Blog: mobile data and travel, answered
Short, practical answers to the questions people ask before and during a trip: data, roaming, eSIMs and your phone abroad.
- APN settings: what they are and when you actually need to touch them The APN tells your phone how to reach mobile data. Where to find it on iPhone and Android, when a travel eSIM needs one, and why to leave it alone otherwise. Read
- Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican: does EU roaming work there? Does EU roaming work in Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican? Which of the four are covered, why, and how to check the network your phone is on. Read
- Avoiding roaming charges outside the EU, step by step Outside the EU your operator sets the roaming price. How to check it, switch off data roaming, cut background data and stay off ship and plane networks. Read
- Can a smartwatch use a travel eSIM? Why a travel data eSIM goes on your phone and not on an Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch, and how the watch still gets online through the phone. Read
- Can you put a travel eSIM on a work phone? A company-managed iPhone or Android can stop you adding an eSIM or turning on data roaming. How to tell if your work phone is managed and what to ask IT first. Read
- Can you use two eSIMs at once? Stored, active and data lines An iPhone can store eight or more eSIMs but keep only two lines active, and only one carries data. How it works on iPhone and Android, and what it means abroad. Read
- Do boarding passes in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet work offline? A boarding pass saved in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet opens with no signal. Gate changes and delays do not arrive offline. How to set it up before you fly. Read
- Does a phone bought in China or Hong Kong support eSIM? Many iPhones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao have two SIM slots and no eSIM. How to tell which version you have before buying one. Read
- Does an eSIM work in airplane mode? No: airplane mode turns off the mobile radio, so the eSIM waits. Wi-Fi can go back on if the airline allows it. Here is what happens when you land. Read
- Does an eSIM work on an iPad or tablet? Only Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads take an eSIM, and the newest have no SIM slot. How to tell which iPad you have, how to add a data plan and what to check first. Read
- Does my mid-range Android phone really support eSIM? Why the same Galaxy A or other mid-range Android model can have eSIM in one country and not in another, and the checks that read your actual phone. Read
- Does your phone change time zone by itself when you travel? iPhone and Android switch time zone on their own if two settings are on. Why it can lag after landing, how to check alarms, and how calendar events behave. Read
- EID, ICCID and IMEI: what each number is and when you need it The EID names the eSIM chip, the ICCID names each SIM profile and the IMEI names the phone. Where to find them and which one a provider actually needs. Read
- EU roaming fair use: how much data your operator must let you use How EU operators may cap your data abroad, the formula for the minimum they must give you, the four-month check on long stays and how to find your own limit. Read
- Hotel Wi-Fi or mobile data: which to use for what Hotel Wi-Fi or mobile data? What security agencies say about public Wi-Fi, why hotel connections falter, and a simple split of what to do on each one abroad. Read
- How in-flight Wi-Fi works, and why your eSIM sits it out In-flight Wi-Fi is a cabin network linked to ground towers or satellites. How each route works, why it lags, and why your eSIM stays off in the air. Read
- How much data do you need for a week in Europe? A week in Europe with maps, messages and some social media comes to about 2.4 GB by our calculator’s model. Daily video or a laptop changes it; see by how much. Read
- How much data does Google Maps use? Google publishes no official figure for Maps data use. Here is how to measure it on iPhone or Android in a day, and why an offline map changes the answer. Read
- How much data does Netflix use? Netflix’s own figures: about 4 hours per GB on Automatic, 6 on Save Data, up to 3 GB an hour in HD in a browser. Plus how to download before you travel. Read
- How much data does a WhatsApp call use? WhatsApp publishes no per-minute data figure for calls, but the app counts it. See where, plus Use less data for calls and Data Saver for 1:1 video calls. Read
- How to call home when your eSIM only has data A data-only eSIM has no number, but internet calls on WhatsApp or FaceTime work over it. What you cannot call that way, and the line to keep for the rest. Read
- How to check data usage on your travel eSIM See how much data your travel eSIM has used on iPhone, Pixel or Samsung, start the count from zero when you land, and set a warning before the plan runs out. Read
- How to check if your phone is unlocked before you travel On iPhone, one line in Settings tells you if it is unlocked. Android has no single switch, so here are the checks that work and what to do if it is locked. Read
- How to check if your phone supports eSIM in under a minute Find the EID in your phone's settings and you know it takes an eSIM. The exact menus on iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy, and what to check if the EID is missing. Read
- How to download languages for offline translation before a trip How to download languages in Google Translate on Android and iPhone, and in Apple's Translate app, so menus and signs still translate with no signal at all. Read
- How to download music and films before a flight How to save music and films for a flight on Spotify, Netflix, YouTube Premium and Apple Music, which plan each needs, and the offline limits worth knowing. Read
- How to install an eSIM when you cannot scan the QR code The QR code is on the phone that needs it? Touch and hold it on iPhone, type the SM-DP+ address and activation code by hand, or show it on a second screen. Read
- How to keep getting your bank's SMS codes while you travel Your bank's SMS codes go to your number, not to your data. How to keep your line ready abroad, what receiving them costs, and the in-app alternative. Read
- How to keep your travel documents on your phone, offline and safe How to keep bookings, tickets and a passport copy on your phone so they open with no signal, where to store the sensitive ones, and a backup off the phone. Read
- How to move an eSIM to a new phone, and why a travel eSIM stays put Moving your eSIM to a new iPhone or Android takes a few taps if your operator supports it. Why a prepaid travel eSIM stays on the phone where you installed it. Read
- How to reduce mobile data on Android Turn on Data Saver on a Pixel or a Samsung, choose which apps may still use data, set Wi-Fi only per app and stop Google Photos backing up videos on data. Read
- How to reduce mobile data on iPhone Low Data Mode on just your travel line, per-app cellular switches and Connectivity Assist: the official iPhone settings that cut mobile data use on a trip. Read
- How to rename the lines on a dual SIM phone Give each line a clear name on iPhone, Pixel and Samsung so you always know which one carries data abroad. Where the setting is and names that work on a trip. Read
- How to share your mobile data with someone else's phone How to turn on the hotspot on iPhone and Android so a travel companion can use your data, what to check when it will not connect, and how to share it fairly. Read
- How to turn off data roaming on your home line, and keep it on for the eSIM With a travel eSIM, switch data roaming off on your usual line only, so it cannot run up charges. Steps for iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy, and what still works. Read
- How to use Apple Maps offline, and what to use if you don't have an iPhone Apple Maps can save an area for offline use with walking, transit and driving directions. How to download it, the settings to change and other offline apps. Read
- How to use Google Maps offline Download an area in Google Maps on iPhone or Android, keep it updated, and know what works without a connection: driving yes, walking and transit routes no. Read
- How to use an eSIM on a Windows laptop How to tell if a Windows 11 or 10 laptop takes an eSIM, where to add the profile, and the roaming and metered settings that matter on a trip. Read
- Internet in a campervan in Europe: a setup built around your phone Getting online in a campervan across Europe: the phone as router, where to keep it in the heat, campsite Wi-Fi and the stretches a Europe plan misses. Read
- Is public Wi-Fi safe when you travel? Is hotel, airport or café Wi-Fi safe to use abroad? What official security agencies say, the real risks and when mobile data is the better choice. Read
- Keep your eSIM QR code private: it works only once An eSIM QR code installs one eSIM on one phone, so the first scan gets the line. Where codes leak, how to scan safely, and what to do if someone beat you. Read
- LTE, 4G, 5G, E: how to tell which network your phone is using The letters by the signal bars name the mobile network each line can use. What 5G, LTE, 4G, 3G, E and G mean, and what to do when the letter drops abroad. Read
- Lost or stolen phone abroad: what to do, step by step Phone lost or stolen on a trip? Locate and lock it with Find My or Find Hub, block your home line, secure your accounts, and what happens to a travel eSIM. Read
- Manual or automatic network selection: which to use abroad Automatic lets the phone pick and switch networks; manual pins it to one. How to change it on iPhone and Android, and the few cases where it helps abroad. Read
- No signal on a hike abroad: how to still reach emergency services What SOS on your screen means, why 112 is worth dialling with no bars, how to read out your position, and where iPhone and Pixel satellite SOS work in Europe. Read
- Paying with your phone abroad: does Apple Pay or Google Wallet need data? Apple Pay and Google Wallet work in shops abroad without mobile data. What you need to set up at home, and the payments that still need a connection. Read
- Physical SIM or eSIM for a trip: the practical differences A local SIM card or a travel eSIM: what changes on arrival, what happens to your own number, and the few cases where the plastic card is still the right call. Read
- QR code menus when you travel: what you need and what to check A restaurant QR menu is a web link: scanning works offline, opening it does not. How to scan on iPhone and Android, and how to spot a QR code that is not real. Read
- Roam like at home: what the EU rule actually guarantees Which countries the EU roam like at home rule covers, what you pay there, the limits it allows and where it stops: ships, planes and non-EU neighbours. Read
- Sharing your phone's data with the children's tablets on holiday, without running out Let the children's tablets use your hotspot on holiday without updates and cloud sync eating the plan: Low Data Mode, metered Wi-Fi and Family Sharing. Read
- Transport tickets on your phone: what works without a connection Tapping in with Apple Pay or Google Wallet needs no data, and a ticket stored in an operator's app usually opens offline. Buying one is another story. Read
- Travelling with an iPhone that has no SIM tray No SIM tray means no plastic card at the airport. Which iPhones are eSIM only, how two eSIMs share the work on a trip and what to sort out before you leave. Read
- Two-factor authentication on a trip: how not to lock yourself out SMS codes are the weak spot of 2-step verification abroad. Set up prompts, an authenticator app and backup codes for Google and Apple before you leave. Read
- USB tethering or Wi-Fi hotspot: how to connect a laptop to your phone abroad When to connect a laptop to your phone by cable, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth on a work trip, how to set each up on iPhone and Android, and the iPhone USB trap. Read
- Using Uber or Bolt when you land: what to sort out before you fly Ride-hailing apps need mobile data from the first tap. Sign in at home, sort out verification codes, and know how the airport pickup and driver contact work. Read
- Using a VPN while travelling: what it actually changes A VPN encrypts the link from your phone to the VPN server, which helps on hotel and café Wi-Fi. What it changes on mobile data, and what it cannot do for you. Read
- Using mobile data in Europe with a US phone Visiting Europe from the US? What to check in your plan, how to tell if your phone is unlocked, why most US phones are eSIM-ready and how to keep your number. Read
- Using your UK phone in Europe after Brexit Travelling to Europe from the UK? Why EU roaming rules no longer cover UK plans, what the arrival text must tell you, fair use limits and when an eSIM helps. Read
- What 5G is, and whether you need it on a trip 5G explained without jargon: which phones support it, what happens when there is no 5G where you are, and why it matters less on a trip than having coverage. Read
- What happens if you delete an eSIM? Deleting an eSIM removes the line from the phone for good: you need a new one, and a travel eSIM loses its remaining data. What to do instead if it fails. Read
- What happens to a country eSIM when you cross a border A single-country eSIM stops working in the next country. What happens at the border, why data can drop before you cross, and how to switch lines or plans. Read
- What is an eSIM, and what does it change when you travel? An eSIM is a SIM chip built into your phone that you load with a QR code instead of a plastic card. What it changes on a trip, and what it does not. Read
- What the roaming icon on your phone means On Android, an R by the signal bars means you are on a network outside your operator's own. iPhone has no such icon. What it means for your bill abroad. Read
- When to buy a travel eSIM, and when to install it Buy a travel eSIM as soon as the trip is booked and install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. The plan only starts at the first connection abroad. Read
- Why the battery runs out faster on a trip, and what actually helps Weak signal, two lines, hours of maps and heat all drain a phone faster abroad. How to see the cause in your battery settings and the changes that help most. Read
- Why your phone says SOS, and what to do about it on a trip SOS in the iPhone status bar means no full service on that line, but emergency calls may still work. Why it shows up after landing and how to clear it. Read
- Wi-Fi Calling abroad, explained Wi-Fi Calling lets your own number make and take calls over Wi-Fi. Whether it works abroad depends on your home operator. How to turn it on and what to check. Read
- Wi-Fi on trains in Europe: which ones have it, and how to get it to work Free Wi-Fi on ICE, TGV INOUI, AVE, Railjet, Eurostar and Frecciarossa: how each login works, why it fails, and where you still need your own data. Read
- Your phone on a ski trip: the cold, the border on the piste and calling for help Why phones die on the slopes, the ski areas where your phone silently roams into Switzerland, and how to call for help in the Alps from a foreign phone. Read
- Your phone on the Camino de Santiago: data, apps, battery and safety Which data plan fits your route, what the phone now does for albergues and the Compostela, how to keep it charged and the free police app pilgrims use in Spain. Read
- Your phone plan on an Erasmus exchange: keep it, get a local one, or both Does your home plan last a semester abroad under EU roaming rules, why students can get a local plan, and what to do in Erasmus countries outside the EU. Read
- iMessage and FaceTime with a travel eSIM: how to keep your own number How to keep iMessage and FaceTime on your own number while a data-only eSIM carries the data on your iPhone, and the one thing not to do abroad. Read