Setting up a "burner" phone for European travel

I don't want my personal data available upon re-entry to the States.

Unless you are in the US on a Visa, this is really not a realistic concern. TSA does not check phones, Border control does not routinely either. The well publicized cases have all been Foreign Nationals, or individuals who were flagged due to activities they were involved in.

But to your question:
What will you be doing with the phone? Calls? Texts? Data? Do you need a US based number?

You could just get a data only SIM from a place like Airalo, then use the internet and apps for data, texts and calls (Like Whatsapp) the term is whatever length of time you buy the SIM for.

If you opt for a US service, T-Mobile, Mint, even Google Fi that I have, many do require that you use the service in the US for a period of time (30 days, maybe other lengths of time) before using overseas, so look through the fine print.

If I were a CBP agent and decided to check the phone of a US citizen upon returning to the US, a "burner" phone with only a short activation period would put me on high alert.

That would concern me more than the very remote possibilty that my regular phone would be checked. As long as you your not on some "list" to begin with I wouldn't worry about it. You're T-Mobile service should work well in Europe.

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/cbp-search-authority/border-search-electronic-devices

I'm very confused!

Are you saying that your normal carrier is T-Mobile? Or that the second phone is locked to T-Mobile? Surely an unlocked phone will use whichever carrier the new SIM is linked to?

And which European country do you arrive in first?

Any suggestions or advice?

I think any unlocked "modern" phone (you said "I've procured supports both SIM and eSIM") would work fine with any of the eSIM options out there. I generally use Orange (usually their Holiday option with data and a local French #). It merely requires a working UNLOCKED phone that is eSIM compatible and CONNECTED to wifi to complete the process.

IOW, you could go to Orange's website (or other options for data only or more), and buy the Holiday eSIM package while in the US. And hook that phone up to your wifi at home, follow the instructions the day before/morning of your travel, and when you hit Europe, come out of airplane mode and it will find Orange or it's local partner.

I'd test it all out and square it away before departing, but, in a pinch, I'm betting most big airports would have a kiosk/shop that could - for an airport "premium & convenience" price - set you up using an eSIM or physical SIM once you land. Or, any larger city would have their local options.

So, all is well on that front. I have decided, given the political situation at home in the U.S., to travel with an alternate phone. I don't want my personal data available upon re-entry to the States.

Here are some facts of the "political situation" that worries you.

In FY 2024, out of the over 420 million travelers CBP processed at ports of entry, CBP only searched the electronic devices of 47,047 international travelers.

I believe that is a .000112 chance your regular phone could be searched. I think the odds are greater you will lose your phone on vacation before it is searched by CBP.

Since you will not be bringing your US phone be certain that:

• The European SIM works in the US so you are not cut off from the world when traveling from home to Europe.
• That all your friends and relatives have the new number to contact you in an emergency
• That your bank and credit card companies have the new number for emergencies and if you have to contact them as they often use the number you call from as a form of ID.
• That every banking institution and website that uses a text message to send you a code to access their service for making a purchase or changing a password or just ordinary access has your new number.
• That your email accounts are set up on your new phone, but all of those who you are afraid of the US government being aware that you communicate with are blocked. And all old emails are deleted. Which will probably delete them from all devices.
  
• Don't use your burner for any social media accounts or for Google or GMail as that may leave a trail.
• Remove the battery and put the phone in your checked luggage.

I think your concerns are overkill. Why even have a phone at all in Europe if you feel that way? Why do you need one? Do you really have to call anyone or post to social media. The social media part is what gets you in trouble.
Use your regular phone, turn off location services, delete everything sent or received ASAP. Do not post anything to social media.
Go to using pen and paper and drop boxes. Eat, chew and swallow any of those communications.

Or before you enter back to the US, reset your phone to factory settings.

I honestly don't believe that getting a second phone will provide much in the way of added data security unless you never use the second phone to check emails or do anything else connected to your existing accounts. Just figure that, if Google or Apple knows, ICE can find out.

treemoss2; sort of the point of my list. Well that and to give a direct answer to the question. There are probably better strategies for staying out of trouble.

I honestly don't believe that getting a second phone will provide much in the way of added data security unless you never use the second phone to check emails or do anything else connected to your existing accounts. Just figure that, if Google or Apple knows, ICE can find out.

With a burner phone/spare phone/junk phone/whatever, the phone most likely has an "erase & reset to factory" or similar. iPhones have an "Erase All Content and Settings". If worried, about person would do that before returning home and possibly destroy/trash the phone altogether. IOW...nothing for anybody to search while waiting in lines to re-enter the US. A true burner phone would not be expected to make the roundtrip with someone.

I think the broader worry of you EXISTING phone and computer or iPad or Kindle, is that there is often YEARS of information on them with ANY hostile gov't agents (Russian, Chinese, etc.) capable of using and exploiting that information if they have access to it. If you have your smart phone on you, you literally have "your private life" in the palm of your hand - not only your public life. And it is at the border crossings where your US rights are MOST limited during inspection by US authorities.

I don't use a burner phone, and I also believe most (really all) of my information on my phone is available to legit gov't groups (via warrants) and to bad actors (foreign and domestic) as well. "If Google or Apple knows, law enforcement can find out" is true, but definitely a far more tedious process for a fishing expedition - but still true. But one less worry for some folks would be to not have to ALSO consider being questioned at the border over their phone after an 8 hr flight when they just want to go home and sleep.

Where I would consider the idea of a burner phone would be on a trip to China. No chance I'm bringing my laptop, and there would be a reasonable argument to be made to not bring my normal phone either.

While this is not responsive to OP’s question, Treemoss2’s, Threadwear’s and Mr. E’s comments lead to to share this, from an earlier post on this topic:

The “Border Search” exception to the Fourth Amendment has been recognized by the US Supreme Court for close to 50 years now.
The following from the University of California Office of the President website has lots of information to consider:

https://security.ucop.edu/resources/traveling-with-electronic-devices/border-search.html

What Is a “Border Search”?

Federal law authorizes CBP to “inspect, search or detain” any person or items arriving in, or departing from, the territorial United States. The Fourth Amendment’s usual requirements of a judicial warrant and probable cause are attenuated at the international border and ports of entry under a legal doctrine called the “border search exception.” Under this exception, CBP can conduct a routine search of any electronic devices possessed by travelers, including smart phones, iPads, laptops, and storage devices, without a warrant or any individual suspicion of wrongdoing.

The link above has a lot of guidance. If you want to learn more, go there. I only quoted a small part of it . What Customs & Border Patrol may be doing differently in 2025 that affects US citizens flying home from overseas is something I don’t know, but the current administration is taking new approaches in relation to border enforcement.

I don't want my personal data available upon re-entry to the States.

Buy a phone in Europe upon arrival. Distroy it before departure to return to the US. If you are truly worried about our government having access to your communications activities, why would you purchase a phone in the US to take with you to Europe?

If Homoeland Security chooses to searche my phone at the end of upcoming trip they are going to find some DB and British Rail tickets along with downloads of Rick's Walking Tours. They already have access to my Insta reels regarding the beers that I drink while traveling.

With a burner phone/spare phone/junk phone/whatever, the phone most likely has an "erase & reset to factory" or similar.

That history still exists somewhere.

I think this thread is getting close to violating "Do not help people break laws. Speaking of the existence of law breaking is OK. Sharing how to circumvent visa restrictions, scam hotels, or perform other illegal acts is prohibited." No one is saying how to break any laws, but this thread has gone into the territory on how to hide information from border control which begs the question, what type of information do you have on your phone that drives this level of concern when your chances are .1% of being selected? Perhaps best just to focus on providing the OP advice on getting an eSIM and stay out of this other 'grey' area. Let the OP figure out the hiding of information and if they are successful or not, that this is their problem and not our problem to solve or advise.

That history still exists somewhere.

And "where it exists" is pretty important from a US citizen's rights perspective. At the BORDER, a US citizen's rights are LESS than they are when the citizen is in the US. At the border, a citizen can be asked to open their phone/laptop/ipad/etc. and detained if they don't comply and the device(s) can be held. The "ask" is the full need a gov't agent would need. If a gov't tried that INSIDE the US, the citizen (or service - Google, Apple, etc) would ask for a warrant of some sort to prove that was a legal search request. It's a lot of hoops to get warrants. It is zero hoops to ask someone as they come back into the US.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a simple pdf for folks worried about border checks. Number one is to consider using a temporary device. They include advice for before the trip and for at the border. Relatively simple tips to follow.

when your chances are .1% of being selected?

Lynn, I believe, chrck me on this, you are missing a zero and the and the actual percentage was stated by the government to be "less than 0.01%".

What was lost on many was my suggested method, while it probably would "work," is ludicrous. Hand them your phone if asked, they are acting legally, cooperate, they have a miserable job, help make it easier.

What was lost on many was my suggested method, while it probably would "work," is ludicrous. Hand them your phone if asked, they are acting legally, cooperate, they have a miserable job, help make it easier.

But why would the OP follow your "ludicrous" method? It is as simple to set up a "burner" as it is to set up his OWN personal phone he uses daily. He can simply use an esim or physical sim in his burner, use it as he chooses, and toss/destroy/erase/keep as he wants at the end of his time in Europe.

Even in 2025, many many many Americans travel to Europe with no phone plan & no data plan, and they survive with no email requirement & no text messages from their banks & no calls from home that require them ASAP. I get the "when you use a different device, you're disconnected from all the things that facilitates" but is that awful?

But what would we be so afraid that the immigration authorities would find on our phone in the very remote chance they search it? Personally, I'm not doing anything illegal, and I don't have any naked pictures of anyone. Why would someone want a burner phone for a trip to Europe? I don't get it.

Tom, you might not have read it.

Marty, exactly. But when I say that I get in trouble so I just answered the question but didn't argue the logic.

Why would someone want a burner phone for a trip to Europe? I don't get it.

Have you not listened to a certain powerful man talking about his desire to deport US citizens?

Have you not listened to a certain powerful man talking about his desire to deport US citizens?

Wouldn't a US citizen get deported to his home country? Wouldn't that be the United States?

It seems if someone has "questionable" information on their phone or any other electronic device, they may not want to bring that device through customs. If they have nothing "questionable" on their device, then just take it. TSA and CBP can rummage through your luggage and scan your body, so if they want to read my phone and iPad, have at it. Why make my trip more difficult without them because there is an extremely remote chance CBP may want to read it. The media has created such paranoia and the worse part is so many people believe it and have succumb to it.

Threadwear, you mean I had those 2 tattoos removed for no reason at all? Its been a week and I still cant sit down!

More serious. If you want to ensure you get additional attention at the border, show one of these https://www.cnet.com/reviews/blackphone-2-review/

I understand where everyone is coming from on this point. But has anyone on this thread reentered the U.S. this year? (I have only done it twice.)

Let’s not promote fear nor believe everything we read.

I wonder if the OP had just asked about how to set up a new phone for use while traveling, and left politics out of the post, if there might have been some responses to her actual question?

Carol now retired, I gave a very serious facts based answer to the question .... then had the tattoos removed.

I would be more concerned that my flight would be cancelled or the trains would be on strike.

But has anyone on this thread reentered the U.S. this year? (I have only done it twice.)

I'm one up on you. I've reentered three times.Two different airports.

It didn't seem any different to me.

I also know two non-citizens who entered the US in the last three months. They both said it was quick and the CBP officers were friendly.

A third person I know from Mexico who was questioned at LAX when she told them she was unemployed. But when she mentioned she was just there to change planes to the UK they wished her a pleasant journey and she was off to make her connection.

If you want to set up a separate phone and not have it connected to any of your accounts the phone should walk you through it.

You could buy a prepaid sim card when you arrive in Europe. This way you don't have to register with a US carrier.

I believe there is information on how to do that on this website.

After the local guide city tour of Bern on our RS tour, we had the opportunity to ask our a Swiss person anything. And during the Q & A, our excellent guide as an aside and with all due respect said the US is no longer reliable. And the way he said it, it implied an even deeper concern. Next we saw the Einstein museum exhibit were we learned of Einstein having his bank accounts frozen by the Germans and the Swiss failing to come to his aid and how he found safety in the US— although later in life the FBI and others were investigating him for his politics and maybe he wasn’t entirely safe after all.

So it’s probably not something to worry about yet when traveling back to US— burner phones that is. But just in case, I’d study this Einstein fellow to see if one can pick up some tips on inventing a time travel machine or something.

Happy travels!

I have had 6 Iranian citizen friends enter this year. 4 are still here. All appreciative of the opportilunity and life in America. None hassled by anyone. WAIT! Mr E socalizes with .... you know ... ?

I wonder if the OP had just asked about how to set up a new phone for use while traveling, and left politics out of the post, if there might have been some responses to her actual question?

Exactly. For most of my early travel, I didn't bring a cell phone or a laptop. Didn't need to, & I didn't have any trips ruined. In 2025, millions of folks are still traveling that way - unplugged or with greatly reduced connectivity. There remains little or no consequences for traveling to Europe without a phone or with your phone, but no travel plan.

So, any arguments made for needing your phone for emails, texts, emergency contacts, social media posting, etc., just don't hold water. Sure, one's normal cell phone in its full everyday capacity is a great comfort and likely a time-saver (and great for photos & navigation), but it is still not on the "required" list.

Add in, if someone is worried about losing or having stolen their primary phone but still want 99% of the capability of their normal phone, an alternate one will be a great option and an EASY option. Get an unlocked phone, add an eSIM/physical SIM Euro plan, and call it a day. Worried about a CC getting declined? Carry more than one. And some cash. And, as many pointed out in other threads, things like boarding passes and tickets CAN and SHOULD be printed out in case of even more random glitches popping up.

Unless you are involved in something nefarious, why are you even worrying about this? My wife and I have reentered the USA three times this year with no issues. FYI it will be four times in the fall. If customs and border control want to check my phone they can.

I think stating he could go with an unlocked phone, using an eSIM/SIM, and then erase/toss/destroy/keep it at the end of his travels seemed pretty straightforward to me.

If a person wants a legally viable option to bringing their PRIMARY phone abroad but also want maximum utility from that phone, a unlocked spare with a full service (local phone #, text, and data) eSIM/SIM seems to answer the question without spiraling further.