How does iOS handle mobile data during roaming?

[Shirasaki]

Hello. I’m traveling overseas to China and have roaming on. However, I don’t quite sure how iOS handles mobile data usage while on roaming. Is it business-as-usual? Or there are some built in data savings and/or warnings to help preventing massive roaming charges? I tried to search Apple website but struggle to find concert information. If anyone can share their experience, that would be amazing. Thanks.

 

[jlc1978]

Hello. I’m traveling overseas to China and have roaming on. However, I don’t quite sure how iOS handles mobile data usage while on roaming. Is it business-as-usual? Or there are some built in data savings and/or warnings to help preventing massive roaming charges? I tried to search Apple website but struggle to find concert information. If anyone can share their experience, that would be amazing. Thanks.

My experience is unless you turn roaming off, the iPhone uses data as it normally does. My carrier has free international data so I leave it on and never get any warnings about data use, just as when I am not roaming.

Prior to getting free data roaming, I used international plans to control my costs; just be aware it is possible for roaming data charges to show up after you cancel a plan due to delays in your carrier getting data use info; so be sure to check with your carrier how their plan handles such charges.

 

[Shirasaki]

My experience is unless you turn roaming off, the iPhone uses data as it normally does. My carrier has free international data so I leave it on and never get any warnings about data use, just as when I am not roaming.

Prior to getting free data roaming, I used international plans to control my costs; just be aware it is possible for roaming data charges to show up after you cancel a plan due to delays in your carrier getting data use info; so be sure to check with your carrier how their plan handles such charges.

Oh snap. That’s bad. Time to hunt down options to limit mobile data use.

My carrier got notification of data usage quite quickly, so at least I have that. I wish there were unlimited international data, even if that means the plan would be quite expensive when using mobile data domestically.

Imagine there were profiles in iOS that users can switch profiles based on where they are or what are they doing. Focus mode is quite limited imo. Shortcuts idk.

 

[jlc1978]

Oh snap. That’s bad. Time to hunt down options to limit mobile data use.

My carrier got notification of data usage quite quickly, so at least I have that. I wish there were unlimited international data, even if that means the plan would be quite expensive when using mobile data domestically.

Imagine there were profiles in iOS that users can switch profiles based on where they are or what are they doing. Focus mode is quite limited imo. Shortcuts idk.

Your best option, IMHO, is if your phone has a SIM slot, buy a local data only SIM and use Skype/WhatsApp/Facetime to make calls. Fortunately, in Europe most people use WhatsApp so calling is no problem. That's what I do abroad to get a high speed hotspot; if all I wanted to do was call my free low speed data is good enough fo that but I need a hotspot for reliable internet access and streaming. If most of the calls you need to make are to a country that have a Skype plan you can subscribe to that and get a bucket of calling minutes, or even buy Skype credits to make calls.

Also look at what happens if you answer a call to your mobile number or it goes to voicemail and you check VM to be sure you don't get hit with international calling rates.

There is a low data mode as well that limits pauses background tasks and updates to save data.

There are companies that sell international data plans but in my experience those are much more expensive than getting a local prepaid SIM card.

Also, China does not use eSIMs, unless they are from an international provider or Hong Kong, IIRC, so you need a phone with a slot if you want to get a local plan or make sure you can get an eSIM.

 

[rui no onna]

On our last 1-month trip, we had a local eSIM that we used for data and local calls. Alas, we still had the accidental misdials and answered calls on our primary US line so I got hit with ~$40 in roaming charges ($10/day).

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll need to keep my US phone on airplane mode and just keep a travel phone for local SIM if I want to avoid roaming charges altogether.