Travel Abroad? Set Away Messages

Staying connected while travelling abroad is becoming increasingly important for many people. The good news is that there are several ways to create a text away message when travelling internationally. The first option is to sign up for Google Fi, a virtual cell phone service provider that partners with local cell phone providers in over 200 countries. With Google Fi, you can enjoy unlimited free texting and the same data costs as back home. Another option is to use T-Mobile or Sprint, which offer plans with free text and data while travelling overseas. Alternatively, you can purchase a local SIM card or eSIM card at your destination, which often provides more affordable rates for local calls and data. Lastly, you can consider buying an international plan add-on from your current cell phone provider, such as Verizon's TravelPass, which offers unlimited talk, text, and data in select countries for a daily fee.

Using Wi-Fi to text for free

When travelling abroad, it is important to stay connected with friends and family back home. However, most cell phone plans do not cover texting outside your home country, and when they do, it comes at a high price. Luckily, there are ways to text for free when travelling internationally.

With Wi-Fi, you can do almost anything for free, including texting. However, you cannot use your traditional texting apps to do this. When you send a traditional SMS from your smartphone in another country, you will be charged to send and receive text messages. Nevertheless, there are free ways to send texts using Wi-Fi. When you have a Wi-Fi connection, you will not be using your data plan, and all data will be sent and received over Wi-Fi.

There are several messaging apps that allow you to text over Wi-Fi. These include:

• IMessage: This messaging service is built into iPhones. When texting another iPhone or iDevice user, the messages are 100% free, as long as both parties are connected to Wi-Fi.
• WhatsApp: WhatsApp is a cross-platform texting app available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and more. It allows you to send text messages, photos, voice messages, and group messages for free over a Wi-Fi connection. WhatsApp is free for the first year, then costs $0.99/year after that.
• Facebook Messenger: Facebook Messenger is another free messaging app that allows you to instantly reach your Facebook friends. It sends a notification directly to their phone, even if they are not on Facebook at the time.
• Viber: Viber is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and more. In addition to text and photo messages, it also supports audio and video messages. It also allows you to place VoIP calls to other Viber users.
• Google Voice/Hangouts: Google Voice and Hangouts allow you to send and receive SMS messages without going through your carrier's SMS channels. You can see and respond to messages on your PC or mobile device.
• TextPlus: TextPlus offers free SMS and MMS messaging to users in the US and Canada. For other countries, there is a small fee of 2¢/min. This app supports Wi-Fi and mobile 3G/4G.
• Text Free: Text Free is an app that provides a real US phone number and comes preloaded with free calling minutes to the US, Canada, and Mexico. SMS messages are also free. Additional features include voicemail, group chat, MMS picture & video messaging, and more.

When travelling abroad, always use Wi-Fi when possible to avoid charges. Make sure to download the necessary apps and ensure that all parties have the required apps as well.

Using iMessage to text for free

IMessage is a free messaging service available on Apple devices. It uses the internet to send messages, either via Wi-Fi or cellular data, rather than using your carrier's texting plan. This means that as long as you have an internet connection, you can send and receive iMessages without incurring any additional charges, even when travelling abroad.

To ensure you can use iMessage to communicate for free while travelling, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure your Apple ID is connected to iMessage. Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive, and ensure your Apple ID email address is checked off under 'You can receive iMessages to and reply from'. Next, confirm that iMessage is toggled on by going to Settings > Messages and checking that iMessage is turned on. Finally, make sure you have an internet connection. If you're travelling, consider purchasing a downloadable SIM card (eSIM) for your destination to have affordable, local data.

It's important to note that iMessage only works between Apple devices. If you want to communicate with someone who has an Android phone, you'll need to use a different messaging app that works on both iOS and Android, such as WhatsApp or Hushed. Additionally, while iMessage is free, it does use a small amount of data, so make sure you have enough data available on your plan or Wi-Fi connection to avoid any unexpected charges.

By following these steps and keeping your device connected to the internet, you can use iMessage to text for free while travelling abroad without incurring any messaging charges.

Using WhatsApp to text for free

WhatsApp is a messaging app that allows you to send text messages, photos, videos, and voice messages for free. It is available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Nokia S40, Symbian, and Blackberry phones.

To use WhatsApp for free texting, you will first need to register an account. Open the app and enter your phone number on the "Your Phone Number" screen. If you are located outside of the United States, make sure to select your country. After registering, WhatsApp will send a verification code via SMS, which you will need to enter before proceeding.

Once your account is set up, you can find your friends on WhatsApp by allowing the app to access your phone's contacts. If you prefer not to grant this permission, you can always add friends manually using their phone numbers.

To send a free text, open WhatsApp and go to the Chats screen. Tap the New Chat icon, which looks like a pencil on a sheet of paper, and then select a contact. Enter your message in the text field and tap the "Send" arrow. Your message will be delivered to your contact for free, as long as they also have WhatsApp installed and have access to Wi-Fi.

WhatsApp is a convenient and cost-effective way to stay connected with friends and family, especially when travelling abroad. With its support for various media types and availability across multiple platforms, it is a popular choice for international communication.

Using Facebook Messenger to text for free

Facebook Messenger is a great way to stay connected when travelling abroad, offering free voice calling and text messaging. It can be used on both mobile and desktop, although it requires a separate app from the Facebook mobile app.

Using Facebook Messenger on Mobile

Facebook Messenger is a stand-alone mobile app that is deeply integrated with Facebook's network graph. It functions similarly to most mobile messaging services, allowing you to view your message history, initiate conversations, participate in group chats, play online games with friends, and make new friends on the social network. Chat histories sync seamlessly between the mobile and desktop versions, although the experience may vary slightly depending on your platform and device permissions.

Using Facebook Messenger on Desktop

If you access Facebook via a web browser, you can see a list of your contacts on the right-hand side. Clicking on a contact brings up their Messenger chat window and thread history. Alternatively, you can select the Messenger icon in the top-right corner of the screen to access your message history, which appears in reverse chronological order.

Facebook Messenger Features

Facebook Messenger offers a range of features, including:

• Voice-over-IP calls
• Video chats
• Group text chats
• Stickers
• Emoji
• Sending and receiving money
• Playing games
• Posting photos

Sending Facebook Messages Without Messenger

While the standalone Messenger app is the most straightforward way to use Facebook Messenger, there are workarounds if you would prefer not to use it. These include:

• Using a mobile or PC web browser
• Using the Facebook SMS service (for users with a mobile phone number registered on their Facebook account)
• Using Cydia (for iPhone users who have jailbroken their phones)
• Using a third-party app, such as Friendly for iOS or Lite Messenger for Android

Pre-purchasing a data package

There are several options available for pre-purchasing a data package. One option is to buy a SIM card before you leave, which will allow you to have data as soon as you arrive. You can purchase these SIM cards online and have them delivered to your home address. This option may be more expensive due to shipping costs, but it will save you time and money in the long run.

Another option is to pre-purchase an eSIM data plan. eSIM data plans are often cheaper and more convenient, as they can be activated instantly without the need for a physical SIM card. eSIM plans are also useful if you want to keep your original phone number active. However, not all phones are eSIM compatible, so be sure to check before purchasing.

When pre-purchasing a data package, it is important to consider how much data you will need. If you are only planning to use your phone for simple tasks such as Google searches, music, and directions, a few GBs of data per week should be sufficient. However, if you plan to stream videos or make video calls, you will need a larger data package.

Additionally, it is important to ensure that your phone is unlocked before travelling abroad. If you have purchased a mobile phone plan, your phone may be tied to a specific carrier. In this case, you will need to unlock your phone before you can use a pre-purchased SIM card or eSIM data plan from another provider.

By pre-purchasing a data package, you can stay connected while travelling abroad without incurring high roaming charges. This option will save you time, money, and hassle, allowing you to focus on enjoying your trip.

Frequently asked questions