Seven Tips and Tricks for Using Your Mobile Phone Overseas

Tips – Using Mobile Phone Overseas/Avoid Huge Bills

Mobiles phones and tablets have been the constant companion for every individual and we tend to get helpless without them. We use them as a means of staying connected with family and friends, wherever we may go, as a map, for clicking images, or audio and much more. When people travel overseas, reducing the phone bill is a great concern for users who may face exorbitant bills during their travel and it is advisable to have some knowledge on the global roaming charges and huge phone charges, which could be quite expensive. To avoid these high fees a little information could be beneficial for those travelling overseas as well as a relief to the expenses on calls charges while away on a holiday.Some of these tips could prove to be helpful for those travelling overseas-

1. Call Your Provider: 

The first option is to contact your service provider and find out the necessary options. Some may offer international calling as well as data plans while others may suspend your services during the trip period to avoid accidental unwanted charges abroad. Still others may also offer rental options to have local phone during the trip. The user could choose from any of the options available accordingly prior to leaving for the trip.

2. Purchase a local SIM at your destination 

This would be helpful if one is visiting only one country like the United Kingdom and SIM cards could be purchased at the airports or supermarkets. If travelling to another country, the user would not be able to use the SIM card without turning on global roaming. Should one be using a local SIM, then they could text or call their family or friends and inform them the number or if you buy a prepaid SIM card, contact details can be given before leaving.

3. Data Roaming Setting to be Turned Off

If the phone tends to have a data roam setting, ensure to turn it off prior to flight take off. This enables the phone to disconnect data networks which are beyond your home network, thus helping in avoiding huge data roaming charges.

4. Automatic Features to be Turned Off

If the phone is set to check for new emails, automatically, there could be a possibility of data usage without being aware of it and could lead to expensive phone bills on returning back. To avoid this, the automatic features which may use data like checking for new emails, could be turned off.

5. Airplane Mode 

One can put the phone on airplane mode in case of doubt which will keep the phone from connecting to local network and thus avoid data charges. One can manually turn on Wi-Fi while in airplane mode which could help in keeping the device connected for free when one tends to be in the Wi-Fi range.

6. Use Wi-Fi

Global roaming can be turned off and staywithin Wi-Fi range like hotel lobby or local cafes where one can communicate through Facebook or apps like Skype, iMessage or WhatsApp.Skype has prepaid credits costing $16 or $40 with calls costing between US$0.025 per minute while iMessage, an Apple program, enables you to text wherever one may be, for free provided the user is in possession of an Apple device. WhatsApp on the other hand enable you to call and text as well and is a cross platform wherein one can use it on Android or Apple device.

7. Use Apps rather than Plans 

Apps like Skype and WhatsApp enables to call and text without depending on phone plan and these could be used on Wi-Fi where many could be used free of cost or for a considerably lower cost than an international call plan.