Using your mobile phone abroad
Mobile phones help you keep in touch while travelling, but international calls can be expensive. Know what questions to ask about international roaming to get the best deal from your network and avoid returning to an unexpectedly large bill.
Roaming
Using your phone overseas (roaming) can cost considerably more than it does at home, particularly if you want to:
- surf the web a lot
- upload photos to social networking sites
- check or send lots of emails
You can also run up a big bill without actively using your phone, as smartphones and other mobile devices automatically seek out mobile connections and use them to update apps.
So unless you turn off data roaming before you go, these devices could be downloading data at standard rates throughout your stay without you realising it.
You can find detailed advice about using a mobile phone abroad on the Ofcom website.
Mobile roaming in European Union and European Economic Area countries
You can find information about mobile roaming in EU and EEA countries at this link:
Mobile phone security
Thieves do target tourists' mobile phones. Before you go abroad, make a note of:
- your mobile's serial number (also known as the IMEI number - you can get this by keying *#06# into your handset or by looking behind your phone battery)
- the make and model of your handset
- your mobile phone number
- the number of your operator's customer services (including UK dialling code)
Keep them with you in a safe place, separate from your mobile.
Make sure you put a passcode on both your handset and SIM to make it more difficult for thieves to use.
If your phone is stolen, you should contact your network provider as soon as possible (within 24 hours if you can).
You can find further advice about keeping your smartphone secure on the NI Cyber Security Centre website.