Using ATT iPhone for International Travel Without Breaking the Bank (3Gs, 4 and 4s)

When I traveled internationally for the first time after buying my iPhone, I was concerned about the potential for racking up huge phone bills. I’d heard horror stories about people who used their ATT iPhone for international travel, only to discover they had mounted up thousands of dollars in cell phone charges upon returning home. As an underpaid writer, I needed to make very sure this didn’t happen to me.

iPhone 3GS

I started by calling AT&T and was told that I needed to add an International Calling Plan for $24.99 per month. Initially that seemed like a reasonable solution, until I read the small print. The plan provides 20MB of usage within 65 countries, and the list of countries did not include my destination. Additionally, usage over 20MB would have been charged at $.005 per KB. If that all sounds like a lot of gibberish, let me put it in perspective: opening an email with a five megapixel picture in it or downloading a three-minute video on YouTube each require about 2MB of data, so it wouldn’t take long to eat up 20MB of data. Additionally, there are 1,000 KB in each MB, so if I was over my limit, opening a 2MB email would cost me $10! Obviously, this plan was not acceptable.

Since I intended to access my email and the Internet solely through the hotel’s WiFi network, I asked AT&T for instructions to block the cellular network completely. Although it was a struggle to get the rep to agree to send me the appropriate information, she finally offered to send an email with instructions. The instructions were somewhat incomplete, but with research I was able to fill in the missing details and the steps I took successfully shut off the 3G network (I have since traveled internationally for months without incurring any roaming charges). The following are the specific instructions for using ATT iPhone for international travel without incurring high international roaming charges (3Gs, 4 and 4s):

Settings for iPhone 3GS:

  1. Make sure that standard International Roaming and International Long Distance feature, if it is included in your cellular plan, is removed (call AT&T and make sure the rep adds a note to your account confirming that you requested this)
  2. If you are going to forward your number, do so before you change any other settings (Settings->Phone->Call Forwarding->Turn ON->Enter number to which you want calls forwarded)
  3. Disable 3G (Settings->General->Network-Enable 3G->OFF)
  4. Turn off data roaming (Settings->General-Network->Data Roaming->OFF)
  5. Make sure WiFi is enabled (Settings->WiFi->WiFi->ON)
  6. Turn of automatic pushing of email (Settings->Mail, Contacts, Calendars->Fetch New Data-Push->OFF and set Fetch to Manually)
  7. Put the phone in airplane mode (Settings->Airplane Mode->ON)
  8. Although not absolutely necessary, I wanted to be very sure I was not mounting up the MB’s, so I reset the usage counter to zero in order to monitor it throughout the trip, ensuring my usage remained at zero. To do so, go to Settings->General->Usage->Reset Statistics (scroll to the very bottom).

Settings for iPhone 4 and 4s:

  1. If you are going to forward your number, do so before you change any other settings (Settings->Phone->Call Forwarding->Turn ON->Enter number to which you want calls forwarded)
  2. Disable 3G (Settings->General->Network->Cellular Data->OFF). Also check your Data Roaming; it should be off by default, but for some reason if it is on, turn it off here as well
  3. Make sure WiFi is enabled (Settings->WiFi->WiFi->ON)
  4. Turn of automatic pushing of email (Settings->Mail, Contacts, Calendars->Fetch New Data-Push->OFF and set Fetch to Manually)
  5. Put the phone in airplane mode (Settings->Airplane Mode->ON)
  6. If you wish to reset the usage counter to zero in order to monitor it throughout the trip and ensure usage remains at zero, go to Settings->General->Usage->Cellular Usage->Reset Statistics
  7. NOTE: In my 4s I do not turn off Location Services and Notifications, as they both work over wifi as well as a cellular network. Disabling 3G and putting the phone in Airplane Mode ensures that they will use only the wifi network and not rack up expensive roaming charges.

When I arrive in an international destination, I simply log into an available WiFi network and Voila! I have access to the Internet, email, Twitter, and can even make international phone calls with the iPhone Skype app without incurring cellular charges. When you return to the U.S., simply reverse the process, although you may choose not to reinstate the International Roaming and International Long Distance feature.

Planning international travel in the near future? Check out prices for your preferred destination at Booking.com, Hotels.com, or HotelsCombined.com. Read what travelers have to say about properties in your destination at TripAdvisor.com.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links to hotel booking sites. If you click on any of the links and make a booking, I may earn a small commission, which keeps this blog free to read.

514 thoughts on “Using ATT iPhone for International Travel Without Breaking the Bank (3Gs, 4 and 4s)”

  1. I don’t have an iphone and don’t plan to get one either. The $100 a month just isn’t worth it. In terms of calling international, I have a NET10 prepaid plan which works perfectly fine. Since the minutes are only 10 cents each and texting is just 3 cents, it really is inexpensive. The same rates apply to international calling so a plan of $19 can go a long way. I don’t use it all the time, but my husband sometimes travels to Mexico on business and that’s when I really take advantage of it. Can’t imagine how much this would cost me if I tried to use my landline. Anyways, go to Walmart and pick one up. You’ll see the difference the first time you use it!

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  2. I just read about Convertor Pro that is a freebie that you can download from the App Store that lets you convert any currency to another. It’s updated every hour with actual current rates too.

    If I use this app or a weather app etc. AND follow your steps to turn off my 3G network will I still be able to use these apps while traveling?

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    • Hi Pam: When you download an app that “updates” from the Internet, you need to make very sure your turn off the option to “push” in your settings or you run the risk of being charged for a connection through the 3G network. If you follow my steps you should be fine, since the 3G network will be disabled, but this means the app will only work when you have access to a wifi network.

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  3. Barbara, I can’t thank you enough for this article! I’ve linked it on Facebook and told every friend I know who is traveling internationally to check it out. One question: does the same set of instructions apply for the iPad? Thanks!

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    • Hi Ahoyskin: I wish I could answer your question for certain, but I don’t have an iPad, so I really have no idea. However my guess is that, because the iPad’s cell phone function is with AT&T, the instructions would probably be the same. Thanks so much for linking my post! Much appreciated. Barbara

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  4. Dear Barbara, Thank you so much for your informative piece on using the iphone internationally. Reading your personal description I thought that you might like a complementary copy of my book, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road: A Harvard Psychologist’s Guide to Becoming a Superstar” as a thank you. Please send let me know and I will pop one in the mail for you. Myra White

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    • Myra: Thank you so much for the offer, but I get nothing in the mail these days because of the amount of travel I do, and even if I did, it would be quite impossible to track me down with the rapidity with which I move. So glad the post was a help to you. Barbara

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  5. Hi Barb, great article! I don’t have an Iphone as they cost 900 Euros here and you still have to pay for the data plan. But I have been traveling a lot with friends who have Iphones and they are all concerned about this. Like Dave and Deb I would recommend jail breaking it so that you can put a sim card form the county you are in and use their data plans.

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  6. Hi Barb, we jailbroke our phone for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and the fees are much cheaper that in Canada or the U.S. We phoned home for about 6 cents a minute and we used our iphone to call ahead to hotels etc. for peanuts. It worked like a charm and we didn’t spend a fortune using it.

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  7. Thank you so much for the info. In your instructions is it imperative that the International Roaming is turned off? As I understand it if this is turned off by ATT then you cant make a call while you are abroad – that is if you needed to make a call and you weren’t on WIFI – ie some emergency where there is no wifi connection. If this is left on the account will you still get the benefits of skype or will you see hidden charges somewhere?

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    • Brian: I was told by ATT reps that if the International Roaming is turned on I would risk being charged, although that conversation related to making calls, not using Skype. I’m not an expert, and I tend to err on the safe side, putting multiple measures in place, but I don’t understand how there could possibly be any charges if the phone is left in airplane mode and the 3G connection is off, since it cannot connect to the cellular network that way. And if left on, you can still use Skype, because I did have the Int’l roaming for a year or more and did use Skype, although that was in the U.S.

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  8. I have been reading all the good information. One thing I don’t understand is if you use skype when you are in Europe through a wifi and call an non-skype enable phone or land line, will that incur a charge on the att international? Also are you able to receive calls if you have turned off the 3g and roaming? And if so does this incur a charge? I guess that is what’s most confusing – how do you receive a call.

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    • Hi Brian: Good questions. When you use Skype on your iPhone you are going directly through the Skype network, so there is no charge with ATT because you are not accessing their cellular system. For the same reason, it works regardless of whether the 3G and roaming are off or on. However, you do need to have an account with Skype, and load it with some “Pay-as-you-go Skype credit.” You do that on the Skype website, and you can even set it up to auto charge your credit card when the credit falls below a certain level. If you call someone else who has a Skype account (Skype to Skype), there is no charge, as you know. Your Skype account is only charged if you are calling a non-Skype user, be it land line or cell. The Skype rates are amazingly low, compared to what you would pay for an International call, even with the att package. I’m in Mexico right now, and I pay 4 cents per minute for landlines and 20 cents per minute for cells in Mexico. Compare THAT with the ATT rates!

      As for how to receive calls, I have purchased a Skype online phone number and I set up my iPhone to forward all my calls to that number, which is a free service with the iPhone. My Skype online number is a Florida number, so my friends and family can call it on their cell phones without charge, and if I happen to be online when someone calls (either with my laptop or on a wifi connection with the iPhone), I receive the call directly. If not, Skype sends it to voice mail and the next time I am online I get the message from Skype (I have Skype set up to launch every time I boot up the computer, so I see messages in a timely manner).

      I also have a subscription that allows me free unlimited Skype calls to any landline or cell phone n the US or Canada. The subscription is $29.99 per YEAR. And because I have this subscription, I get my online Skype number for only $29.99 per year. So basically, it costs me $60 per year, plus whatever little amount I pay for calls to non-Skype users.

      As for the Airplane mode – I do keep it on at all times, because I don’t want there to be any possibility of the 3G network being enabled. Hope that all helps. I know Skype can be confusing, with all the packages they offer and such, but once you sort it out it’s a magical service.

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  9. Thanks for the info. I’m heading to central Europe next week & still hadn’t figured out how to cheaply communicate back home. I’d planned on skype, but didn’t think about one step in the process that would have cost me $$$. Hope your travels are safe & enjoyable.

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  10. I have a 6GB data plan for my IPhone and my phone company is Fido as i lived in Canada. Last year before going to France for 3 weeks I called the customer service department to inquiry about roaming, international charges etc.. to make sure I did not get a huge bill.

    So I have been told that roaming was included in my data plan and as long as I was not going over 6GB I will be fine… After 10 days in France my phone stop working, it was not picking signal anymore. So when back home in Vancouver, I called Fido and told them that about the problem. The customer rep, informed me that I was phone disconnected because of high charges… i was surprise as I pay my bill all the time on time. “You owe us $12000.00 I ‘v been told, for roaming charges of 0.3GB of data….” I was so shock and after about three weeks of intense battle they have step back and wipe of all charges…

    I am going back to Europe and want to use my phone as an IPod and check e-mail using free wifi.

    My question is, If I remove and leave my Sim card at home, follow all your steps, would I be absolutely sure that I won’t have any roaming or international charges?

    Thank you for your impute.

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    • Hi Eric: I can’t guarantee anything. I can only tell you of my experience. I have now traveled in both the Caribbean, and for the past two months in Mexico, without a cent of roaming charges after setting up my phone in the way described. Although I have not tried removing my simm card, it would seem to me that without one, there could be no possibility at all of a cellular connection. best of luck and enjoy Europe.

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  11. Nice blog. I just got back from France and used an ipod touch for 2 weeks. The only problem is that 1. You have to use headphones/mic to make and receive calls and 2. you have to have Skype open to receive calls. I truly recommend using an handicapped (3g/data off) iphone over a touch for convenience, otherwise youll grow weary of racing to put earbuds in when the touch rings. The second problem will be solved when multitasking appears in OS 4.0, then we’ll be able to leave Skype open. I personally prefer the Gizmo5 app, and made calls back to the US for 1 cent/min over wifi or free with Google Voice/Gizmo5. Then you dont have to do the back and forth to another person to ‘time’ your Skype call. I like Sue’s idea of just removing the att SIM. Thats the sure fire way to not be charged roaming 🙂

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  12. Thanks for the great advice. Upcoming trip to the UK and will want to restrict myself only to wi-fi. It is always helpful to hear from people with “real” experience rather than just instructions from a web site.

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  13. Good tips Barbara. I would recommend for those that do not have an iPhone already to wait until they are elsewhere to buy an unlocked iPhone which you can buy in other countries. Biggest issue there is that it’s not clear from the US which countries sell them unlocked. And then, you will pay for it being untethered to any single carrier. Another tip is to buy the iTouch (so you can have access to your contacts, music, internet, email) and a basic unlocked 3G cell phone which you can then use to acquire SIM cards as you go around the world. No traveler should ever buy the international plans! Great post.

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  14. Thanks for the info Barbara. Funny thing is that the rep told me to leave my SIM card at home, meaning it will be impossible for me to access their network and their outrageous roaming charges. Fine with me, all I’m looking for is the camera, wifi, & the rest you listed, I have the skype app too. Just thought I’d post that suggestion since I guess it’s another way to accomplish the task of making your iphone into an ipod touch. Thanks again for all the useful tips.

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  15. I called AT&T because I’m going to Canada. Apparently if your home plan includes roaming throughout the US you can’t turn off international roaming to Canada & Mexico, so they advised me to just remove the SIM card and leave it at home.

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    • Sue: I really think you got some bad info. I have been in Mexico for a month now, using the instructions I specified in my post. I have had ONE MINUTE of usage, and that was on the day I left, before I turned it off. Frankly, not all the AT&T reps know what they’re talking about. I don’t know about the inability to turn off roaming for Mexico and Canada, but I do know for certain that my instructions worked perfectly for me. And because I have my iPhone with me, I have my calendar, contacts, calculator, apps, clock, alarm clock, and the ability to talk on Skype to anyone in the world who also has a Skype account for free, whenever I can access a wireless network (email too, this way). AT&T doesn’t WANT you to know this stuff because they want you to buy the International package.

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  16. 6 minutes.. This is a rip off.. I guess if you don’t want to unlock it thats one option..but not a good value for money one,.

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  17. I don’t want to unlock my iPhone and you can use their sim with locked phone. Unlimited data on 3g and 65 minutes of phone calls.

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  18. I don’t know if they are legit or not. but why would you get the SIM Card from them..

    They rent you a SIM for $80! IN Europe they are for free or cost max $3. With the $80 you get 6 minutes and additional calls cost $1.68 per min. Roaming costs $1.29.

    Your best bet is getting a local sim card they are everywhere in paris..

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  19. Has anyone heard of the iPhoneiTrip option to purchase a sim card for your iPhone? If you have and have used it, please let me know if it is legitimate—planning a trip to Paris in a couple of weeks, and my husband and I need to be connected to work.

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  20. Char with a fonmigo.com mobile wi-fi you will wi-fi anywhere in the UK. I think its $50 for 1GB of data (close to unlimited!).

    It looks like a very simple and practical device. You can use it to also connect your laptop. Just connect it to your iphone wi-fi connection.

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  21. This is exactly the information I was looking for as I prepare to head to the UK for 2 months. So, if I follow the instructions you provided, I can use wifi access points to skype, email, etc., and DON’T have to have my phone unlocked by AT&T? And can I use skype to call numbers in the UK from my iPhone? Thank you for your help!

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    • Char: Yes, everything you have said is correct, according to my personal experience. As long as you are careful to disable the 3G connection and everything that tries to access it (email push, for instance), you will be incurring no international charges. It also helps to reset your usage tzero as you get on the plane, so you can check back and make sure it is not recording any usage. You will need to download the Skype app for our iPhone, if you haven’t already. It also helps to know that you cannot do ANY multitasking when you are talking on Skype through the iPhone. The moment you do someting else, it signs you out. This is not s Skype thing, it’s an Apple thing.

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