eSims, what is your experience.

[NM]

fyi receiving an sms whilst overseas is free and will not trigger Optus Daily Roaming

however it's been reported that using a VPN will not circumvent their geo-blocking of Wi-Fi calling whilst overseas

Unfortunately, as previously stated, my Optus service does not have international roaming enabled, and it will not get international roaming enabled for a personal holiday overseas trip. My employer provides my Optus SIM and their policy is that international roaming is only enabled when traveling overseas for business, and this trip is a personal holiday.

 

[NM]

I read through NMs post and all that gets into my brain is:
View attachment 397238
Bork, Bork, Bork…

I relate

 

[qaz]

Unfortunately, as previously stated, my Optus service does not have international roaming enabled, and it will not get international roaming enabled for a personal holiday overseas trip. My employer provides my Optus SIM and their policy is that international roaming is only enabled when traveling overseas for business, and this trip is a personal holiday.

sorry, no idea how i missed that in the first sentence of your post

in that case, i'd divert that mobile number to a VoIP phone number, which would not only allow receiving (and making) calls via the VoIP provider's app, but also do the same with sms

on second thoughts, think that you'd actually need to transfer/port your mobile number to the VoIP provider to receive/send sms via their app

as you have an iPhone, perhaps the sms forwarding to other Apple devices feature might work?

Forward text messages from your iPhone to other devices – Apple Support (AU)

With the Text Message Forwarding feature of your iPhone, the SMS, MMS or RCS messages that you send and receive on your iPhone can also appear on your Mac, iPad and Apple Vision Pro.

support.apple.com

 

[NM]

sorry, no idea how i missed that in the first sentence of your post

in that case, i'd divert that mobile number to a VoIP phone number, which would not only allow receiving (and making) calls via the VoIP provider's app, but also do the same with sms

on second thoughts, think that you'd actually need to transfer/port your mobile number to the VoIP provider to receive/send sms via their app

as you have an iPhone, perhaps the sms forwarding to other Apple devices feature might work?

Forward text messages from your iPhone to other devices – Apple Support (AU)

With the Text Message Forwarding feature of your iPhone, the SMS, MMS or RCS messages that you send and receive on your iPhone can also appear on your Mac, iPad and Apple Vision Pro.

support.apple.com

I don't need or want to take incoming calls while on holiday. Happy to divert all incoming calls to voicemail where I will leave a suitable message indicating that VM is not being monitored and noting an alternate person they can contact for work-related needs. Any friends/family will know to use an app-based calling method if they really want to talk to me (Facetime, Messenger etc.).

An option for SMS seems to be that I can put my company-provided Optus SIM into an old phone I have here at home, and leave it turned on and connected to a charger at home. When that device receives an SMS, it will be "forwarded" to my other Apple devices via the Messages app.

I have tested this by putting my phone into Aeroplane mode and monitoring my WiFi only iPad messages app. Then have an SMS sent to my phone. Obviously with the phone in Aeroplane mode, the message is not received on the phone, nor the iPad. Then put phone out of Aeroplane mode (and not connect to WiFi, so cellular only) and the SMS message is received on the phone and also immediately received on my iPad.

So with an old phone that remains at home with my work SIM installed, I can still receive SMS as forwarded from my phone to my other i-Devices that have internet access. So eSIM in my traveling phone for local data (and maybe voice) services, should receive SMS so long at the old phone remains at home with AU Optus cellular coverage (and can be connected to my home WiFi for internet connection as well).

 

[SYD]

I don't need or want to take incoming calls while on holiday. Happy to divert all incoming calls to voicemail where I will leave a suitable message indicating that VM is not being monitored and noting an alternate person they can contact for work-related needs. Any friends/family will know to use an app-based calling method if they really want to talk to me (Facetime, Messenger etc.).

An option for SMS seems to be that I can put my company-provided Optus SIM into an old phone I have here at home, and leave it turned on and connected to a charger at home. When that device receives an SMS, it will be "forwarded" to my other Apple devices via the Messages app.

I have tested this by putting my phone into Aeroplane mode and monitoring my WiFi only iPad messages app. Then have an SMS sent to my phone. Obviously with the phone in Aeroplane mode, the message is not received on the phone, nor the iPad. Then put phone out of Aeroplane mode (and not connect to WiFi, so cellular only) and the SMS message is received on the phone and also immediately received on my iPad.

So with an old phone that remains at home with my work SIM installed, I can still receive SMS as forwarded from my phone to my other i-Devices that have internet access. So eSIM in my traveling phone for local data (and maybe voice) services, should receive SMS so long at the old phone remains at home with AU Optus cellular coverage (and can be connected to my home WiFi for internet connection as well).

That’s quite clever. Report back if it works!

Personally, as a regular OS traveller I’d be getting a seperate Personal telco service for friends, family and 2FA etc and just have that Work Optus line purely for work stuff - which of course was one of the main use cases for adding eSIMs to phones (Private line and seperate Work Line on one home - none of that “this is my work phone”….

Fortunately, my last employer had a global plan, so no big deal using the phone OS. When I left and ported to the Optus (free roaming included plan), it was a seamless transition. Looks like I’ll get similar experience shortly with aíralo.

 

[qaz]

An option for SMS seems to be that I can put my company-provided Optus SIM into an old phone I have here at home, and leave it turned on and connected to a charger at home. When that device receives an SMS, it will be "forwarded" to my other Apple devices via the Messages app.

yes, though obviously only if that old phone is an iPhone

 

[NM]

yes, though obviously only if that old phone is an iPhone

Yes, indeed it is

 

[AisleSeat]

I've just Airolo while in USA, it was fine, except that iMessage stopped working and couldn't get it to work at all. Their support team responded very quickly, however none of their solutions worked.

 

[SYD]

I've just Airolo while in USA, it was fine, except that iMessage stopped working and couldn't get it to work at all. Their support team responded very quickly, however none of their solutions worked.

Did you have a roaming pack/roaming enabled?

I’ve had that happen a few times - iMessage goes from email rather than phone number. Last time (a few months ago) and Optus didn’t roam at all in Uruguay. Even though I had Flexiroam for data, I could get iMessage back until we got to Argentina. Took some fiddling in the phone settings (make sure aíralo is set as the default line for calls) and going into iMessage settings and ensuring your phone number is ticked to initiate iMessages.

 

[AisleSeat]

Did you have a roaming pack/roaming enabled?

I’ve had that happen a few times - iMessage goes from email rather than phone number. Last time (a few months ago) and Optus didn’t roam at all in Uruguay. Even though I had Flexiroam for data, I could get iMessage back until we got to Argentina. Took some fiddling in the phone settings (make sure aíralo is set as the default line for calls) and going into iMessage settings and ensuring your phone number is ticked to initiate iMessages.

Airolo is data only, no phone number.

 

[SYD]

Airolo is data only, no phone number.

Yes, but if your primary number isn’t roaming it can cough out on iMessage despite having data with an eSIM.

 

[Scr77]

Airolo is data only, no phone number.

Airalo have plans with just data or data with calls and sms. Not All plans have both options. I accidentally purchased a data plan instead of a plan with data, calls and sms. I hadn’t activated the plan and Airalo happily refunded it to credit within the app and I could then purchase the correct plan.

My last trip, I went with a data eSIM and deliberately didn’t pay for roaming with my phone provider (boost/telstra). I enabled Wi-Fi calling and was able to use phone for regular calls to/from AU. However, this is no good for making calls to local/overseas numbers.

Current trip, I paid for a global plan with calls. The number is based in Austria and has global roaming for data and making calls anywhere. I still haven’t enabled roaming on my boost/telstra sim but still get all the normal SPAM calls from home, so regular calls from home still come through on the Wi-Fi calling.

Yes, but if your primary number isn’t roaming it can cough out on iMessage despite having data with an eSIM.

I haven’t had this problem yet. Had a few missing names because the contact name didn’t have +61 in it.

 

[RealtimeY]

I also regularly have odd iMessage/FaceTime behaviour when I'm switching between SIMs, and sometimes it even persists after I've come back home, like calls coming through email/Apple ID, etc.

I believe iPhone tries to automatically determine your phone number by silently sending a text message in the background, and it gets confused when it's not able to send that message.

 

[SYD]

Airalo have plans with just data or data with calls and sms. Not All plans have both options.

Yes, I posted upthread about these. They tend to be Regional plans.

I haven’t had this problem yet. Had a few missing names because the contact name didn’t have +61 in it.

It can happen without notice, suddenly your iMessages are going linked to your email not primary number. There are Apple settings to let you manage it but if the primary number is not available, it can be difficult to fix while roaming.

 

[Zinger]

I'm currently in South Korea for a month. I decided to take up an offer from NordVPN which offers eSIM data plans via Saily.

For starters it was so very inexpensive compared to other options I checked. South Korea eSIM data can be expensive to buy. I paid about AUD43 for 30 days and 20Gb. It uses LTE which had been more than adequate everywhere I've been and for what I need. I have never been without good to very good mobile internet. It works well in both the Seoul and Busan subways and on the KTX train routes.

However I've not been able to find out how to check my data usage but I think 20Gb will be more than adequate.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just purchased an Africa regional eSim (3GM 30 days) from Flexiroam using their 25% off offer.

Surprised to see that it will use a new eSim MENA eSIM, now in addition to the FRX Global eSIM that I've been using with various plans for a while now. Have received instructions on how to install OK, just wondering if anyone has had this happen recently.

Maybe because of Africa region? Best ESIM For International Travel 2024

 

[SYD]

Just purchased an Africa regional eSim (3GM 30 days) from Flexiroam using their 25% off offer.

Surprised to see that it will use a new eSim MENA eSIM, now in addition to the FRX Global eSIM that I've been using with various plans for a while now. Have received instructions on how to install OK, just wondering if anyone has had this happen recently.

Maybe because of Africa region? Best ESIM For International Travel 2024

Yes, might some local requirement.

I’m in Europe and a Local Spain and Regional Europe plan are running on my existing Global eSIM.

 

[SYD]

PSA

There’s a new Flexiroam app update that could be a bit buggy. SYD+1 upgraded to the new “look and feel” - but can now no longer see active plans nor usage.. At least the active plan/eSIM is still working fine.

 

[SYD]

PSA

There’s a new Flexiroam app update that could be a bit buggy. SYD+1 upgraded to the new “look and feel” - but can now no longer see active plans nor usage.. At least the active plan/eSIM is still working fine.

Seems to be working now. I updated the app also and all good.

Edit: as an aside, roaming in Greece is really flakey at times… I suspect it’s more the local infrastructure rather than Flexiroam.

 

[SYD]

The new Flexiroam app (at least on iPhone) apart from a total UI refresh, now has buttons to explore “Voice & Text” add ons and now Airline “Inflight data” plans.

The V&T used to be buried in the Regional (and some local country) searches and might be of value to some.