I’ll be in Europe (from the US) in a few months with my phone. I’m exploring possible ways to keep in touch back home without incurring a lot of costs. Someone said use WhatsApp. I understand I just need to have internet access (probably free in the hotels I’m staying in).
Is this correct? can I call and message people on WhatsApp for essentially free, without incurring international costs, as long as I have internet service?
Yes, but you must first invite who you are calling inside the Whatsapp app. Then you can text, call or video chat with them. And your conversation will be encrypted.
Other services that do this are Telegram, Signal, Facebook Messenger. Also, on my Android phone, I found that if I was connected to wi-fi, I was able to make calls back home and regular texting worked fine, too (when connected to wi-fi).
“Works fine” might not be free, though. They make it easy to call or text Internationally, but it could potentially be anywhere from free/included to very expensive, depending on your plan.
Personally I use Google Fi when traveling internationally, because they make it easy to roam between different countries and regions and always have data and cell service with cheap texts and calls. Makes it easier for people back home, since they don’t need to install any new app. You do get a new number though.
If your phone has an esim (most recent ones do), there are also a bunch of apps that let you shop for short term temporary esims for travelers. Those typically have good data prices.
But yeah, if you don’t need to be reachable on the go, using a non-SMS messenger app on wifi will be cheapest.
Make sure you turn off data and text/call roaming though, or you’ll get billed if someone tries to contact you on your US number. Or just leave your US SIM out of the phone / disabled.
When my daughter lived in Germany and then Hong Kong we used WhatsApp to take to her, no problems, no charges. When we cruised the Rhine we could text with the wifi on the ship. I had a European mobile plan available but I never had to use it.
Just turn on airplane mode and then turn on wifi and you’ll be fine.
Free for me. I had the phone on airplane mode (wi-fi on), so I wasn’t connected to any local cell towers. When I was out of wi-fi range, I couldn’t make calls or get texts.
This is an important point. If your phone connects locally, you may be in for roaming charges. You need to practice “wifi hygiene” in that you manage what your phone is connecting to - in the case of the OP, just your hotel’s free wifi. I have done this successfully in Central and South America (with Whatsapp).
Yeah, that is the downside of this strategy - if you want to use google maps or something else while you are exploring, you wont be able to do that. If the app you want to use lets you download information to your phone, you need to do that while at your hotel, again to access the free wifi.
When I travel I do sometimes use WatsApp, and it works fine.
Verizon has TravelPass, which gives you voice and data for $10/day in most of the world. It just works automatically, but you have to enable it before you go. I would expect other carriers to have similar offerings.
That’s what I usually use. For work trips I can expense it, but even for personal trips, really, what’s $70 for a week in a foreign country? I usually find that just having the map software work is worth it.
Yea, OP should get the cost they’re so fearful of paying; it is probably extremely reasonable with $10/day confirming the same vague benchmark I had in mind. Europe is pretty good at accommodating international travelers. May I recommend instead using the effort for fretting over pickpockets and escalator etiquette?
One of Verizon’s Unlimited plans includes overseas data and voice, and it was cheaper than the previous plan my wife was on (she’s a flight attendant, so we’re constantly looking for good overseas options).
Depending on the carrier, you could probably switch to one of those plans for the month that you’re actually traveling.
It is also possible to buy a sim card in the country you are traveling too that connects you to the local networks with no roaming fees. It is possible to even keep your own phone number. There are lots of options on the market to choose from. The worst part is keeping track of your original sim card for when you return. They are very small and easy to lose. If you have a newer phone it might have an eSIM which is just in the phone’s memory. You can switch between the regular one and secondary one with ease.
These can be very inexpensive.
For what it’s worth, every time we looked at getting a local sim for my wife, the economics never really worked out. If the OP wants to share their carrier, maybe us teeming dozens could take a look at options.
But, to the OPs specific question, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and maybe just airplane mode on an Android would do the trick.
verizon on a samsung
I have/had Verizon (Google Pixel) while in Italy and it worked great. I didn’t do anything (beyond enabling it in my account which was done long before). Just $10/day while I was there.
That doesn’t seem too bad but remember it is on top of your usual charges and then they hit you will all the taxes and fees bullshit. It’s fine but that bill was still a bit of a shock. Usual cell phone bill plus another $100 (after all the fees and such).
There are all sorts of SIM cards (or e-SIMs) you can buy. Gotta read the small print though but, depending on how you use your phone, it might save money (although data can get used a lot faster than most people realize so be careful…something the $10/day I do not have to worry about).
As best I can tell, T-Mobile will charge you for using WhatsApp, even though it’s wifi and you have your cellular off.
Near as I can tell this only happens when connected to the cellular network and the call is routed to that cell network. In which case T-Mobile considers it a phone call like any other and charges you for it despite WhatsApp handling the call on your phone.
If connected to Wi-Fi there should be no charge from T-Mobile. Best way to be sure is to put your phone in Airplane Mode and then turn on your WiFi radio. Then you know the phone can only use WiFi to communicate (of course, you need to be connected to a WiFi network which can be a hassle when walking around).
Does Whatsapp (owned by Meta which owns facebook) still require you to give it access to all your contacts on your phone to be able to use it easily?
I refuse to do this particularly as I have confidential client contacts on my phone.
This does actually work in the absence of a data plan. Maps also picks up WiFi signals and uses them (the handshake request, not the actual signal) to navigate. Obviously works best in urban areas with a decent number of fixed WiFi locations.
(I have no cite, just a fair amount of experience navigating without data)
Android here. I just buy a local SIM from one of the reputable carriers - 3, Vodafone, Telekom - which is usually in the range of $25-35 per month. It will also be a Europe-wide service. I usually don’t get an extra data plan, because the small amount I use (Maps, googling the local attractions, making brief Whatsapp or Messenger calls during the day while out and about etc) is usually included. If you are not watching videos (which I don’t) I’ve never used 5G in a month. The hotel you stay in will usually have free wi-fi, so you can organise all travel details (check-in, buy tickets etc) in the evening.
I know that Maps is supposed to work via Wi-Fi alone, but if you do that, you need to have the detailed map for the location pre-loaded into memory.
I have a dual SIM phone, so I don’t have to take my old SIM out, put it somewhere safe, and inevitably lose it.
It asks for your contacts, but you just say no.