My understanding using an Airalo eSIM is that I can text, Facetime, GPS and browse.
I plan to install this eSIM on our 2 (wife's and my) US iPhones while in the UK.
How do I contact my wife's phone? I know I need to use 001 to call a US phone number.
Is that how I contact my wife's phone while we are both in the UK?
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
If you both have Facetime, you won't dial a number - just connect with Facetime, using mobile data with the eSIM or with WiFi. If you want to try it, put both phones in airplane mode but make sure WiFi is on. Can you connect via Facetime?
To receive calls on your US phone number, you need US phone service not the eSIM which is just data.
Posted by
OP
Oak Harbor, WA
10 posts
Thanks for the quick reply!
Posted by
New Zealand
496 posts
Facetime is data-hungry - use Whatsapp instead voice/text/video whatever you need
eSims do not come with phone numbers so you can't call her number directly unless her carrier allows wifi calling
Posted by
OP
Oak Harbor, WA
10 posts
Thanks for the suggestion!
Posted by
OP
Oak Harbor, WA
10 posts
Planning on using Signal instead. Thanks to all!
Posted by
USA
6 posts
Another option is my favorite travel hack - spoof Wifi calling with an eSIM data plan!
I've only done this with GigSky but I've done it a ton of times in Europe. Just tell your home provider AT&T, VZ, etc. that you want international roaming disabled on your account. Get a plan and eSIM from GigSky or some other provider. Also, make sure that you have Wifi calling enabled on your account at home.
When you land in Europe, set you Cellular data to GigSky and your Default Voice Line to your home SIM (AT&T, VZ, etc.). Because your home sim has Wifi calling enabled and roaming disabled it will not attach to the network and will look for a data connection to use. It turns out that it will use the cellular data connection from GigSky's eSIM in the same way as a Wifi connection! So you and your wife can call each other (or anyone else) exactly as if you were in the United States! This hack combines the convenience of keeping my home number active with the cost savings on an international eSIM data roaming plan!
Posted by
247 posts
@LIssie you have me thinking. How do I make sure I am using the hotel WIFI and not Airalo eSIM. I will probably call Home on FaceTime. I don’t wanna use up all my data on. Airalo eSIM.
Posted by
San Francisco area
1888 posts
LF there are 2 ways that I know of to turn off cellular connectivity for FaceTime.
- Turn on airplane mode which disables the cellular antenna and connectivity
- Go to settings >> cellular>>FaceTime. Toggle on or off as needed.
As a precaution I guess you can do both but either one should work. BTW I have not found FaceTime to be a data hog. At least not for audio calls. Never had a need to make a video call while traveling.
Posted by
Monterey County, CA (formerly Verbania Italy-Lago Maggiore)
1640 posts
Whats app is great to call or text your spouse. Set it up in US and use your US number. Let friends and family know that’s best way to call or text . Be sure to update app before leaving home if already on your phone. My husband’s app says to update, but in the App Store there was no WhatsApp update. So we deleted and reinstalled - but now can’t verify his US phone number. So if we need to call each other we will just use the UK phone #.
SIM cards. In Scotland and 12£ bought us a SIM with 60GB data, UK phone #. With work to call hotels, restaurants etc.
For calls to US use google voice. Create google account, then from google voice you can pick a US phone #. We are forwarding texts and calls from US cell # to google voice. But you can call any US# for free including 800#s. Be sure your google voice setting is set to NOT use cellular- you want to use data.
I removed the US carrier SIM cards and put in marked envelopes in a safe place before we got on the plane to avoid accidental usage when we turned our phones on.