The ULTIMATE Airalo FAQ Guide for iPhone | Your Questions Answered!
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
- If you have a question about Airalo, the answer is in here.
In this video, I answer the most frequently asked questions about purchasing, installing, activating and using an Airalo eSIM while traveling internationally.
GET $3 OFF YOUR FIRST AIRALO ESIM PURCHASE:
airalo.pxf.io/MmbZWP
Click the link above and use code: BRIAN0890
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• TABLE OF CONTENTS •
0:00 - What's this video about?
PURCHASING
00:24 - HOW FAR IN ADVANCE can I purchase an eSIM?
01:34 - How MUCH data should I buy? (How to see how much data your phone uses)
03:05 - What happens when I USE UP/RUN OUT of all of my data?
03:55 - Do I still need to purchase an INTERNATIONAL PHONE PLAN with my home service provider?
04:45 - Can I REUSE the same eSIM, or do I need to purchase a new one? (How to see if your eSIM is still installed)
ACTIVATING | INSTALLING | SETUP
06:58 - Do I need WIFI to activate my eSIM once I arrive at my destination?
07:58 - What should I do if my eSIM gets STUCK SHOWING "ACTIVATING", or is unable to activate after initial installation?
09:36 - My phone is on the list of eSIM-compatible phones, but I cannot add one. Why?
10:31 - Should I remove my PHYSICAL SIM CARD to make sure I don't incur international charges?
USING
11:27 - Should DATA ROAMING be ON or OFF while using Airalo?
12:44 - Can I share data using a HOTSPOT?
13:23 - Does my phone need to be in AIRPLANE MODE while using Airalo?
14:24 - Can I still use WIFI while using Airalo?
14:53 - Can I turn the Airalo eSIM OFF while not using my phone in order to save data? (How to see which apps are using background data)
16:31 - Can I still contact EMERGENCY SERVICES while only using Airalo?
17:12 - What do I do with my SIMs once I return home? (How to turn your primary SIM back on)
COMMUNICATING
17:56 - How can I CALL & TEXT while only using Airalo data? (Setting up iMessage, FaceTime & more)
23:39 - Can I turn my PRIMARY LINE back ON to receive calls & texts?
24:34 - How can I receive 2FA / MFA without being able to receive SMS texts? (2 Factor & Multi-factor Authentication)
25:57 - How to get a discount on your first Airalo eSIM and support our channel :)
==========================
• RESOURCES •
📺 How to Purchase, Install, Activate & Use an Airalo eSIM on iPhone: • Getting Started with A...
📺 Airalo Discover+ Global eSIM | COMPLETE Guide & Review: • The Airalo Discover+ G...
📋 List of eSim Compatible Devices: www.airalo.com/help/about-air...
🔓 How to Unlock an iPhone: support.apple.com/en-us/HT201328
💬 Difference between iMessage & SMS/MMS: support.apple.com/en-us/HT207006
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📲 SUBSCRIBE: / @briansteph
📲 Instagram: / brian.and.steph
📲 TikTok: / brian.and.steph
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• OUR GEAR •
linktr.ee/briansteph.gear
==========================
• MUSIC CREDITS •
All music in this video was sourced from Soundstripe, with the exception of the outro track, credited below:
"drift" by @graymind (me, Brian)
Stream/Download: linktr.ee/graymind.music
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• DISCLAIMER •
Though we have an affiliate link, this video is NOT DIRECTLY SPONSORED by Airalo.
We are paying users of Airalo and genuinely enjoy using their service when we travel internationally, and will continue to use this app on our upcoming trips.
That said, all opinions expressed in this video, and in the comments, are our own.
Other links in the descriptions may also be affiliate links.
By using our affiliate links, we earn a small commission from your purchase.
It does not cost you anything extra to use them.
These commissions help support us in creating more videos such as this one.
We appreciate any and all support!
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#esim #airalo #traveltips
GET $3 OFF YOUR FIRST AIRALO ESIM PURCHASE:
airalo.pxf.io/MmbZWP
Click the link above and use code: BRIAN0890
FULL AIRALO TUTORIAL:
czcams.com/video/Pi1Cb1tEeSI/video.html
Super helpful! Thanks👍
You got it! Safe travels ✈️
very nice overview - thank you so much!
So glad it was helpful, thanks for the comment! Safe travels ✈️
Very detailed and very helpful. Super thanks!
Glad you found it helpful, thanks so much for the nice comment! Safe travels ✈️
Awesome video. Answered all my questions. Thank you very much!
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the nice comment - safe travels ✈️
Great insider info into Airalo!
Glad you think so, thanks for the nice comment! Safe travels ✈️
I appreciate your quick and clear and informative instructions and answers. Thank you SO much!
you got it, happy to help! safe travels 😊
Great information thank you!!
Glad it was helpful Adriana - thanks for the nice comment! Safe travels ✈️
This was a helpful video. Thanks for taking the time to explain everything.
So glad you found it helpful, thanks so much for the nice comment! Safe travels ✈️
you are a lifesaver!! I was banging my head against the wall until I got to 11:27 of your video and turned ON "data roaming" haha I appreciate you!
haha I feel that! all of this was very frustrating to figure out until I got some experience with it as well. Glad this helped you out - safe travels! ✈️
SO USEFUL ! THANK YOU!
You're welcome - safe travels! ✈️
Thanks for the info!!!
Definitely, glad you got some use out of it - safe travels!
Brian, I really appreciate your videos on this subject. I'm not super tech savvy and you explain things so they are really easy to understand. Keep up the amazing work.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment Joseph, that means a lot! Super happy to hear that they're helping you as well...that's the goal 👍🏼 Safe travels - thanks again! ✈️
Awesome video bro! You have been really helpful with explaining the Airalo eSIM from purchasing to installing to how to use it. You are a tremendous help! Thanks again bro! 🙌
So great to hear, glad it's been helpful to you! Thanks for the nice comment, appreciate it a ton - safe travels ✈️
so detail. Thank you so much.
You're welcome Ariam, thanks for the nice comment - safe travels!
Fabulous! Thanks
Glad it was helpful Andrew - safe travels!
I'm going to save this video for future travel. Thanks for the discount code!
Hope it's helpful when the time comes! You got it - safe travels ✈️
Good on you Brian & Steph! I like the fact that you take time and effort about going into the details and not assuming that, we normal mortals, know things, even if they apparently sound quite basic.
Hey Bruno, thanks so much for the nice comment! I definitely make a huge effort to not assume everyone knows everything about a topic, and make sure the basics are covered. It can be intimidating to try and learn how to use an eSIM (and technology in general can be overwhelming to a lot of people), so I try and stay cognizant of that as I put these together. "Teach how you wish you would have been taught" is something I think about a lot. Thanks again for the comment, means a lot!
This video is perfect! Thank you for answering all of my questions!
Glad it helped you out Shawn, thanks for the nice comment! Safe travels ✈️
Thank you very much for these clearly explained videos!
Thanks for the nice comment Cheryl, so happy they were helpful! Safe travels 🙂
This video is incredibly helpful!! I really appreciate you taking the time to create the video and provide answers to many of the common questions out there (in a way that was easy to understand). I learned A LOT about my phone in the last 25 minutes. haha
That's so great to hear, thanks for the nice comment! It's encouraging to hear that these videos are helpful to people...glad you were able to feel more comfortable with the concepts after this. Safe travels! 😊
Thank you Brian! You have eliminated a lot of frustration. Awesome!!
Glad to hear it Kathy, thanks for the nice comment! Safe travels 🙂
I checkout your other video. I purchased it on sale and also got the the discount from your code. Thanks to your video, I purchased it.
That's great to hear, glad you were able to get a discount! I hope you enjoy using Airalo and that it helps you. Safe travels 😊
Amazing video! This is my first time to try using an eSIM and both of your videos are clear and easy to understand. I’ve saved them so I can watch again before I need to purchase the eSIM. Thanks again.
Awesome, so glad to hear more than one of the videos was helpful to you! Feel free to send questions along the way, happy to do my best to help. Thanks for the nice comment - safe travels! ✈️
After watching your other Airalo video (thanks for answering my question there too) and then I found this FAQ video for completeness. I fully appreciate putting content together like this takes time. Have a coffee on me!
Wow, thanks so much for this! We've never had a super thanks before and truly appreciate it...genuinely means a lot! Certainly takes a ton of time and effort to put these together - it's extremely rewarding to know that people are getting use out of them. Thanks so much again! ☕️
Super Helpful. Thank you!! I’m going to try out Airalo for China. I’ll update everyone on how that goes after my trip.
Awesome, glad you found it helpful! Would love to hear how the trip goes for you - safe travels ✈️
This and your previous video have been SO comprehensive, thank you so much. Your delivery, and the way you structure the information is so easy to follow. I was wavering between a few different eSIM providers, but after this video I am totally going with Airalo, a big reason now because of how comfortable I feel with the service, even before installing. Keep on with the great work, subed!
Thanks so much for this thoughtful comment - truly appreciate it! I put a ton of time and effort into these videos and try to provide the most comprehensive & straightforward answers possible. So glad to hear they have helped you...that's the goal! Thanks again - safe travels ✈️
Exactly my words. Hats down for comprehensive explanation. Right to the point yet everything explained. Impressive.
Thanks so much, appreciate the comment - so happy to hear it was useful and succinct enough!
Thanks!
Truly appreciate the gesture Nick, thanks so much! Cheers!
just got the iphone 15 and first time traveling internationally with it. learned a lot from this vid, about to get the airalo app. also disabled a bunch of apps I havent been using recently to reduce the data usage. cheers!
Awesome, so glad to hear this helped you out! Thanks for the nice comment. Safe travels! ✈️
Brian great video. Thanks for the code. Saved $3us. You say in the video that if you buy a top up package that Airalo uses the original purchase package before using the top up.
Airalo video states it overrides what’s left on the original package. 😮 Thanks again Chris
Hey Chris - thanks for the comment! That is strange about what Airalo has stated...I have experienced the opposite (what I stated in the video) personally during my travels. Could you share the video you found of theirs? Maybe something has changed with their policies. I am currently traveling abroad, so I can re-test this soon if needed!
Thank you for this informative video. I will be traveling tomorrow to Mexico and will use the information you gave. Ill send a feedback when I come back. I just purchased the Airalo eSim before watching your video. So no $3 off for me.
So glad the video was helpful, Maria! I hope you have a wonderful time in Mexico - safe travels 🙂
Thank you
You're welcome Shirley - safe travels!
Thank you for the great explanations. It helped me when traveling in Italy for 2 weeks. One new piece of information I learned was that under the Airalo eSIM setup on my iPhone, under cellular data, it prefilled in “wbdata” on the line called APN, but did not prefill it on the line called LTE SETUP. I noticed that in one of the views in your video it was filled in both places. So, When I updated my Airalo setup to add “wbdata” under LTE SETUP it finally worked/connected. I suspect it was needed because I was in more LTE areas.
Anyways, thank you for the helpful video and I will be sending you some money. 😊
So glad to hear this helped you, and hope your trip to Italy was great! We will be there next month and can't wait.
That's good to know about the "wbdata" text...I have noticed that most time it prefills, but other times it does not, so that's great to be aware of going forward. Thanks for mentioning!
Very much appreciate your support, thank you much!
This guy deserves much more subscribers…..
Appreciate that, it means a lot! If you know anyone who would enjoy the channel, feel free to send them our way 😊
very very well done
Thanks so much Michel, hope you got some use out of it! Safe travels ✈️
I would keep "Turn on this line" for your main or home SIM toggled ON (or green) as it is necessary to receive SMS on your home phone number to continue accessing some apps and making online purchases. The most important to avoid unnecessary charges is that data roaming on your main or home SIM is toggled OFF.
Thanks for the comment! I did mention that later on in the video as an option, but tend to air on the side of caution with initial recommendations. I also know there are still some phone plans out there that could charge for inbound SMS. But what you mentioned is the setup I use personally most of the time, and have started to recommend to certain folks who feel comfortable navigating the various settings in their phone to make it happen.
@@briansteph, if it is in the US maybe. In most other countries, it probably isn't an issue. If one uses prepaid and does not have any credit left in their main balance and the policy is to charge, then the user will probably not receive the SMS anyway. Perhaps set a low spending cap on roaming if one is panicky about this.
Yes, it's mostly the older/legacy plans that could run into an issue with being charged for SMS...that's why it's tough to make a blanket statement and tell everyone that it's ok to leave that primary line on (with data roaming off) and guarantee no international charges, since I don't know the details of their phone plan. Though I could certainly do a better job of mentioning this as an option with the disclaimer to check the details of your phone plan, specifically around policies regarding international inbound SMS.
@@briansteph, sure. Alternatively, if their existing contracts are almost up, maybe they should also speak to their mobile providers to see if they offer contracts that do not charge to receive SMS abroad. I can understand why receiving overseas calls and MMS could be charged - the receiver has some control over whether to take or open it.
Yes absolutely, I agree! And with nearly all mobile plans providing the ability to receive SMS abroad for no additional cost, it shouldn't be hard to move into a plan that has this feature when renewing. Great thoughts, appreciate you sharing!
Brian, if I'm using the Airalo Esim in Europe, will apps on my phone work as normal? Such as banking, Google translater, Airbnb, Maps, etc. Thanks for your tutorial! Very good info.
Hi Bob, yes they will continue to work! I have used all of those apps and more while using an Airalo eSIM in Europe. All of those use data only, which is what Airalo provides. Glad you found the video helpful - safe travels! ✈️
This is so detailed & helpful! But I have a question. I’m boarding my pet but if I call to check up on them from another country, would I still be able to call from my primary phone line? How would that work..? Thanks again!😊
Hi Meggy! You could certainly still make a call from your primary line, though there will likely be an international charge for doing so...I'd check with your provider and see what the rates are. It's usually either per minute (and can also depend on sending/receiving country), or there are also other providers that do "day passes" for around $10/day, where any call or outbound SMS on your Primary line triggers the $10 international charge, but then you have unlimited services for 24 hours on that line.
As long as you are ok with whatever your provider offers, what you can do is when you need to place a call to the boarding facility, go to Settings > Cellular > SIMs and temporarily switch your Primary line back ON. Place the call, and then I would turn that Primary SIM back off.
Another alternative if the boarding facility can accommodate is being able to reach out to them via email, or maybe if they have an IG page that you can DM/video chat through. Some businesses also have WhatsApp accounts (but I find that to be most common in places like Europe more so than the US/Canada). May be worth asking though!
Hope that helps 🙂
I used Airlo this spring when I went to Europe for 2 months. Watching your original Airalo video. It was generally easy. I found I used a bit more data overseas. Getting my phone settings properly set was tough for me but I am not tech savvy! Trying to call was toughest but used WhatsApp to call worked.
Europe Airalo was super cheap but I am going to South America for a couple months this December and for some reason, it is much more expensive. Unless I used Global esim and then not so bad. Not sure why that is or what kind of coverage I will get?!?
Hey there - glad to hear the Europe trip went well overall with the eSIM!
I am not 100% certain about the difference in cost. Airalo essentially acts as a middle man between us users and the cell phone service providers in these different countries, so my guess is that some countries have higher rates than others. The global eSIM would cover you in South Africa though! It would use the same network(s) that the eSIM specific to South Africa uses, no difference there.
@@briansteph South America, not South Africa. But same answer I assume!
@coachab100 yes, apologies! autocorrect got me there. Same answer 😊
Thank you. I’m wondering if I will still have access to my iPhone’s hotspot with an eSIM. Do you know if hotspots work also?
Hi Vivian - hotspots still work, yes! I chat through that at 12:44 in the video 🙂 Steph uses my hotspot all the time while I'm exclusively using Airalo - works great!
Thanks very much for this very informative video!
Thanks so much for the comment Rich - glad you found it useful! Safe travels ✈️
In future videos, you might mention that a few sites/apps may require a local phone#. Namely, as I experienced in Bristol UK last week, the RingGo parking app. I was unable to register to use it, so I had to find £1/£2 coins to park. I think one of the restaurant sites also expected/allowed only a UK number for confirmations.
Yes, great point and idea! We ran into this when in Brussels with their local bike share app...although, I don't recall if it would have accepted a phone number from ANY country or not. I just remember we opted out of using it because we couldn't receive the 2FA text. Although I've since learned that through our Verizon plan in the states, we can receive INBOUND SMS without incurring an international charge, it's only OUTBOUND SMS that would incur a charge. I believe a lot of phone plans are like this, but i'm not sure if all are. Need to research that one a bit more before i make any definitive statements. I do see what you're saying about the local phone number though, and I agree that people could benefit from knowing about that, so thanks for sharing! So tough to pack all the little bits of info into these videos without making them an hour long 😅 the constant balance of trying to pack in comprehensive information while understanding that the average attention span is not very long anymore!
@@briansteph I think the problem was that the input form would not accept a phone# that did not start with 077 (whatever prefix local UK numbers start with; IOW, no country code like +1 or +44 was allowed). I’m going to look at one of the voice/data/sms Airalo eSims for my iPhone 15. I’d like to have a permanent UK +44 number since our daughter just moved there. I’m a bit unclear still on how the phone will work with both numbers enabled (U.S. and U.K.), as I want msgs/calls from U.S. to continue to come through. I use the $10/day $100/month AT&T international plan which to me is reasonable; I just need the local UK number for apps/sites. If you folks ever have a dual-eSIM with Euro number, I’d love to read a post on how it works for making outbound calls/msgs (e.g., from which number) and all the options you have to set. Great job you are doing here - the most complete and clear discussions on the topics you’ve covered. Thanks again!
Ahh, I see what you're saying! I did experiment with the Global Discover+ Airalo eSIM in October/November, but that gives you a Global phone number (+43, which is actually Austria I believe). I did some testing during a layover in Heathrow airport, funny enough, as well as some testing in Portugal and Spain. Not sure it'd be the best solution for you, but I did give my 2 cents on the product in this video:
czcams.com/video/6eccJhrNV3Q/video.html
If I remember correctly, you can choose a default SIM for your contacts. In other words, for your daughter for example, you could choose to call her from the non-US SIM by default as opposed to your US SIM. There's also the "default voice line" in Settings > Cellular that you can easily change as you need to. I haven't researched much beyond that, but I do know there is some level of customization you can apply when it comes to the default SIM being used in various situations.
Thanks so much for the encouraging comment as well - certainly put a lot of time and effort into these in hopes that it can help some folks. Can be a confusing topic for many, and I'd love to play a role in making it simple for more people.
Also, very cool that your daughter is spending time in the UK! Lots of unique life experiences that come with living in a foreign country - invaluable memories as well.
for 24:34 you guys can use a VPN and change the location to your home country this works for me when I was in Europe
Interesting, thanks for sharing! how did this help specifically when it comes to receiving 2FA SMS texts?
Hi! Thank you for making this video!
Can I cancel my phone plan with verizon once I have started using airlo abroad? Would I loose my phone number in that process? I'm a little confused on this part.
Hey Julia, thanks for the nice comment!
I would only cancel your Verizon plan if you plan on permanently leaving the country, or plan to be there for an extended period of time (several months to a few years). If you cancel your US phone plan, you will lose your phone number. If you are going to be gone for a long time/permanently and want to keep your US phone number, you could consider looking into porting your US phone number to Google Voice. It's a one-time fee of $20, and while it won't be that useful to you while you're gone (unless you pay international rates with Google Voice), you can at least know that if/when you go back to the US, you can start using your same phone number again.
Hope that answered your question, but let me know 🙂
I want to get the new Airalo Discover + esim that would allow me to make phone calls and text. Are the setup instructions and iPhone phone settings for Discover vs the regular airalo esim? Thanks
Hi Peter - there is a lot of overlap between installing the new Discover+ Airalo eSIMs and all other Airalo eSIMs. I am working on a video about these new eSIMs at the moment, but it'll be a few weeks before it's finished. If you follow the steps in my original Airalo install video, you will be most of the way there. You will need to add the global phone number that you are assigned under Settings > Cellular > (click global eSIM) > My Number, that is one of the additional steps.
czcams.com/video/Pi1Cb1tEeSI/video.htmlsi=qyvSHKsX2nbbAM8T
Brian, normally when I travel I switch my Settings on my "Cellular Data" to off and I switch my "Roaming" to off. Then I am restricted to depending on the Wifi everywhere. So I want to get the Airalo because it makes sense. In saying that, do I still do the above that I normally do and choose Airalo as my Sim as you instructed in your video? or if I switch the above both to OFF, will that prevent the phone from working using the Airalo?
Hi there! If you use an Airalo eSIM, you will NOT want to switch your cellular data setting to off, as this would not only disable your primary SIM card, but it would disable the Airalo SIM as well.
You might find my other video useful if you end up getting an Airalo eSIM, where I walk through the full setup process, including how to tailor these various settings you've mentioned!
czcams.com/video/Pi1Cb1tEeSI/video.html
I hope to install the app with your instructions. I have 2 questions: Can I continue using WhatsApp while Using AirAOL? How can people reach you if they are in another part of the same country and use a regular SIM card?
Hi there! Yes, you can absolutely use WhatsApp...that is my primary communication app outside of iMessage while using Airalo.
WhatsApp is also a solution to your 2nd question as well. The type of SIM another person is using shouldn't matter. You will have access to any data-only communication method. iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc. That's the best way for someone to reach you 😊
best thing to do is open whatever case you have on your phone put a piece of thin packaging tape on the inside of the case and just keep a sim card opener and any sim you have taped to it. its a perfect solution and you dont even know that the items are there done this for all 7 trips outside the us works every time
Clever! If you're using an eSIM, you can leave that existing SIM in your phone with no issues, which may save you some trouble. This is a great idea if you're buying a physical SIM !
No problem attaching photos to my iMessages ?
They will be received on the other end?
Cheers
Stephen
Hey Stephen - yes, will be fine. iMessages use data, including sending things like photo and video. Sending photo and video will use a slight bit more data than a written message, but it goes through the same general way. Cheers!
Hi Brian, this was really helpful, thank you. Just one thing, I have just purchased the Global talk and text Airalo esim and when I texted them to enquire, they said that to use WIFI I have to turn off Cellular Data.
Hi Fran, glad you found the video useful!
Wonderful, I just recently used that SIM as well. If your phone's WiFi is turned on and you connect to a wifi network, your phone's cellular data can still be on. Once connected to WiFi, your phone will be leveraging the wifi network for data, rather than your cellular plan (Airalo eSIM in this instance). In other words, your phone will not be draining your eSIM's data allotment while connected to a wifi network. You can turn cellular data off during this time if you wish, but it's certainly not required.
Hope that's helpful!
@@briansteph Hi Brian, it's weird that Airalo Support replied "Please note to turn OFF your Cellular Data when using WiFi to avoid your data being used". I replied: "So it doesn't automatically turn off when I use Wifi?". Airalo replied: "Sadly no you have to turn it off MANUALLY".
@user-jg9xy2ux4g from experience, i can tell you that is not true. The only possibility of Airalo data being used while on a wifi network is if the wifi network is so slow that your phone automatically switches you back to cellular data. So if you would like to prevent that from being a possibility, you can disable your cellular data while on wifi...but again, i do not see it as being necessary. Airalo support is notoriously inconsistent in their messaging, and I've even had them relay inaccurate information before. Great product, poor support backing it. I know it's frustrating to get mixed messaging as well, but I feel confident after having used multiple of their products on 5 separate occasions.
Makes sense; but my concern is when my plane lands in Mexico and I take my phone off of Airplane mode; and intend to do the Airola as my new primary default; during those few minutes; what’s to stop my phone roaming until that happens and get charged $15 Roam like Home charge my provider Virgin Mobile charges by the day if I engage the phone on any given day.
Do I set Airola first in the settings and then turn off the Airplane mode to avoid that initial gap?
Best practice would be to switch off your Virgin Mobile SIM card prior to your plane departing for Mexico, and then switch Airplane Mode on. That way when you land and switch airplane mode back off, your Virgin Mobile SIM card will still be disabled, and unable to make any connections with the local networks (which would in turn cause roaming charges).
When you switch your Mexico eSIM on after landing in Mexico, it will automatically become your phone's default SIM card, as it will be the only SIM enabled and available for your phone to select from. Mexico eSIMs through Airalo do not finish activating until you arrive in Mexico, which is convenient since that allows you to go through the whole purchase and setup process long ahead of your trip if you wish.
In packages for example, is this 1GB per day valid for 7 days? Thanks
Hey there! The amount of GB listed is not a per-day amount, it is the total amount of GB for that plan. The 7 days listed is the amount of time you are allotted to use up that 1GB. In other words, the plan will expire once you use the entire 1GB, or when you hit 7 days...whichever comes first. Hope that helps!
Great video. However, a helpful tip I just used in Europe.
You can keep iMessage in your primary number.
Keep primary line turned on. Disable data roaming.
Set cellular data to your airalo eSIM and disable data switching.
This allows you to receive calls and sms (2 factor authentication). As long as you don’t answer calls/respond to texts, you won’t get charged.
Do this before you leave
this is great, thanks for sharing this! it helps confirm what i've been experiencing on my current trip in Europe. who is your cell service provider at home, and are you in the USA?
Although what I don't know is, can you receive SMS (for 2FA most likely) for FREE with every primary service provider? For example, I have Verizon and i learned that one of their benefits is that they allow the ability to receive SMS at no charge from any country (but not send SMS for free). I wonder if that is true of most providers...that's something i need to research. I would be hesitant to make a blanket statement that says EVERYONE can receive SMS at no charge until i research that a bit more...which i will do when i get home, and likely make a video about.
Thanks again for sharing, this is helpful to know!
@@brianstephhi brian! Couple of questions. When abroad can I turn mobile data on and off as i please to save on the data especially where wifi is available, just how you would in your home country? Also, if i purchase a global esim and install it, when and how do you activate it as my home country has a supported network but i only want to use it in my holiday destination so would I toggle off until I get there? Or activate when i am there? Aordy if i have missed this! Just to confirm, data roaming off, switching off - would i still be able to use imessages on apple iphone?
Hi there! Yes, you can toggle mobile data on and off to save data. If your phone is connected to WiFi, it should be using data from the WiFi network as opposed to your Airalo eSIM anyway, but it doesn't hurt to switch the mobile data off just in case.
I actually had the same concern about the Global eSIM activation process, because one of the supported countries is the United States. I thought it would activate as soon as I installed it while in the US, but it did not (thankfully).
I made a whole video about that Global eSIM where I walk through the whole process...you may find it useful!
czcams.com/video/6eccJhrNV3Q/video.html
Yes, you can still use iMessage on your Apple iPhone! I do this while I'm out of the country as well :)
Im kinda confused you said to leave it on to receive calls then said as long as you dont pick up or respond to texts you wont get charged could you explain pls
Hi there! Typically only OUTBOUND communications incur international charges. With most cell providers (in the United States at least), you can receive SMS without getting charged. It is only if you SEND an SMS that there is a potential for incurring a charge.
Regarding those email addressees at 20:24, I noticed you cannot have the email addresses checked in the bottom box at the same time with my phone number. Do I just leave the phone number checked then?
Hey Sean! Once you turn your primary SIM off, it will automatically be removed as an option in that section.
Does global esim with Airlo will works in different countries in particular London , Paris and Rome which Im going visit in the this year. No need to buy local esim card from this countries ? thanks for the video it really help us to travel easily without stress.
Hi there! That is correct, the global eSIM includes the UK, France and Italy...so if that is the eSIM you go with, you will be covered in all 3 of those countries without needing to purchased a local SIM from each country. Your service will also switch automatically as you move between countries. If you don't want the Global eSIM, you could also purchase the European Regional eSIM, as it covers all 3 of those countries as well. The only difference with that plan is that it does not include a global phone number, like the global eSIM plan does.
Hope that's helpful - glad you found the video useful! Enjoy your trip ✈️
than you @@briansteph
You're welcome!
Super+ guide - thank-you! Question: if I turn OFF my primary line (Virgin/Canada) and just use Airalo, what happens if someone phones or texts my primary #? Will my phone ring and will I receive the text? I understood from one of the comment below, I will receive the call/text ... but if I don't answer the call or respond to the text I won't be charged roaming. Could you confirm this scenario? I use WhatsApp for voice/text from my end (works great!), I'm just concerned about what happens from the other end. Thank-you!
Hi Darryl! If your primary line is OFF, you will not receive phone calls or SMS texts. Senders will hear your voicemail if your primary line is off and their texts will not go through, but you will likely see the texts once you turn your primary line back on.
If your primary line is ON but you switch Data Roaming off within that primary SIM card, you will prevent data roaming charges, and your phone will only use Airalo for data. You WILL receive SMS texts (but will not be charged in most cases, double check with Virgin Canada), but COULD BE CHARGED for outbound SMS (likely will be depending on your provider, again recommend double checking...usually per-text cost).
None of this pertains to iMessages or FaceTime calls though, as those ONLY use data.
Hope that helps a bit! I'm continually trying to learn more about these different services in various situations and will continue to share as I learn more.
Hi @@briansteph thank-you for taking time to respond! I will BRIAN0890 next month when I install Airalo for a vacation to Barbados. Save travels.
Absolutely, happy to help! Safe travels to you as well ✈️
I’ve previously commented on this video and mentioned how useful it is. Now that I’ve been getting closer to my holiday, I have a question regarding WhatsApp.
I needed to download WhatsApp and used my local phone number. When I am using an eSIM will people be able to contact me with my local phone number? Thanks
Welcome back!
The way WhatsApp works is that you use your local phone number to create an account, but you don't actually need the SIM associated with that local phone number to be turned ON in order to use WhatsApp...you only need to have cellular data (via ANY SIM), or be connected to WiFi. The key is to ensure you've created the account prior to leaving on your trip.
For example, my sister was in Italy last summer while I was back here in the states. Because she had downloaded WhatsApp and created an account prior to leaving, we were able to have a phone call via WhatsApp while she was gone when she was on WiFi. No phone number needed to be punched in either, because we were already in each other's contact list in the app. At that point, it functions similarly to something like Facebook or Instagram messenger, where you simply select the person you want to start a message to, rather than needing to punch in a phone number. Account to Account messaging, essentially.
Hopefully that makes sense!
Hey Brian
I’ve watched both of your videos again as I bought the eSIM for my Europe trip today. Your videos were invaluable to help a 60 year old semi tech limited man understand the process. Thank you once again.
So glad to hear this, i'm happy you were able to get everything setup! Thanks for the nice comment, i appreciate this - safe travels ✈️
Hi Brian, your vlog was extremely helpful. However I have a question regarding the e-sim installation on an I phone 15 which already comes with an e sim from my provider (don't have a physical sim card that you discussed on this video). When I tried to install the Airalo e sim, I got a pop up question asking if I am trying to install a sim from my provider and whether I should allow or deny access. I got a bit confused and clicked on deny as I thought it meant it was going to replace my US e sim. Please explain how this works with a phone that already has a e-sim from a US provider.
Hi Ramona! Hmm, I don't recall seeing this message during my installation. I have an iPhone 15 now as well, which ONLY has the eSIM from my provider (as you mentioned), but I've also been able to install 2 different Airalo eSIMs as well. Was the eSIM showing under Settings > Cellular after your installation process, or did tapping "Deny" prevent that process from continuing? If tapping "Deny" prevented the eSIM from installing, I would opt to allow access when trying again :)
@@briansteph Thanks Brian....actually when I clicked on Deny it stopped the installation process. I will try again.
Let me know if it worked the second time!
Hey there! thank you so much for your comprehensive video. It has been really helpful for me to wrap my head around all this e-sim stuff! I would love some further advice. I am from Australia and will be travelling in about 4 months to the UK, the Netherlands and Germany. The trip will be about 33 days. I can see that there is a 50% off sale right now for one of the UK sim cards which is valid for 30 days. Am I able to purchase this now and only use it (once activated at the destination) in about 4 months from now? (just wanted your opinion being 4 months away)
Also, since it seems cheaper to get a UK sim card on sale, would it be fine to get the UK sim card, a Netherlands sim card and a Germany sim card (so in total 3 e-sims) and just use each one as I arrive to each country over the 33 days (even if I don't use the e-sim for the total 30 days or valid time-period allowed)? I hope these questions make sense! I might end up just getting a regional sim card, however, it seems more cost-effective to have 3. Is there a limit to the number of e-sim cards installed? Looking forward to hearing from you.
Hey Alice - thanks so much for the nice comment, and I'm thrilled to hear this helped you! Happy to help figure out the setup that'll be best for you during your trip as well.
Here are a couple of general answers before diving into the prices and possible setups:
- All 4 of those eSIMs you mentioned (UK, Germany, Netherlands and European Regional) will not activate until you arrive in the respective country (or in the Regional eSIM's case, until you arrive in one of the countries it supports). You would have to switch the eSIM on in the settings of your phone and NOT be connected to WiFi in order for the activation process to complete. That is when your validity period starts: your timer of days starts counting down, and your data can start being used (when not on WiFi). So in other words, you can buy ANY of these eSIMs now and be fine, since you can't actually trigger the activation process for any of those countries from Australia. As far as I'm aware, unactivated eSIM packages do not expire. I have purchased packages up to 6 weeks in advance with no issues, and I have no seen any Airalo policies regarding package expiration for unactivated packages.
- As far as how many eSIMs you can have on your phone, there doesn't APPEAR to be a defined limit directly from Apple. I found this article (support.apple.com/en-us/HT213448#:~:text=On%20your%20iPhone%2C%20you%20can,Contact%20your%20carrier%20for%20information.) which says:
"On your iPhone, you can store eight or more eSIMs, which can be used as needed. On supported iPhone models, you can use two eSIMs at the same time."
I can tell you from experience, I have used 2 SIMs at the same time, and currently have 3 SIMs on my phone (including my Verizon SIM for my primary service in the United States). So installing 3 different eSIMs should be fine based on all of this.
Do you know roughly how much data you'll be needing? Or know how long you'll be in each country? That may help in determining which route to go: 3 individual country eSIMs vs. 1 Regional eSIM.
I'll assume for now ~11 days in each country for an example. That in mind, you'll need at least the 2nd tier plan to cover the amount of days in the country (you'd probably want AT LEAST this anyway, because 1GB of data would run out quickly). Since I'm in the US, I'll put this in USD, but should be helpful enough to get a comparison.
UK: 10GB for $11 (obvious choice since it's half-off at that tier)
DE: 5GB for $15
NL: 5GB for $12
TOTAL: 20GB for $38
European Regional: 10GB for $37
Likely top-up package: 3GB for $13 (maybe 5GB depending on how much you use)
TOTAL: 13GB for $50
Because of the sale on the UK eSIM, individual eSIMs for each country may be cheaper. Here are a couple of other things to keep in mind:
- With the regional eSIM, you're sharing your data between ALL of the countries. With the individual eSIMs, you are not. If you only use 3GB of the 5GB in Germany, your remaining 2GB will NOT carry over to the Netherlands (or any other eSIM) with you. This is obviously true of all the countries you visit, so you may end up with some unused/wasted data with individual eSIMs, whereas with the Regional eSIM, your total data amount remaining crosses country borders with you.
- From experience, I can tell you that the regional eSIM works wonderfully and I've used it in all the countries you mentioned. It is much easier in my opinion to manage 1 eSIM than 3, and personally I don't mind paying a bit more for that if needed. BUT, I am also a proponent of saving money wherever possible (hence, making these videos), so I can appreciate weighing your options here.
Hopefully that gets you started! Feel free to share more detail and I'm happy to brainstorm a bit more.
Do i get a phone number on this plan ?
Hi there! This video isn't about 1 Airalo plan in particular, but I do have a separate video about the Airalo Global Discover+ plan, which DOES come with a global phone number. Here's that video:
czcams.com/video/6eccJhrNV3Q/video.html
Hope that helps!
I wonder if WI-FI calling works with Airalo. In that case you can still receive text messages
Hey there! WiFi calling can be enabled on an Airalo eSIM that comes with a global phone number, and the ability to send/receive calls and SMS text messages. I've made a guide/review video on Airalo's global eSIM here:
czcams.com/video/6eccJhrNV3Q/video.html
As for the data-only eSIMs Airalo offers (most of Airalo's eSIMs), WiFi calling is not an option within the SIM settings. This is because that SIM doesn't come with a phone number. You are still able to send/receive iMessages while the Airalo eSIM is ON and your primary SIM is OFF, but not SMS text messages.
Hope that's helpful!
Hi . One question. If I have purchased a REGIONAL eSim, the network automatically switch by crossing the country border? Thanks
Yes, that is correct! The network will automatically switch for you as you enter different countries within that region. Safe travels ✈️
@@brianstephHi Brian, so just to clarify, do you toggle airalo (personal) on and primary (home network) off? Would i still receive messages and imessages etc like normal? Slightly confused about the “switching” too.
Hi there! Yes, that is correct: Airalo eSIM turned ON, Personal SIM turned OFF.
If you check out 17:56 in this video, I walk through how iMessages work while international! In short, it leverages your Apple ID (the email associated with it) to send messages to other iPhones/Apple Devices via data. Regular SMS cannot be sent while gone though (to non-iphone users), as your Primary SIM will be turned off. If it were on and you sent SMS texts, that is when you could incur international text charges.
Hope that helps :)
What if you are on WiFi and have something that sends you a MFA code via text? Will that work?
Hi there! Typically not, as 2FA/MFA is usually sent via SMS and not a data-based messaging protocol. However, you could check with your home provider and see if you can receive SMS without getting charged...that is a workaround i have found works in most cases, since making this video. Typically only OUTBOUND SMS can incur international charges, but a lot of phone plans allow inbound international SMS at no charge. If this is the case for your plan, you could always switch your Primary SIM back on before receiving a MFA SMS, receive the code, and then turn your Primary SIM back off. If you do this, I would make sure that Data Roaming is switched to OFF for your Primary SIM, and your default SIM for cellular data remains your Airalo eSIM, so that you don't incur international data charges by accident.
I know that's a little complicated and may not work for everyone, but hopefully that makes sense - something to look into a little more if it sounds like a good option for you!
Hi, thanks for the video ! but i have not found the answer i was looking for... If I missed it, please let me know. Basically i'm from Europe and currently in Japan using Airalo. After 2 weeks, I realized my primary SIM is activated but has no service. I would like to know how to receive SMS or missed phone call notifications from my home number as I will be travelling for a few months. Can anyone plz help me ?
Hey Ivana! I believe someone asked this recently on one of my Airalo videos, but I can't find the comment. I did a bit of research and essentially found that cell providers have various policies on how long you have to re-enable your Primary line before notifications are considered "undelivered" and don't go through to you. It's a policy that each provider can determine, so it may be worth checking with your primary european provider to see what theirs is. Some are more generous than others. I know here in the states, it seems that the window is generally smaller. Some folks that are even just on a couple week vacation may not return to the US to find missed call/text notifications, depending on how long they're gone and what their provider's policy is.
Another option for you may be to leave your Primary SIM turned ON, but disable Data Roaming, so that you don't incur international data costs (continuing to rely on Airalo for data). Most providers (in the US at least) allow you to receive inbound SMS at no charge...it's generally just SENDING an SMS that could incur an international charge (again, dependent on your provider's policy). Some providers here in the states also allow you to RECEIVE/ANSWER phone calls at no cost internationally...only charing you if YOU place a call.
I would see what your European provider's policies are on these topics, as this could help you make a more informed decision for your situation! Happy to try and help once you find out as well.
I am having an issue with my iMessage working properly. Some of my iMessage contacts only get my imessage if I send them one first. I’ve followed all the steps in this video. When I go to settings and then iMessage the You can receive iMessages to and reply from shows up but not the Start New Conversations from. An error message comes up that says an error occurred during activation. Try again. It keeps saying waiting for activation. Am I missing something?
Hi there Sharon! Happy to do my best to help with this.
From my experience, it is best to initiate the iMessage conversations from your end while abroad, particularly if the person you are contacting has not had an iMessage conversation with you before while your primary line was off (while traveling internationally). It's also a bit less confusing for the person on the other end, especially if they aren't too tech savvy, as it is a sort of unconventional way to think about "text messaging" someone.
When you send an iMessage while abroad, you are doing so via the email address associated with your Apple ID as I showed in the video. On the receiving end, your friends/family are seeing a message come to them in a separate message thread from an email address (unless you had them add your email address associated with your Apple ID to THEIR contact info for YOU in THEIR phone prior to leaving, in which case the message would show up in your existing conversation thread with that person...that is best practice and I recommend having friends/family do that). Either way, they can easily respond to you in this scenario.
Now, if one of these friends/family members was trying to initiate with you, they have to be mindful of where they're sending the message to. This is a common point of confusion and the most likely reason to feel as if the messages aren't working. If they simply try and use an existing message thread between you and them in their Messages app, there is a 99.9% chance that the original conversation thread was created between your actual phone numbers (the one you have disabled - associated with your primary SIM - while traveling internationally). If this is the case (which it likely is), their message is going to be directed towards your temporarily-disabled phone number, and not your email address associated with your Apple ID, and in turn, you will not receive it.
In order for someone to message you in this scenario, they would have to start a new message thread with you in their Messages app by typing the email address associated with your Apple ID in the "TO:" field. This way, the message gets directed to something that is actually active on your end.
So long story short, the EASIEST way to address this IS to initiate conversations in Messages with people who you know or think you will be contacting while away, as it's less confusing on their end.
As for the error messages, I have not encountered those particular ones, but I have had some success with other errors by restarting my phone, turning iMessage OFF and back ON again, and/or turning the Cellular Data setting OFF and back ON again.
Let me know if this helps or if I can clarify further!
Hey, thanks so much for your quick reply and your helpful information. This has helped a lot.
@sharonstrachan6906 awesome, glad to hear it! let me know if anything else comes up and i'll do my best to help. Safe travels ✈️
Stupidly bought an Italy eSIM when I still have Europe one installed on my phone. Can I transfer to my husband’s phone if I have not installed it yet?
Hi Traci - exciting that you'll be visiting Italy! There are no transfer options available with Airalo as of right now. What you COULD try (though I have not tried this and cannot guarantee it will work) is log into your Airalo account on your husband's phone (via the app) and attempt to install the Italy eSIM on there. I am not sure if Airalo has safeguards in place to prevent the same account being logged into on 2 separate devices, but may be worth a shot. Alternatively, if you have not installed the eSIM quite yet, you may be able to request a refund.
Let me know what happens if you give that first option a try!
Thank you I was also wondering if I did the QR code option if it would work
Hi Brian, I purchased an Airalo global data package for my friend abroad. I have already sent the QR code to her, but she can't use this data. How can we send the correct QR code to be used by others in different countries? And should I activate eSIM before I send the QR code? Please advise. Thanks
Hi there! I personally don't have any experience installing via the QR method, only the direct method. Activating the eSIM would require installing it, which would attach the eSIM to YOUR phone, not your friends, so I would not suggest doing that.
Obviously it was a nice gesture to purchase an eSIM for your friend, but it may be easier for her to purchase it on her own Airalo app. I'm not entirely sure if an eSIM that was purchased on one phone can be installed on another to be honest. It's possible, but i haven't heard of anyone else doing that quite yet. When you say she can't use the data, is she getting some sort of error message while installing? Is her phone unlocked and a compatible phone for eSIMs?
Here are the QR code installation instructions from Airalo (which you may have already located):
www.airalo.com/blog/installing-a-sim-through-a-qr-code-yes-you-can
Sorry I can't provide a more definitive answer, but i'm happy to try and help more if i can!
Thank you for providing such a detailed explanation. Unfortunately, due to the challenging circumstances my friend is facing in Gaza, I haven't been able to get a clear understanding of why the Airalo eSIM package cannot be activated. She mentioned that the QR code I sent couldn't be used. I'm wondering if there's something specific I should do on my cellphone before sending the QR code. This is my first time using Airalo, and your guidance is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your assistance and valuable information 🙏
@novi7818 Oh I see! Well again, that's very kind of you to be helping her...I am happy to try my best to help find answers to your questions as well. If she can help us understand a certain error message she's getting or at what point in the process she is having trouble, we might be able to find some info online that we can send her way! Keep me updated, I try and respond daily 🙏🏼
@@briansteph Thank you, Brian! Your kindness is truly appreciated. I'll keep you posted as soon as I get any information from her. I'm grateful for your willingness to help and will make sure to share any details about the error messages or where she's encountering difficulties in the process. Looking forward to staying connected and thanks again for your daily responses!
@novi7818 absolutely, happy to do so! best wishes to both of you in the meantime 🙏🏼
Can I remove the SIM card ? I don’t trust my 18 year old to set everything correctly!
You can remove the primary SIM card in the phone if you'd like, yes!
What options are there if the connection abroad simply breaks down after two days and no network is displayed anymore? Restart and airplane mode didn't work? Thank you
Hey there! Sorry to hear about the trouble, that's frustrating. Airplane mode shouldn't be on, or else your your Cellular connections will be disabled, including your Airalo eSIM. I can try and troubleshoot with you, but will need some more help understanding your setup.
- Are certain features working and others are not? Example, you can access the internet, but can't receive iMessages.
- Is the Cellular Data setting switched to on? Is the Airalo eSIM set as the default for Cellular Data?
- In the Airalo app, does your eSIM show as activated? Does it show that you have any data remaining?
Hi Brian, thank you very much for your help. It turned out that this network provider had a massive disruption that only now became known.Functions are now fully there again. Thank you very much for your help.
Oh wow, that's interesting...never had that happen before or had anyone mention it! How did you find out about the service disruption? Did you look up the networks airalo should be providing you service to in that country and find information online about the outage, or were you eventually alerted somehow? That's a wild one-off circumstance...that means even locals who use that network must have had issues as well during that period of time. Glad it's all working for you again now, sorry you had to experience that!
Yes, that's exactly how it was after it didn't work. I saw news in a bar where the circumstances of the provider were pointed out. Second largest provider in the Country. I am glad that it's working again and I hope it stays that way.
That's crazy! Terrible timing for it to align with your trip too, sorry that happened to you guys. Fingers crossed it stays up and running for the rest of your time there!
Can I use WiFi calling with Airallo?
Hey! You can use WiFi calling when connected to a wifi network, but normal calls will not work. You CAN use any data-only communication apps that have voice capabilities though, such as FaceTime, WhatsApp or FB Messenger for example.
@@briansteph what about if when on a WIFI network I turn on my providers SIM, and turn it off before leaving the wifi coverage again? It should work that way you would think...
I would think so as well, though from my research, I've read that international rates will likely still apply. I have not tested this myself though, so I cannot speak from experience. My thought is perhaps because the phone number you are using is still associated with a phone plan in another country (your home country), your home country's cell provider registers the call as international, regardless of the resource that was used (call mins vs WiFi data). Again, can't speak from experience, but that's what I've seen from the research I've done so far. Would be awesome if that wasn't the case though!
@@briansteph I will be traveling to Europe in a couple months and will try it, and make sure to come back and let you guys know.
@TheMucutz That would be awesome, thank you! Safe travels to Europe ✈️
this may be a ridiculous question, but what happens to texts and voicemail on your home SIM while you are abroad using Airalo (PS, I have an eSIM through Visible by Verizon in the US)
Hi Natalia - great question!
When your primary line is OFF, you will not receive phone calls or SMS texts. Senders will hear your voicemail if your primary line is off (it may be a good idea to temporarily change your voicemail to let people know of an alternate way to contact you, such as WhatsApp, FB Messenger, etc.) and their texts will not go through, but you MAY see the texts once you turn your primary SIM back on (this depends on the carrier...some will hang on to undelivered SMS texts for a few days, others a couple of weeks, but eventually they will drop the SMS and not deliver it if it cannot be delivered for an extended period of time).
If this is an issue, you could keep your primary line ON while traveling, but switch Data Roaming OFF within that primary SIM card, which will prevent data roaming charges and your phone will only use Airalo for data. You WILL receive SMS texts by doing this, and will not be charged in most cases since INBOUND SMS are generally at no cost to the receiver (double check with Visible), but COULD BE CHARGED for outbound SMS (likely will be depending on your provider, again recommend double checking...usually per-text cost).
None of this pertains to iMessages or FaceTime calls though, as those ONLY use data, and can continue to work while your Primary SIM is off.
Hope that helps a bit!
@@briansteph holy cow - what a fast response!! Thank you. I am leaving the country for 7 months and plan to get a Global eSIM (not the plus) as I will be in Greece, Scotland and Australia. Most people I know have a iPhone or Whatsapp, so I am not too worried, but I am a bit concerned that someone will call my number while I am away and didn't know what would happen. I really don't want the hassle of keeping my primary line on. Great idea to change my outgoing message! Any other advice for such a long trip would be greatly appreciated. :) I will def use uour coupon code to help support your channel!!
Very cool! We did a month in Edinburgh in March/April and LOVED it so much. We will be visiting Greece for a couple of weeks in September as well. I'm sure you'll have a great time!
My wife and I are living nomadically for a year. What I did for us is I canceled our plan with Verizon (since it didn't make sense to me to pay for that service while being gone) and paid $20/line to port our numbers over to Google Voice. The process was super simple and the porting completed in 24 hours. We can still send/receive normal SMS text messages to/from our original phone numbers via the Google Voice app. We can even see when someone called, although we cannot actually call on the app without paying. When we return to the US next year, we will likely sign up with a US provider and re-port our phone numbers to that carrier.
This could be a good solution for you - definitely something to consider!
@@briansteph ah yes, good idea. I switched to Visible because it is only $25 a month and didn't want to loose my voicemail, so hmmm maybe I should do that as well? Can I still create a custom outgoing voicemail in Google Voice do you think? Yes, very excited! I have been to all 3 places and know they will be great - my younger daughter lives in Scotland, "picking her up" on the way to AU for my older daughters wedding! yay and eek!
I have the option within Google Voice to record a custom voicemail greeting! Certainly a route to consider.
Oh very exciting, and congratulations! We are jealous of your daughter living in Scotland...could definitely see ourselves relocating to Edinburgh. Cozy place, we preferred it over London...more of our speed with all the coffee shops and smaller crowds. You have quite the international family, how fun! Hope the wedding is wonderful!
If I install Airalo and open Facebook messenger, will Facebook messenger ask me the two factor authentication?
I personally have not had FB messenger try and complete 2FA after switching from my primary SIM to Airalo. If that were to happen though, you can use alternate 2FA methods with Facebook. For example, I have mine linked to my Google Voice number, which I can receive texts from while only using data. I also have my Google Authenticator linked to my FB account, so I could verify with that rather than SMS if needed.
@@briansteph thank you so much! You are very responsive 🙌
no problem - we try to be!
When I turn on my eSim here in the United States and turn off my primary (I just purchased the Europe Regional) it shows bars like I have service, but I do not actually have service if I try to send an iMessage. Is this normal?
Hey Alan! That's strange. Have you restarted your phone since the installation? Does the European eSIM show as "Active" in the Airalo app?
@@briansteph I just restarted. The new eSIM just says "On" if I turn it on. I have 2 bars. Same on my wife's phone as well.
@@briansteph It says "Not Activated" under my packages.
It could be that the eSIM is trying to find a network to connect to (even though it won't be successful until you get to Europe), which is why you see the bars. The fact that it shows as "Not Activated" in the Airalo app is a good thing, as it's not prematurely chipping away at the data package you purchased. You can leave the eSIM switched on if you'd like, as it's not possible for it to activate until you arrive in Europe (I've left that exact eSIM switched to "on" for 4 weeks leading up to a trip to Europe before), so there's no harm in leaving it on. You can continue to use your Primary SIM in the US until you depart as well!
@@briansteph thanks so much. Love your videos.
Figure it's the same with an android .
From what I've seen and been told, there is a lot of overlap - yes! I predominately market these videos as being for iPhone as they're what I can personally vouch for and show screenshares of, but the reality is the vast majority of this information works for both OSs.
So apparently it cannot verify that my face is a face. So it looks like Airalo is a no-go for me. I have tried the face verification now 15 times, each time doing exactly as it says, and each time it rejects me. Has anybody else had this kind of problem?
Hi Jim - are you having this problem when trying to download the app, or make a purchase within the app? Either way, it may help to try and reset your Apple ID password and re-do the facial recognition
@@briansteph I never thought about redoing the Apple facial recognition, maybe that would do it. I will try that. Because I was logging into it with my Apple ID.
@@jimcox2965 yes, the issue you are describing pertains to your phone/Apple ID specifically, not necessarily Airalo. So that should fix it!
Hi Brian. Regarding the top up and the overwriting of the original package. Tried to reply with the link 3 times. Doesn’t seem to want to go through so hopefully this works. If not I will take your word to the top up process
czcams.com/video/Dyp5KkTbNwQ/video.htmlsi=vpVJnODPQF7KPbJf
I see what you're saying about the disclaimer around 25 seconds in. Looks like that video is a few years old, it could be that their policies have changed. It also could be that they've started providing more eSIMs that don't activate immediately. I have found that the top-up packages follow the same logic as brand new eSIMs.
Here's an example:
- I purchased the European regional eSIM in April of 2023 for a 3 week trip. After the trip, the package I purchased (whatever was left of it) expired, but the eSIM remained installed on my device.
- In October of the same year, I purchased a top-up package for that same eSIM that I used in April/May a few weeks before the trip to prepare. However, the eSIM package DID NOT activate until I arrived back in Europe.
I have also preemptively topped up an eSIM while low on data during a trip (specifically with the European regional eSIM) and have not had the top-up package begin until the original package was depleted.
It could be that their policies have changed, it could be that they've updated their products...I'm not entirely sure. Those are simply the experiences I have had over the past couple of years. Double check the activation policy for the eSIM you're looking to top-up. The policy there is what I would use as a gauge as to when the top-up package will activate.
Hope that's helpful!
does this work if someone were to have an android contacting a iphone user as well or would the android user need to contact me via whatsapp or so? 17:56
Hi! Android users do not have iMessage, so you will need to communicate with those family/friends via apps like WhatApp, FB Messenger, etc.
@@briansteph Thank you for replying so fast and the being so helpful!
@neila7473 of course! safe travels ✈️
Thanks!
Thanks so much for this, appreciate it a ton! Cheers!
Thanks!
Thanks so much for this Bruno, we really appreciate this gesture! Hope you were able to get what you needed out of the video. Safe travels! ✈️
Thanks!
Thanks so much for the tip, appreciate it a ton! Safe travels ✈️
@@briansteph had to increase the tip when I learned even more the further along I went. Thanks for the super helpful info! Also, do you know if you are charged anything by just turning on your cell phone while traveling? For example, are you charged to open your phone and see a 2-step verification code if you don't open the message?
Thanks!
had to increase the tip when I learned even more the further along I went. Thanks for the super helpful info! Also, do you know if you are charged anything by just turning on your cell phone while traveling? For example, are you charged to open your phone and see a 2-step verification code if you don't open the message?
Appreciate it a ton! You can keep your phone on, it's just your Primary SIM that needs to be disabled in order to avoid roaming charges.
However, you technically COULD receive 2FA at no charge as well. For that to work, you would need to leave your Primary SIM on, turn Data Roaming OFF, and make sure under Settings > Cellular that your Airalo eSIM is set as the default for Cellular Data. As long as you don't place calls or send SMS (non-iMessage texts) while your primary SIM is on, you shouldn't be charged.
You may find this video helpful as well! It's the sort of "start here" video for Airalo that i made. If you feel comfortable with the basics, no need to watch, but thought i'd share just in case. Cheers!
czcams.com/video/Pi1Cb1tEeSI/video.html
@@brianstephThanks -- I'll give that a try for sure!