How to Use Your Cell Phone Internationally | AT&T (2024)

FAQs

How can I get my cell phone to work internationally? ›

To turn on data roaming for international use, you'll need to go to your phone's settings and activate both voice and data roaming to access cellular coverage. What does “roaming” mean? Roaming allows you to make calls, send texts, and use wireless data even when you're outside of your domestic network's boundaries.

International roaming is quite simple in the way it works. Your phone is attached to a service plan from your mobile provider (like Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, etc.) that costs you a monthly fee. When you're outside of your coverage area, your phone has the ability to connect to a local network instead.

The pass will automatically begin once it detects you're in another country, and the day $10 charges will begin for every day you use your phone abroad (10 days max per billing cycle).

Before your trip, go into My account → Services → Mobile → SIM settings and select the mobile number you want to view. You'll see the option for 'Roaming and international' which you can turn on or off which should update the same day. Turning this setting on will allow you to make calls, text and use data abroad.

How do you know if your phone will work internationally? Most Smartphones do, as long as they are not locked to a network, or you do not have a service plan that has Roaming data/calling allowance with the service provider it is locked to.

One of the easiest ways to avoid roaming charges is to turn on airplane mode. When airplane mode is enabled, your iPhone will not be able to make or receive calls, send or receive text messages, or use cellular data. However, you can still use Wi-Fi while in airplane mode.

Roaming rates for the countries you plan to visit.

For most U.S. customers, domestic service plans do not cover usage abroad. Rates may be much higher because of additional roaming fees on foreign mobile networks and may vary from country to country and network to network.

We recommend that you turn off Cellular Data Roaming in your device Settings to avoid accidentally triggering a daily fee due to background data usage. To prevent your device from registering on a cellular network and incurring any daily fees, place your device in Airplane Mode.

How do I know if I have an international day pass? ›

Check your phone for any text messages you might have received from your carrier after adding the International Day Pass. Sometimes, confirmation texts are sent. 2. Log into your carrier's online account portal or app to verify that the International Day Pass is listed under your plan or services.

International charges apply when you talk, text, or use data outside the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. But you can save if you have AT&T International Day Pass^® (IDP) or another plan for international travel. (If you still have our former AT&T Passport®, you'll also save on international charges.)

Double-check also that airplane mode for your device has been turned off. You can also try to restart your phone. If it still doesn't work, you can attempt doing a manual network selection instead of having your phone select the network automatically. As a last resort, try reaching out to your home carrier for help.

In an iPhone, go to Settings – Mobile Data – Mobile Data Options – Data Roaming. For an Android phone, head to Settings – Connections – Mobile Networks – Data Roaming. Then toggle to 'on'. Don't forget to buy your international roaming packs through your amaysim app before you start your travels.

Phones connect using frequency bands. Different countries have specific bands for mobile networks. Ensure your phone supports the frequency bands of the country you're traveling to. Multi-band phones, supporting several frequencies, offer better international compatibility.