Using phone in Portugal

[Jaimesw]

Reading up about using my phone in Portugal it says they send a text when you get there to be able to buy a roaming pass (7 day EU pass, £15)

However I don’t want to incur any extra charges so always switch my phones data off when I board the plane in UK and only normally would use WiFi when out and about. 

surely to receive said text my phone e would need to be on which means I get charged until I can set up the roaming pass.  

sorry I’m off that age where I don’t  understand technology 🤣

[bristolian · Accepted solution]

Roaming means using your phone on foreign networks. Making or receiving calls, sending texts & using mobile data - on foreign networks - incurs charges. Receiving texts is free globally.

Switching your data off will only stop mobile data from working, it won't have any impact on voice calls or texts which don't use data. The only safe way to avoid roaming charges is to do one of two things..

1: Don't connect to foreign networks, and only use your phone as a WiFi-connected device. The only thing that will work, are internet-based functions such as mobile-apps, web browsing & email. Also be sure to disable WiFi-calling, this shouldn't work abroad but can sometimes do so - and will incur roaming charges.

2: Connect to foreign networks, but do not make or receive any calls, and do not send text messages. Disable mobile data, disable data roaming, set an unconditional "divert all calls" to avoid your phone ringing with incoming calls. Be sure to not make any outbound calls, but at least you can receive text messages.

Much depends how much this hassle is worth, versus the convenience of using your phone entirely as normal for that £15 charge.