What is data roaming? How to avoid roaming costs

Key Takeaways:

• Data roaming is when you use mobile data while you're outside your carrier's coverage area, so you're on another network.
• Data roaming can run up unexpectedly high charges, especially when traveling internationally.
• You can avoid data roaming by turning roaming off in phone settings, using Wi-Fi, buying a travel pass from your carrier, or using an international SIM card.

What does data roaming mean?

Phone carriers define data roaming as using mobile data outside your carrier’s network coverage area — for example when traveling internationally or in regions where your carrier has no service. Your device connects to a partner or third-party network to maintain service and let you use data as normal. But that partner or network may charge your carrier fees, which it then may pass on to you.

You may have read about travelers coming home from a great trip only to face a huge cell phone bill. To avoid billing surprises, here’s what you should know about what data roaming means, how to avoid it, and how to use it in a budget-friendly way when needed. 

Roaming and data roaming, what's the difference?

Roaming is using your phone outside of your carrier's coverage area, whether that's for calls, texts, or connecting to the internet. Data roaming means specifically accessing the internet over a cell network that's not your carrier's. Data roaming is more likely to lead to unexpectedly high charges, especially if traveling abroad.

Domestic data roaming vs. international data roaming vs. home network 

Your home network is the network of the phone carrier you chose when selecting a phone plan. For example: Say you opted for a Verizon phone plan.That’s your home network, and when you’re in Verizon’s coverage area, its equipment handles your calls, texts and data.

Typically, carriers don’t cover every square inch of the country, so they enter into roaming agreements with other wireless providers. When your phone routes through another provider’s network, that’s domestic data roaming. Major carriers and the smaller providers who pay to use their networks (called MVNOs) usually do not charge for roaming within the U.S. Still, to be safe, read the fine print of your specific phone plan or your tablet data plan and look for a map of your carrier’s coverage area online.  

International data roaming comes into play when you’re in another country and use mobile data. Some plans include free roaming in neighboring countries, such as Mexico and Canada. But the more distant the location, the more likely you’ll have to pay extra for using mobile data on a different wireless network while you're there. Buying an international SIM card for temporary coverage during travel abroad is usually the most affordable way to access data (rather than paying for an international pass from your carrier). 

Pros and cons of data roaming 

Pros 

• Data roaming lets you stay reachable by phone, text and email. 
• You'll have access to information and apps you need to navigate, especially while traveling: maps, ticket purchasing, event information, translation tools and more. 

Cons 

• Your carrier may limit how much mobile data you can use on partner networks, and the partner network may provide data at slower speeds than you’re used to.   
• When roaming internationally, costs can add up very quickly — think hundreds or thousands of dollars — unless you make a plan to add a temporary international pass or buy an international SIM card for coverage where you're visiting. 

Tips on data roaming 

How much data do I need for roaming? 

Take a look at your current data use to get a ballpark idea of your typical needs. You likely will be using some apps more intensively, such as maps and transportation or rideshare services, or even texting apps to avoid international charges. Consider whether you might be doing more or less of data-intensive services while away from home, such as streaming video or posting to and scrolling social media. Make sure you understand how your data usage might be different while traveling, how many MB are in a GB, and your phone plan's data roaming limits.

Check your data usage on an iPhone 

1. Go to Settings -> tap on Cellular. 
2. Scroll down to Current Period and Current Period Roaming to see total usage. Note: Your cellular usage statistics don't match your billing cycle, they run until you hit "reset statistics" at the bottom of the display. You might need to reset your stats and then check again after a week or month to understand your typical roaming.  
3. To get a sense of what apps you spend the most data on, click on Show All. 

Check your data usage on an Android 

1. Go to Settings -> tap Network & Internet. 
2. Choose Mobile Network, then App Data Usage for an overall usage number.  
3. Scroll down to view per-app data usage. Tap the down arrow to pick a time period.

Tips to avoid data roaming

Sometimes you do want to use your phone outside your carrier’s coverage area, such as when traveling. The key to managing costs is planning ahead, not simply discovering the charges after the fact. For example, AT&T charges $2.05 per MB of data on land and on cruise ships, so using even as little as 1GB adds up to more than $2,000.  

Check your phone plan and add a pass if needed 

Check whether your existing data plan includes data usage outside your home country, and if so, what areas are covered. For example, some providers include free roaming in Canada and Mexico for their U.S. customers.  

If your plan doesn’t cover your destination, see if your carrier has a short-term international plan you can add while traveling. For example, all of the Big 3 carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) have short-term international passes you can add to postpaid phone plans to cover data use in many countries. And some prepaid phone plans, even from budget carriers, have add-ons to buy for international coverage.

Use an international SIM card  

If you have an unlocked phone (one not tied to a particular carrier), you can buy an international SIM card for use in the area where you're traveling. If your phone has eSIM capability, you can buy in advance and just activate service at your destination. If you need a physical SIM card, you might be able to find one before traveling or may need to buy one upon arrival.

Some phones have dual SIM capabilities, so you could have one SIM for domestic use and one for international travel.  

Use free Wi-Fi when you can

Use free public Wi-Fi to access the internet. For example, many hotels and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi hotspots, which you can use as a guest. Before you head out for the day, for example, you could use your hotel's free Wi-Fi to download things like maps or music and video content, so you have access to it during the day without using your data.

As always, take security precautions when on public Wi-Fi: Don’t visit sensitive sites such as banking and payment apps, and don’t enter personal data such as a credit card or Social Security number. Consider installing a virtual private network (VPN) on your phone to encrypt your internet usage.

You can also use Wi-Fi calling to avoid using a cellular network. You may need to enable Wi-Fi calling in your phone's settings.

Turn data roaming off

To make sure your phone isn’t using data at other times, turn off data roaming in your phone’s settings.  

How to turn off data roaming on iPhone 

1. Go to Settings -> tap Cellular 
2. Select Cellular Data Options 
3. Toggle Data Roaming to off 

How to turn off data roaming on Android phones 

1. Go to Settings -> tap Connections 
2. Select Mobile Networks 
3. Toggle Data Roaming off 

Frequently asked questions about data roaming