When I left the United States for a year+ of unstructured travel, there were a lot of details to get in order. Some larger (where do I store all my stuff?), some a little less so (buying the perfect travel pillow- really?).
One of the things I spent the most time sorting out was my phone situation. A few years previous I had done a trek abroad of an unknown length and chose to cancel my phone entirely, instead of paying $30/month for a phone plan I wasn’t using.
Upon my return to the States, I went without a phone for another 3 months. This was an amazing experience in our ultra connected world for a time, but definitely wasn’t a sustainable option.
Eventually I reactivated my phone plan, but because I had fully cancelled my old phone number was no longer available. Reconnecting with a brand new phone number was exciting, but a pain on both a personal and professional level, as I’m sure anyone who’s gone through the process can attest.
So when it came time to cut the cords for yet another long term trip, I was more hesitant to completely ditch my digits, not knowing when or why I might want them in the future.
The challenge to phone connection while traveling is this (in general, but particularly for Americans):
- International fees for anything beyond basic texting quickly devours your budget
- To avoid international fees, the solution is to buy a SIM card locally with a prepaid plan and insert it into your unlocked phone each time you get to a new country. But when you do this, you are left with a new phone number for each country and the hassle of setting it up every time you hop from place to place. Also, many prepaid plans are structured to be used weekly or monthly, so for shorter trips this is not a great option.
- Paying for a monthly phone plan back home which you are definitely NOT going to use feels (and is) absurd.
So your options are this:
1. Switch to a prepaid plan with a relatively international friendly carrier like T-Mobile.
Problem: Your balance expires every 90 days and there is a minimum load amount, so you’ll end up spending ~$50 every 3 months for your phone plan regardless of how much you use it.
2. Deal with the expense and hassle of local sim cards for every country you visit. Depending on the country, this is not very expensive or much of a hassle. Depending on the length of your stay, the expense and convenience of having a local number is well worth it.
Problem: For shorter trips or trips with a lot of countries this can still add up fast and adds yet another logistical step. When moving through many countries in a single trip, you are left without a consistent, centralized phone number (essential for certain things like two factor authentication to verify account ownership).
3. Sign up for Project Fi (Google’s virtual mobile network) and get relatively affordable rates roaming just about anywhere.
Problem: SIM cards only work on Google phones without some serious hacking. This also isn’t as affordable long term as using local SIM cards.
4. Go without. Forfeit the phone connectivity entirely, and just rely on wifi.
Problem: I don’t have to tell you the drawbacks of this one 😉
After a ton of research, not knowing how long I would be outside the United States, or really in which countries, I decided to opt for option 3.
Project Fi is Google’s entry into the cell phone carrier world and is pretty legit. You pay what you use, no matter where you use it, and can easily track your usage along the way in a classic Google ultra simple dashboard. This pay rate applies to texting and data, but not to calls (though calls can easily be made using your data – see below).
Their somewhat ingenious design is to use everyone else’s cell towers instead of building their own, so the phone just naturally jumps from tower to tower to get you the best signal, disregarding traditional carrier boundaries and getting you some of the best coverage around.
The main problem with the network is that it works exclusively with Google phones, which I neither had nor could afford to buy. Having just upgraded to an iPhone SE, I decided to risk a hack found on forums for such things as this, where I would activate the Project Fi SIM card on a Nexus or Pixel phone, then swap it out and put it in my iPhone. The only thing I had to do was find someone with a Nexus or Pixel who was willing to let me abuse its body for about 2 minutes.
I started in Colorado, made my way to North Carolina, Washington D. C., and New York, scouting every contact, Best Buy, Radioshack and random person I could find. No one had a Google produced phone, and the few who did didn’t want me ruining their own options to use the network themselves by registering my SIM card with their phone.
So, long story not so short, I ended up in Bulgaria with a Project Fi SIM card I could not activate, a Verizon plan I could not afford and no actual phone connectivity in Bulgaria itself. 😢
Which is when I switched to Plan B.
Plan B
Aside from Project Fi, Google has three other products that are phone/connectivity related: Google Hangouts, Google Voice, and Google Duo. Don’t ask why there are 3 separate products for essentially the same purpose. Apparently, not even Google knows*. But when used together, they are actually a beautiful solution to an incredibly annoying problem.
After giving up on the beautiful idea that was Project Fi, I had really two options: kill my American phone plan and therefore number entirely, or keep paying out the nose for a phone I couldn’t/wouldn’t use.
I went for option three: transfer my phone number to Google Voice, and, until I bought a local SIM card so I had mobile data and access my old phone number via wifi.
*Google has over seven different messaging app products. It’s retired two: Allo and Hangouts. The Google Hangouts described in this article is the “Classic” Hangouts. Users of this version will be transitioned to Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet at some point, according to Google.
The Google Triage
Google Voice gives you the option to create a new, phone number (available only to US residents unfortunately), or port your existing phone number from your mobile carrier. Aside from a one time $20 fee to port your number, Google Voice then houses your phone number and lets you to send and receive text messages, and receive voicemails completely for free.
Text messages can also be delivered directly to your Gmail account, which is a pretty handy way to centralize your correspondence. Problem is, when it comes to making outgoing calls from other countries to the U.S., it acts as a normal phone, so international fees apply.
This is where Google Hangouts steps in. Google Hangouts is a complementary app to Google Voice that lets you place calls using wifi or mobile data, so you can call anywhere in the United States for free. However, because it is functioning off of an American number, calls to other countries (even the one you’re in), are charged an international fee. Rates are generally around $0.01/minute, so not extravagant, but a nuisance nonetheless.
The third app, Google Duo, is a stand alone app that can be used with any mobile number and is not linked to your Google account like the other two options. This app specializes in video calls (though voice only is also an option), so it offers a much higher quality connection.
The person you’re calling also has to be on Duo (similar to Skype or other messaging apps), instead of calling directly to their phone. I will say that I love this option because it has the best sound quality of any video call app I’ve tried (Skype, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp). It literally sounds like you’re in the same room as the person you’re talking to.
Because these are all apps that functional with a digital number, they can be used simultaneously with a local SIM card and prepaid plan. This truly gives you the best of both worlds because you can then place calls within the country you’re visiting and to the U.S. for no additional fees. Calling to a third country (not the U.S. or the country you’re in), still generally charges an international fee, but can be done for free between WhatsApp users.
Just to keep it all straight, the flow is this:
- Google Voice*: Manages your phone number. Use for text messages and receiving voicemails/incoming calls.
- Google Hangouts*: Place calls to the U.S. Place calls outside the U.S. for a small international fee.
- Google Duo*: For longer conversations or video calls with loved ones. Both sides need to use the app.
- Local SIM: In country or regional calls (in country calls are free, regional roaming – such as in Europe – fees are relatively small).
- WhatsApp*: Country to country calls. Both sides need to use the app.
- Project Fi: Affordable international roaming. Best for frequent trips in and out of the U.S. Works only on Google phones.
*Requires wifi or mobile data.
For the better part of the past year and half, these have been my go to apps to not only stay in touch with friends and family, but as my travels have continued, to maintain my life as an American abroad. I can’t tell you how many times I have needed to verify my phone number and my Polish or Israeli or Spanish phone number just wouldn’t cut it.
Many services and websites that market primarily or exclusively to Americans require a phone number for their services. And the added consistency of having only one number to verify accounts from banks to email, makes that 10 digit number worth its weight in gold and all the trouble it took to hold on to.
And best of all, my loved ones can text me just like I’m right next door, helping us all keep in touch (relatively) well!
So, to recap:
For global travel popping in and out of the United States, Project Fi remains the best (most flexible + affordable) option to seamlessly use your phone at home and abroad.
If you are spending most of your time outside the U.S., local SIM cards are by far the most affordable and functional option.
Transferring your phone number to Google Voice and using their suite of communication apps gives you the best flow for American correspondence; you don’t have to switch out SIM cards every time you want to use different phone numbers, you simply open the app, and aside from the initial transfer fee, it’s completely free!