Verizon Android cell phone problems in Rome

Gina, It would really help to have some idea which model of Android phone your niece is using? Hopefully it's a model which has GSM capabilities and the necessary Euro frequency bands? A few thoughts..... > In order to enable calls and texts, it may be necessary to go into the "Settings" and do a "Network Search". This may be in the "Initial Setup" menu area. Hopefully Verizon provided a Manual with the Phone? > If she gets the cellular portion working, it will be extremely important to switch OFF the Cellular data, in order to prevent horrific data roaming charges. I'm not overly familiar with Android models, but it should be possible to enable only the Wi-Fi and phone sections? Smartphones often default to Wi-Fi where this is available. However if she doesn't disable the cellular data roaming, the phone could be performing operations "in the background" which will incur data roaming charges. > The fact that she's able to send & receive E-mails confirms that the Wi-Fi section is working normally. Could you provide a few further details?

Ken, Thanks for your reply. Verizon loaned her a GSM phone, but I don't know the brand/model. I know she didn't purchase a data roaming plan. I've warned her about incurring huge data roaming charges if she didn't disable the data portion. I've emailed her a link to this post with your reply, so hopefully she'll follow your instructions, and get back to me with some answers.

Also, I should add that she is only using the phone for emails in the hotel room with the wifi. At least that's the impression I got.

Use Skype - easy to use, wifi, practically free.

I'm not sure how you would make calls using wifi. I believe Verizonwireless lets you make skype to skype calls but skype to phone only when you are on their 3G network. "I am in and international location and I am not able to use my phone.
Contact Verizon Wireless +1-908-559-4899. You will need to enable international roaming AND to activate your SIM card in your phone." another possibility is that it is not set for the GSM network even though it is a GSM capable phone. I'd double check the phone settings. On my Droid X, I have to hit a button at the bottom to get to the settings screen. Then look for wireless and network settings.

Ken, I don't know that any phones come with manuals that are worth anything these days. That's what the Internet is for, I suppose. Or, thank heavens for the Internet. On an Android phone, you can turn off data. One method is to choose "Airplane Mode" (go to main screen, then "Settings," then "Wireless and network settings"). Then re-enable wifi and you can surf on wifi. Your phone won't work as a phone, though, but it sound's like Gina's niece wasn't able to do that anyway. If she's able to use the phone - and you may be correct, she may have to set the network manually - then she needs to go to the main screen, chose "Settings," then "Wireless and network settings," then "Mobile network settings," then uncheck "Data enabled" and "Data roaming." She also should go back to the original "Settings" menu and choose "Accounts & sync settings" and then uncheck "Background data" and "Auto-sync." To set the network, go back to the "Settings" menu, then "Mobile networks," then "Network operators." Then she has the choice of "Search networks" or "Select automatically." That should list the available networks. At least these are the menu choices for an Android running version 2.2. Newer (and older) versions should still be similar.

Thanks, Ken, Nigel, Randy, and Paul, I'm emailing this information along to my niece. She says she's now OK with just using the wifi email, and has her phone turned off at other times. My concern was that her data may be enabled, and we all know what that means. All I can do is pass this info along.
Thanks so much for all your expertise. It's very much appreciated.

@Paul, Regarding the manual, I mentioned that as it seemed reasonable that when Verizon is providing a rental phone, they should at least include a "quick reference guide" to familiarize the user with a device they've never used before. @Gina, It appears that the only part of the phone that's currently working is the Wi-Fi section. Unless she can get the cellular portion working (ie: make / receive calls or texts), she likely won't have to worry about incurring data roaming charges.

In 2009 we took my Verizon Motorola Z6c World edition phone with the proper simm card to Italy and it took one week for the phone to interface with the Italian phone system. To call home we must hold down the * key and a + will appear. Then you dial the USA number and the call goes through. I was able to call home to the USA immediately, but I could not call across the street in Italy to call my aunt. However, after a week, as mentioned earlier, the phone worked. In subsequent visits the phone now interfaces immediately. Also, your niece could have purchased a $4.99 monthly program with Verizon to enabling her to call home costing .99 per minute. She can cancel as soon as she returns home. Buon viaggio,

Ken, sorry, I see now what you meant. You're right, Verizon should give its customers something simple about how to handle connection problems. By-the-way, Verizon's web site does contain links to the manufacturers' manuals for all the phones it loans out as part of its Global Travel Program. Not sure any are of any help, though.

Thanks for all your help, guys! Just got an email from my niece. Her data had been disabled all along, so that's a relief to know she's not incurring exorbitant data roaming charges. She seems to be fine with just using the email option, as that is working fine with wifi. I'm saving all these instructions you've provided for the future.
Just like to add: They are all having such a fabulous time. The weather is beautiful, NO RAIN! Food is wonderful...so far all is going smoothly, and they are just having the time of their lives.

Gina, I'm pleased to hear that everything has worked out for your niece! As you're going to save this Thread for "future reference", I wanted to mention that for future trips another option would be to use a quad-band GSM phone (there are lots of them on E-Bay). That would provide the means to make voice calls if necessary and also send texts back to family (that's very cheap). SIM's can be purchased either "in country" or from one of the travel phone firms. Which option to choose will depend on the circumstances. Of course if a GSM Smartphone was used, the spectre of data roaming charges would be an issue. I've been travelling with a basic "flip" Cell phone since about 2004, and previously used roaming with my home GSM network. For the past two years I've used a SIM from one of the travel phone firms, with the number based in the U.K. and that's worked well. I'll be travelling with an iPhone for the first time next year so I'll be looking very carefully at the issue of data roaming charges. I'll look at the options closer to departure time (whenever that will be?). @Paul, It's good to hear that Verizon does provide a link to the Manuals, although I have to admit I'd probably never think to check their website to find the links. Perhaps the rep's mention that to customers when they pick up their rental phone? Cheers!

Ken, Thanks for that info. For the last 3 years, my travel experiences have mostly consisted of driving to the local Wal-Mart and doctor's visits, as I'm currently caring for my elderly mother. I did purchase a Nokia 3G Worldphone a couple of years back, but opted out of data, as I don't have a need for it now. For future travel plans, I plan to activate data on my phone. I would also like to pick up a couple of cheap phones in Europe, for local use. My husband has a habit of wandering off while I'm looking in shops. This happened once at the Cologne Cathedral, and I was trying not to panic. I stood outside the front of the massive cathedral among what appeared to be 1000's of people. I finally spotted him at a distance, but he didn't see me, then he turned and was walking away. I was the one having to chase him down. I don't run as fast as I used to. The local phones would help with such a scenario.