Will iMessage continue to work while traveling abroad from USA?

[uPhone]

I'm traveling abroad and will be getting local prepaid DATA ONLY sim cards. While connected to the 3G network abroad, will my iPhone continue to be able to receive and send iMessages through my current USA number?

Edit: I have a Verizon iPhone 5

 

[Mlrollin91]

I'm traveling abroad and will be getting local prepaid DATA ONLY sim cards. While connected to the 3G network abroad, will my iPhone continue to be able to receive and send iMessages through my current USA number?

When using a prepaid sim, it will give you a new phone number. My friend just spent the last 6 months in Australia. She got a prepaid data only sim and she was assigned a phone number from Australia. She was able to iMessage without a problem, but it came from the new number. Once you take out your current sim, the phone number tied to that disappears from your phone.

 

[uPhone]

When using a prepaid sim, it will give you a new phone number. My friend just spent the last 6 months in Australia. She got a prepaid data only sim and she was assigned a phone number from Australia. She was able to iMessage without a problem, but it came from the new number. Once you take out your current sim, the phone number tied to that disappears from your phone.

Forgot to mention, I have a Verizon iPhone 5. So my phone has CDMA/GSM. Will inserting a new sim still remove my CDMA number?

 

[Jhingha]

You can also set up your iMessage that you send from your Apple ID instead of your phone number. This prevents confusion under your friends and fam.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Forgot to mention, I have a Verizon iPhone 5. So my phone has CDMA/GSM. Will inserting a new sim still remove my CDMA number?

I'm fairly certain the new sim will cancel out the old information. Because you will be connecting to their network while abroad, and in order to connect to their network, you would need their number tied to your device.

But, if you do what Jhingha mentioned above, everything should stay the same as long as your contacts have your email address listed in their contact of you.

 

[uPhone]

I'm fairly certain the new sim will cancel out the old information. Because you will be connecting to their network while abroad, and in order to connect to their network, you would need their number tied to your device.

But, if you do what Jhingha mentioned above, everything should stay the same as long as your contacts have your email address listed in their contact of you.

Drats, everyone has my USA number.. no one texts to my apple ID. I guess I'll have to tell my frequent texters to text me on my ID.

 

[DaveTheRave]

I'm traveling abroad and will be getting local prepaid DATA ONLY sim cards. While connected to the 3G network abroad, will my iPhone continue to be able to receive and send iMessages through my current USA number?

Edit: I have a Verizon iPhone 5

Responding to an old thread…how did this work? I'm looking to buy a data-only SIM when I travel overseas. I assume the data only SIM won't have a local phone number associated with it. How will the affect iMessage and displaying my US Number?

 

[Applejuiced]

Responding to an old thread…how did this work? I'm looking to buy a data-only SIM when I travel overseas. I assume the data only SIM won't have a local phone number associated with it. How will the affect iMessage and displaying my US Number?

Yes, a local data sim will have a local number associated.
You will not be able to receive imessages send to your phone number.
Only if they send it to your associated imessage email.

 

[DaveTheRave]

Hmmm I thought data-only meant no phone number. I was specifically looking at this: http://m.amaysim.com.au/mobile-plans/amaysim-mobile-broadband.html?device=1

 

[applegeek97]

Drats, everyone has my USA number.. no one texts to my apple ID. I guess I'll have to tell my frequent texters to text me on my ID.

No, if your phone number and apple id email address are linked, you can link new number or apple id emails together. That's why I can receive the same iMessages from my personal iPhone, and my work iPhone.

 

[dontwalkhand]

Forgot to mention, I have a Verizon iPhone 5. So my phone has CDMA/GSM. Will inserting a new sim still remove my CDMA number?

The SIM card in your CDMA phone is a C-SIM, so yes removing it will turn off the CDMA, and the new card will "activate the GSM" thereby removing your number. Reinserting the Verizon SIM will bring back your Verizon US number.

 

[uPhone]

Nah I been to turkey India and Kenya since this post and got data only sims there. They all changed my iPhone number to a local number so the best I could do is iMessage from my email address and also the local number. Only way in my experience to keep your number on iMessage is to only use wifi

 

[DaveTheRave]

The SIM card in your CDMA phone is a C-SIM, so yes removing it will turn off the CDMA, and the new card will "activate the GSM" thereby removing your number. Reinserting the Verizon SIM will bring back your Verizon US number.

I have the Verizon iPhone 6. Same situation with C-SIM?

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Nah I been to turkey India and Kenya since this post and got data only sims there. They all changed my iPhone number to a local number so the best I could do is iMessage from my email address and also the local number. Only way in my experience to keep your number on iMessage is to only use wifi

Okay, thanks for info. I might be forwarding my US number to Skype so the whole text thing is bound to get screwed up anyway.

 

[dontwalkhand]

I have the Verizon iPhone 6. Same situation with C-SIM?[

Yes. All Verizon (and Sprint 6/6+) phones now use a C-SIM, literally CDMA SIM Card. It is just like a GSM SIM card but for CDMA. You can move the SIM from phone to phone as long as the phones have the Verizon CDMA (and LTE) bands in them. You can also move it into an iPad if you're so inclined. You also can put other SIMs into your iPhone from GSM carriers into your Verizon one because it's unlocked.

 

[DaveTheRave]

Cool, thanks. I knew about the unlocked GSM part but wasn't sure if the CDMA part was somehow hard coded into the phone, like old CDMA phones. Good to know!

 

[cameronjpu]

Responding again to a now-even-older thread - I just read on another thread someone with a brilliant answer to this challenge.

Get an old beater phone (iPhone 4S or something) and when overseas, put your USA SIM into it but only ever use it to connect to wifi now and again. This keeps your USA number linked to your iMessage account. Then use the new phone as you wish - you can add a new local SIM into it even, because both numbers will now be linked to your iMessage account. I love it!

 

[George Knighton]

You can also set up your iMessage that you send from your Apple ID instead of your phone number. This prevents confusion under your friends and fam.

Exactly. This can solve all kinds of problems when traveling internationally.

However, this can cause problems with Blackberry and Android users until they catch on that they have to set up for your incoming messages.

 

[imlynxy]

If you have 2 iphones under the same apple id and you leave one at home you will get iMessages. I do it all the time I leave my Att iPhone at home and take my t-mobile with me.. Att is the main number.
I also forward my Att number to my t-mo.

 

[cameronjpu]

If you have 2 iphones under the same apple id and you leave one at home you will get iMessages. I do it all the time I leave my Att iPhone at home and take my t-mobile with me.. Att is the main number.
I also forward my Att number to my t-mo.

So which makes more sense - leaving the second phone home or bringing it along? I'm not seeing a good reason to bring it with you. Right?