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single eSim AT&T Android and questions about Int'l travel - receiving SMS from home

Posted by on

I have searched forums everywhere and haven't found clarity. I'm pretty technically savvy, but this is complex. Please help :)

I have an unlocked AT&T Galaxy S23 Ultra which doesn't support dual eSims. I am traveling in Sept to Ireland/Spain/Portugal and have installed a data-only Euro eSim that I will switch upon arrival in my settings to make my primary eSim, which deactivates my AT&T eSim.

I plan on making any outgoing calls and texts using WhatsApp.

I want connect to Wi-Fi where possible on the Euro eSim.

I am not using AT&T Int'l Day Pass because of the expense.

My questions are:

  • What settings must be made in my phone in order to achieve ALL of the above (besides switching eSims)?
  • What happens to any US-sent texts messages sent to me? Like a 2FA text? Will I be able to receive them?

Thank you in advance!

Posted by
5329 posts

I can only help with the last question regarding 2FA. I ran into that as well when trying to order tickets online. My bank wouldn't allow without sending me a text, which I couldn’t receive because I was using a Vodafone SIM with a European phone number. My solution was to go into my banking app and temporarily turn off 2FA until the transaction was complete.

Posted by
464 posts

Looks like your phone accepts two Nano Sims (or maybe one), and one esim, and can use only two at a time. I suspect your AT&T connection is using a physical sim. Is that so? You could shut off the phone, and open the little tray and check. If that's the case, you could enable wifi calling, select that your data comes from the esim, and then your "normal" phone number would work for calls and texts. I'd try the wifi calling at home to be sure it works. You could go into airplane mode, turn wifi back on, and presto, you could text and call from your normal phone number. I've done that with my S24. You should be able to select the AT&T sim for calls and text, and the esim for data.

If your AT&T is using the esim, perhaps you could go to a store, and get a physical sim for that account, and then use both sim and esim.

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