Sticky Tutorial

How to prepare your phone for a trip abroad

  • 20 March 2018
  • 50 replies
  • 76485 views
How to prepare your phone for a trip abroad
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If you want to use your iD phone abroad, you’ll need to make sure that roaming’s enabled on your account. Here’s how to do this:
• Log in to the app or My Account.

• Select ‘Services’.

• Toggle ‘Roaming’ on.

How to use Inclusive Roaming


All iD Mobile plans come with Inclusive Roaming. It lets you roam like at home in 50 destinations throughout the EU, EEA and beyond. The minutes, texts and data you use simply come out of your remaining monthly allowances*.

To use Inclusive Roaming you simply need to:

1. Enable roaming (see above).

2. Visit any of our 50 Inclusive Roaming destinations (see below).

3. Use your phone. Minutes, texts and data will come out of your remaining monthly allowances*.

Inclusive Roaming covers these 50 destinations: Austria, Azerbaijan, Azores, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madeira, Malta, Martinique, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Réunion, Romania, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Vatican City.


* Exceptions apply - see our Inclusive Roaming page for more information on our Fair Usage Policy, Open Data Policy, and the difference between Band 1 and Band 2 destinations.

*If you're in the United Kingdom this would not be considered roaming*

How to save data when you’re abroad


To save data when you’re abroad, you should take advantage of reliable Wi-Fi connections. Hotels and resorts often allow free access to guests, and Wi-Fi is often available in libraries, coffee shops and other public places.
We always advise customers who connect to Wi-Fi either at home or abroad to ensure that their mobile data is switched off, so that all data traffic goes via Wi-Fi only.

Do add-ons work abroad?


You can use add-ons in any of our 50 Inclusive Roaming destinations. So if you're ever running low on allowance, you can buy what you need with your iD Mobile app or My Account online.

But please be careful – if you're in a destination where we don't offer inclusive EU roaming, your add-ons won't work and you'll be charged at our roaming rates for any usage.

How to access your voicemail when you’re abroad


To access your voicemail when you’re abroad, you’ll need your voicemail PIN - so make sure you can remember it. Then when you want to listen to your voicemail, follow these simple steps:

1. Dial 123 from your iD mobile, or +447782 333 123 from any other phone.

2. Enter your PIN followed by the # key.

3. Select option 2 and listen to your voicemail.

The cost of using voicemail abroad will come out of your minutes if you’re in one of our 50 Inclusive Roaming destinations. If you've got no minutes left, or you're in another destination, you’ll be charged the same rate as calling the UK from that destination. For more details, check out our International & Roaming Charges page.

If you’ve got any questions, comments or top tips on using your phone abroad, please post a reply.

50 replies

Hello @mkeshefkhan,

Can you try using the other SIM to add the above APN settings and select these, then switch back to your iD SIM to see if this works?

Mohammed



I have tried this and I still can't use my data. It seems like it's not only me who is facing the same problem - a few other iPhone users can't use their data either, be it abroad or in the UK.
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Hi @mkeshefkhan

I've just sent you a private message with some details on how to get in touch with us. We'll take some details, look at your account, and then be able to more quickly go over the usual things that could be causing a conflict here.

There is no reason for your iPhone 6s to not be working over there for roaming. So we'll be happy to troubleshoot this to completion with you more easily if you could reach out to our Social Media Team.

We're in from 8 am - 8 pm during the weekdays (GMT) and we'd consider ourselves experts in the matter.

Kevin
Userlevel 1
On my phone I went to settings/more/mobile networks/access point names.
annoyed that I lost service for a week or two but now back operating again. I will have to review how I feel about continuing with this company after I have calmed down!
My roaming data stopped working in Spain yesterday.
Roaming is switched on in my app, online and on my handset.
APN settings correct on my samsung s6.
Its been working for a week and i have loads of data left you use.
Any idea why my my phone data stopped working yesterday afternoon?
SMS sending fine.
Theres a tiny R above the mobile connection icon - guessing this means 'roaming'
Userlevel 4
Ooh this is really good information, I'm going on holiday to Portugal with my son in the summer holidays, so I'm going to save this link so I can ready my phone for all of the Insta-pics while we're away!

Rebecca
Userlevel 7
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Hi @ss rza,

That seems strange but I'm sure we can get to the bottom of it.

It may be a simple fix that could get this sorted, please could you try the following steps.

  • Restart the handset
  • Turn off Mobile data and on again
  • Turn Roaming off and on again
  • Finally if none of the above work please try manually selecting the network
Kash
I'm in Paris and have no phone service or data. This had happened before, so before I left I set up a new APN as described above. No joy. Roaming and mobile data are enabled, but I don't even have a phone signal, let alone 4G.

I've deleted the APN and added it again, turned the phone off and back on, turned roaming and data off and back on but to no avail. I'm on a Motorola G4. Anything else you can advise?
Userlevel 6
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Hi @Kimw,

I'm sorry to see this! Do you know which French network your phone has connected to?

Try a manual network operators search from within your phone settings and see if you can connect to either Orange or BYTEL/BOUYGTEL. You can also try to connect to Free Mobile or SFR if you're having problems with the first two.

Let me know how this goes.

Ryan
Hi Ryan,

My phone is not connected to any French network. When I try to manually select a network it just searches forever. The triangle showing strength of signal is completely blank.

I have had a restaurant email to say they have cancelled my reservation for this evening because they couldn't contact me by phone to confirm I was coming. So this is now more than merely inconvenient.

Kim
So... thanks for all your help. I've just switched to another supplier.
Why isn't Switzerland included in the 50 EU/EEA countries that we can roam in with no extra charge? Switzerland is a member of the EEA.
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Why isn't Switzerland included in the 50 EU/EEA countries that we can roam in with no extra charge? Switzerland is a member of the EEA.


Hi @Martin Sadler,

Switzerland is not part of the EEA I'm afraid and as such, Switzerland has not adopted the European roaming regulations, so free roaming in their country does not apply which is unfortunate for many holiday makers and business visitors alike.

Ryan

This is the reason I quit iD mobile two years ago. When I came back a week ago I made sure to ask the shop people, repeatedly: can I be sure that roaming will work in Europe? Now it’s sad to see that there are still similar problems with data roaming.

I wonder if it will need reporting it to Ofcom* to get a decent explanation from the company. Why, oh why, when it simply works out of the box with other providers, it does not with iD?! There must be a technical explanation, and your customers deserve to know, right?

 

  *actually it would be the Communications Ombudsman

Userlevel 6
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Hi @juanacevedo,

I am sorry to see that you’re having issues using the SIM card when in the EU. It’s definitely not a common issue and we find that it will usually work, as long as the roaming services are active on your account as is the process with all networks.

Some handsets, especially if not purchased from ourselves, may have issues when roaming if they still have the previous network settings installed, or if they have the Three UK settings showing. These can usually be removed/replaced to enable data to work.

Let us know which phone you’re using and we’ll offer some support to get this solved.

Ryan

Userlevel 6
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Hi @PiKA4y,

 

Everything alright?

 

Will

Moshe Strugano (Attorney - Moshe Strugano and Co Law firm) says, its important to enable roaming as well as keep your phone updated. Also don’t use any fake and banned apps.

Hi, can we still roam in the 50 countries listed, now that Brexit has occurred?

Thanks 

 

Userlevel 5
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Hi @Sjagpal86, yep, we haven’t made any changes to our roaming arrangements, so you can still roam like you’re at home in those countries without charge :)

 

Thank you,

Rory

Hi,

I activated my iD SIM today (on a Samsung Galaxy S7) and seem to be having the same problem as many have here in terms of using mobile data abroad (currently in the Czech Republic).

I have tried all of the suggested fixes I can see, including:

  1. Ensuring data roaming is enabled, both on my phone and in my iD account. 
  2. Deleting all saved APN settings, then adding the new APN settings detailed here both manually and via the automated service.
  3. Manually connecting to all other local networks.
  4. Resetting my network settings under General Management → Reset.

None of these fixes have worked - do you advise anything else?

Please let me know if it would be useful to see screenshots.

Thanks,

Sam

Userlevel 5
Badge +6

Hi @samwilson387, it sounds like you may have activated the SIM while abroad, is that right? The SIM needs to be activated in the UK first before it can be used overseas. When you get back to the UK, make a 1 minute voice call and you should be all sorted for next time you go away.

 

Thank you,

Rory

Hi @Rory 

Thanks for getting back to me.

You’re right I did activate it abroad. I’ll give it a try when I’m back in the UK and hopefully that will solve it.

Thanks,

Sam

Hi, I’m in Spain and roaming is not working. I’m on an iphone 13 with the latest iOS, and can’t access the APN, it is simply not on the menu, Apple support says that the carrier might have deactivated it. 
I have manually selected Yoigo and Movistar and have turned the phone off and on several times, have turned data roaming on and off, and have activated and deactivated roaming in the iD app. Any ideas of what to do next?

 

Thanks,

 

Carolina

 

Userlevel 7
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Hi @Mimesis,

The APN settings should be available. 

From the screenshot that you have sent can you please select Mobile Data Options > Mobile Data Network.

You should then be able to see your APN settings and change them.

 

Kash

No, I don’t have that option available. I was in Spain for 5 days and had zero possibility to roam. I will appreciate more help on this issue as I will be travelling again soon.

thanks.

 

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +10

Hey @Mimesis 

In some cases, APN settings may not be shown on your device.

I do have a method that seems to work for manually accesing the APNs.

Please try connecting the phone to WiFi and then open Safari and head to http://www.unlockit.co.nz/

(this website allows you to manually update APNs where the APN settings can’t automatically be updated or done via the phone settings).

 

Tap Create APN (on the website)
Change the Country to UK
Find iD in the list
Scroll down and tap Create APN
Tap  Allow on the pop-up then Install in the top right corner.

 

Then restart and make sure Data Roaming is turned on and test.

Mohammed

 

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