{"id":1751,"date":"2022-03-08T14:56:34","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T13:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rwp.codeseed.io\/?p=1751"},"modified":"2023-08-22T11:43:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T09:43:26","slug":"how-to-avoid-data-roaming-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.recharge.com\/blog\/en\/us\/how-to-avoid-data-roaming-charges","title":{"rendered":"How to avoid data roaming charges"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Planning a trip abroad? It\u2019s good to be prepared, so you can stay connected without incurring unexpected data roaming charges.<\/p>\n

Phone roaming is when you\u2019re using your cell phone in another country. It applies to making phone calls, sending texts, but also using mobile data. Data roaming is the focus of this article. For more information on roaming in general, check out our guide on\u00a0roaming outside the USA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What is Data Roaming?<\/h2>\n

What is roaming and why does it cost extra? Data roaming, simply put, is what happens when your phone connects with a foreign phone network. This happens automatically when you travel abroad.<\/p>\n

Your provider pays the owner of the foreign network a fee to be able to use the service. Often, you get these data roaming charges from your provider. As many people noticed across the years, they can be quite expensive.<\/p>\n

Data roaming and data roaming charges in the European Union<\/h2>\n

In some places around the world, such as the European Union, there are agreements in place to limit, or completely eliminate data roaming costs. So if you’re traveling within the EU and using a European SIM card, all your calls, text messages and data services cost the same in any EU country.<\/p>\n

What if you\u2019re using your US SIM card in the EU? Some phone carrier networks don\u2019t support roaming services (to the EU or any other location). This means that your US SIM card might not work in another country. It\u2019s important to check with your provider before you travel to avoid unpleasant surprises.<\/p>\n

Even if your mobile network supports roaming, the data roaming charges may be too high to justify, depending on where you travel to. Especially if traveling to the EU, consider buying a European SIM card on arrival. It\u2019ll save you some money and you can easily buy mobile recharge<\/a> for it online.<\/p>\n

Data roaming and roaming charges in the UK<\/h2>\n

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In 2016, British citizens voted for the UK to leave the European Union. This British exit of the EU is commonly called the Brexit. After Brexit, the UK no longer falls under EU regulation. That means phone service providers can implement roaming costs again. Multiple providers already have.<\/p>\n

This means you will be charged when you use data services in the UK, whether you\u2019re using your US SIM card or a European SIM card. It makes sense that you want to limit these costs, or even better, avoid data roaming charges altogether. But how do you do this?<\/p>\n

Tips to avoid roaming charges<\/h2>\n

You can avoid data roaming charges if you turn off roaming on your phone. This means your phone won’t use data from a foreign network. If you’re abroad and without Wi-Fi, your phone won’t use the internet. Of course, you can still use the internet on your phone, you just have to find a Wi-Fi hotspot. But how do you turn off data roaming on your phone? That depends on the kind of phone you are using.<\/p>\n

How to avoid roaming charges on Android<\/h3>\n

So, you want to keep a lid on data roaming? There are multiple ways in which you can keep track of and avoid roaming charges on Android.<\/p>\n