon; that’s your home network, and when you’re in Verizon’s coverage area, your calls, texts and data use its equipment. Roaming only comes into play when you’re outside your carrier’s coverage area.
Typically, carriers don’t cover every square inch of the country, so they enter into roaming agreements with other wireless providers. When your phone use routes through another provider’s network, that’s domestic roaming. Major carriers and the MVNO providers who use their networks usually do not charge for roaming within the U.S. Still, to be safe, take a good look at the fine print of your specific phone plan and look for a map of your carrier’s coverage area online.
International roaming comes into play when you’re in another country. Often, carriers include free roaming in neighboring countries — commonly Canada and Mexico. But the more distant the location, the more likely you’ll have to pay extra for using a different wireless network.
Term
What it is
Home network The wireless network used by your carrier in its coverage area; the cost is baked into your phone plan.
Domestic roaming Use of partner wireless networks when you use your phone outside your carrier’s coverage area; typically no cost but data use may be limited by the partner carrier.
International roaming Use of a wireless network outside your carrier’s country; some coverage may be free under your plan, but most use in other countries will come at an additional cost.
Pros and cons of data roaming
Pros
Stay reachable by phone, text and email.
Have access to information and apps you need to navigate, especially while traveling: maps, ticket purchasing, event information, translation tools and more.
Cons
When roaming domestically, your carrier may limit how much data you can use on partner networks and the partner network may provide data at slower speeds than you’re used to.
When roaming internationally, costs can add up very quickly — think hundreds or thousands of dollars — unless you make a plan to add a temporary international pass or other work-around.
Things to be careful about with data roaming
How much data do I need for roaming?
Take a look at your current data use to get a ballpark idea, then allow a safety buffer for traveling. You likely will be using some apps more intensively, such as maps or transportation/rideshare services. Consider whether you might be doing more or less of data-intensive services, such as streaming video while away from home or posting to and scrolling social media. Make sure you understand how your data gets used up, how many MB are in a GB, and what your allowed data roaming limit is.
Check your data usage on an iPhone
Go to Settings -> tap on Cellular.
Scroll down to Current Period and Current Period Roaming to see total usage in the current billing cycle.
To get a sense of what apps you spend the most data on, click on Show All.
Check your data usage on an Android
Go to Settings -> tap Network & Internet.
Choose Mobile Network, then App Data Usage for an overall usage number.
Scroll down to view per-app data usage.
Data roaming alternatives to control costs
Sometimes you do want to use your phone outside your carrier’s coverage area, such as when traveling. The key to managing costs is planning ahead, not simply discovering the charges after the fact. For example, AT&T charges $2.05 per MB of data on land and cruise ships, so using even 1 GB adds up to more than $2,000.
Check your plan and add a pass if needed
Check whether your existing phone plan includes data usage outside your home country, and if so, what areas are covered. For example, some providers include free roaming in Canada and Mexico for their U.S. customers.
If your plan doesn’t cover your destination, see if your carrier has a short-term international plan you can add while traveling. For example, AT&T offers an International Day Pass available on any unlimited data plan. It charges $12 per day for calls, texts and data usage in more than 210 countries. AT&T also offers a package designed for use on cruise ships.
Similarly, Verizon offers a day pass for $12 or a 30-day pass for $100 that covers more than 210 countries. It also has a $20 day pass for cruises or air travel.
T-Mobile has several plans that already include up to 5GB of high-speed data in more than 215 countries. To add more data, or to include data on a plan that doesn’t already have it, you can pay for an International Pass in 1-, 10- or 30-day increments for $5, $35 or $50.
Use an alternative SIM card
If you have an unlocked phone (one not tied to a particular carrier), you can buy a physical SIM card in your travel location to use while there. Or, if your phone has eSIM capability, you can activate an international eSIM once you’ve reached your destination.
Some phones have dual SIM capabilities, so you could have one for domestic use and one for international travel.
How can I avoid data roaming?
Use free public Wi-Fi to access the internet. For example, many hotels and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi, which you can use as a guest.
As always, take security precautions when on public Wi-Fi: Don’t visit sensitive sites such as banking and payment apps, and don’t enter personal data such as a credit card or Social Security number. Consider installing a virtual private network (VPN) on your phone to encrypt your internet usage.
TextNow Tip: You can download certain content, like maps or music/video content over Wi-Fi ahead of time, so you still have access without using your data. To make sure your phone isn’t using data at other times, turn off data roaming in your phone’s settings.
How to turn off data roaming on iPhone
Go to Settings -> tap Cellular
Select Cellular Data Options
Toggle Data Roaming to off
How to turn off data roaming on Android phones
Go to Settings -> tap Connections
Select Mobile Networks
Toggle Data Roaming off
