So much planning and fun ensue when we think about holidays and traveling. Outfits, shopping, to-do lists, and pictures, are all things to do on your iPhone. Your iPhone is your best buddy when you decide to travel far away from home. It’s fast and reliable and most of all it is secure and compatible with most free VPNs for iPhone apps. Although we would suggest you always stay Android VPN clients as well, in case you use that OS. VeePN has great options for both cases that you can easily utilize via a free trial.
Now let’s look at some answers to how do I use my iPhone when I’m abroad:
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Ensure your phone is unlocked
Carriers lock cellphones to keep customers with their service, but that’s ultra-inconvenient if you’re traveling abroad because it prohibits you from accessing local SIM cards or even eSIM services. If your phone is locked, you’ll find yourself either restricted to Wi-Fi usage or subject to the less-than-competitive international roaming iPhone costs that many carriers charge when abroad (assuming that coverage exists where you’ll be). In addition, you should also keep in mind that you should not overcool or overheat your device to prevent iPhone battery drain.
If your iPhone is currently locked, Apple recommends that you contact your carrier to have them unlock it. Often, mentioning that you’ll be traveling abroad and need to get a local phone number should be enough. However, if they reject, many third-party choices exist.
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Turn off Roaming Before Leaving
You’ll rack up a huge cost if you don’t turn off your iPhone’s data roaming service whenever you travel abroad. To be extra secure, you may also want to switch off your phone’s cellular data completely while you’re traveling. (You’ll need it if you’re using an eSIM data plan).
Go to Settings, Cellular, and Data Roaming to turn off data roaming. It’s possible to disable this feature. Cellular Data is another choice under Cellular. Alternatively, you can turn it off as well.
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Do a Reset on Your Usage Statistics
In learning how to use my iPhone for travel and not make it cost an arm and leg, you need to take this important step. In order to keep track of how much data you’re using while on vacation, you should monitor your consumption. You’ll also be able to identify apps that consume a lot of data and take actions to prevent that from happening again.
To clear your iPhone’s data usage history, go to Settings, Cellular, and then Reset Statistics. You’ll be able to see how much data you’re using while you’re away from home.
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Enable all Two-Factor Authentication Steps
You may protect your accounts from hackers by using two-step or multi-factor authentication. In most cases, you’ll receive a text message with a secret code to prove your identity when you use 2FA. As a result, you may be unable to access your email or bank account when you need them the most.
Ensure that your 2FA logins are accessible to you at all times by upgrading them. Among the possibilities:
- If you can, use a backup email address.
- Get a Google Voice number or port your current phone number to Google for a period of time.
- App-based authenticators such as LastPass or Google Authenticator can be used in place of a password on your phone or tablet.
This s a security measure you must take along with using a VPN for iPhone when connecting to external and public WiFis in order to protect your device and the data on it.
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Get used to Wi-Fi Based Services
Your normal roaming iPhone might be suffering but you should have a good grip on using apps and messengers that run on Wi-Fi because that you will have them available in most areas and public spaces out there. So get used to using WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and etc.
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Get an e-SIM Data Plan
A data plan that uses an eSIM card allows you to get local data at local costs directly from your phone. These can be pre-ordered and activated when you reach your final location. In order to get a local number, you’ll need either Dual SIM capability or one of the following messaging or calling apps. However, you’ll still avoid costly data roaming rates.
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Using iMessage and FaceTime for the First Time
iMessage: Even if you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection, you can still use iMessage to communicate with those who have iPhones and iMessage. IMessage is already enabled in your phone’s settings, so you don’t need to do anything extra to get it to function. Using an iPhone, you can send a simple text message to anyone else. You can check your texts to see if anyone else has one. Those with blue text bubbles have an iPhone, those with green ones don’t.
FaceTime: If your loved ones back home have iPhones and are awake at the same time as you are, FaceTime is a great method to stay in touch! Consider the time difference! Start by going into your Contacts, finding the person you want to FaceTime with, then clicking the video icon in your options. Alternatively, you can launch the FaceTime app, pick Audio or Video, type the name of the person you’d like to connect with and tap their name to place the call, as seen in the screenshot. It won’t function if they don’t have an iPhone.
There you have it; these are the things to do on an iPhone when you travel while also ensuring you aren’t breaking your bank.
