Understanding Roaming Charges from Your Primary Plan

Roaming charges can occur when your regular mobile phone plan (your "primary SIM" or "primary plan") is used outside of its designated coverage area, such as when you travel internationally. Your primary mobile provider may charge significant fees for calls, texts, and data used abroad on this plan.

GitSim eSIMs are designed to help you avoid these high costs by providing affordable data directly in the region you're visiting. However, to ensure you don't accidentally incur charges from your primary plan, it's important to configure your device settings correctly.

Key Steps to Prevent Roaming Charges on Your Primary SIM

Follow these steps to make sure your device uses your GitSim eSIM for data and to prevent roaming charges from your primary mobile plan:

Option 1: Temporarily Disable Your Primary SIM (or Remove It)

This is the most comprehensive way to prevent all roaming charges (for data, calls, and texts) from your primary SIM.

• If your primary SIM is a physical card, you could physically remove it from your device before traveling or upon arrival.
• Alternatively, and often more conveniently, you can disable it through your device settings:

On iOS devices:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data on some devices).
2. Under the "SIMs" or "Cellular Plans" section, select your primary SIM.
3. Toggle the Turn On This Line switch to OFF.

On Android devices:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs (this path may vary slightly depending on your device manufacturer and Android version).
2. Select your primary SIM from the list.
3. Toggle the switch for your primary SIM to OFF (it might be labeled "Active," "Enable," or show a similar status).

Option 2: Turn Off Data Roaming for Your Primary SIM

If you want to keep your primary SIM active to potentially receive calls and SMS messages (be aware that standard roaming rates from your home carrier will apply for these services), you can specifically disable data roaming for that SIM.

On iOS devices:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data).
2. Select your primary SIM.
3. Ensure the Data Roaming switch is toggled to OFF for this SIM.

On Android devices: The ability to disable data roaming for a specific SIM varies by device.

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network (or a similar path like Connections > Mobile networks).
2. If you can select your primary SIM here, do so and look for a Roaming or Data Roaming toggle. Turn it OFF.

Ensure Your Device Uses Your GitSim eSIM for Data

After installing your GitSim eSIM and configuring your primary SIM according to one of the options above, you must set your GitSim eSIM as the default for mobile data.

On iOS devices:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data).
2. Tap on Cellular Data (or Mobile Data).
3. Select your GitSim eSIM from the list of available lines.
4. It's also a good practice to turn OFF the "Allow Cellular Data Switching" option (if present). This prevents your iPhone from automatically using data from your primary SIM if it perceives an issue with the eSIM's connection.

On Android devices:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs (or a similar path).
2. Look for an option like Mobile data, Preferred SIM for data, or Data preference.
3. Select your GitSim eSIM as the preferred line for mobile data.

Additional Recommendations

Use Airplane Mode Strategically

Before you depart from your home country, or upon boarding your flight, enable Airplane Mode on your device. This disables all cellular radios, including your primary SIM. Once you arrive at your destination and are ready to use your GitSim eSIM:

1. Turn Airplane Mode OFF.
2. Immediately verify that your primary SIM is configured as desired (either disabled or with data roaming off).
3. Confirm that your GitSim eSIM is selected for mobile data.

Monitor Your Data Usage

Keep an eye on how much data your GitSim eSIM is using. This helps you manage your bundle and know if you're connected correctly. For more details, see How can I check my data usage?.

Disable Data-Intensive Background Features

• Wi-Fi Assist (iOS): Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data). Scroll all the way to the bottom and turn Wi-Fi Assist OFF. This feature can automatically switch to cellular data (potentially your primary SIM if not correctly configured) if your Wi-Fi connection is weak.
• Similar features on Android: Check your Wi-Fi or network settings for options like "Switch to mobile data automatically," "Adaptive Wi-Fi," or "Intelligent Wi-Fi" and consider disabling them to prevent unexpected cellular data usage.

Utilize Wi-Fi and Messaging Apps

Whenever available, connect to trusted Wi-Fi networks to conserve your mobile data allowance. For communication, consider using internet-based messaging apps (like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc.) over your GitSim data plan or Wi-Fi, as this is often more cost-effective than making traditional calls or sending SMS messages via your primary line while roaming.