Help with Texts with no Service

TCI wrote:
Morning all,
Ok, we are going to be off the grid with no phone service for a couple months in another country. We will have access to wifi periodically. Any suggestions on how to receive and send texts. Example. If we charge something, sometimes they send a text to verify it's you. If I could access those, that would be great.
I really don't care about phone calls. We don't get many and I'm going to change our voicemail to send an email instead of calling or leaving a message.
Any ideas, suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated.

sure. when you have access to wifi you'll be back on the grid which msans you'll be able to send and receive texts.

Some cell service is available in many countries depending on service for a resonable fee.

My regular texts are sms, which will not work on wi-fi with my phone and provider. I do have a Google Voice account with which I can call or text on wi-fi. Your phone and provider might be different

two options:

1) with our phones we can use them out of the country for a nominal cost/wk/month etc. especially if it is for text messages only. Our phones don't incure any extra charges for Canada or mexico.

2) garmin inreach. Uses sat service (Iridium network) and you can set up a list of people you can text and it is also possible for them to text you. And since your off grid it works for SOS or emergency extraction if worse comes to worse.

It will work anywhere in the world. We've used our from above the artic circle in Canada to the tip of south america, all over europe and asia.

And you can allow others to at least track and see where you are at.

works with bluetooth on your phone if needed to to speach to text instead of the inreach "keyboard"

however I don't think the inreach will work for the two factor authentication app's.

Look at Google FI.

https://fi.google.com/about/

Set up a free Google Voice account and phone number, and install the free Google Voice app on your phone. Any time you have WiFi, you'll have voice and text service available. We use it on our Verizon phones when the only Internet service we have is from our AT&T hotspot.

TCI wrote:
Morning all,
Ok, we are going to be off the grid with no phone service for a couple months in another country. We will have access to wifi periodically. Any suggestions on how to receive and send texts. Example. If we charge something, sometimes they send a text to verify it's you. If I could access those, that would be great.
I really don't care about phone calls. We don't get many and I'm going to change our voicemail to send an email instead of calling or leaving a message.
Any ideas, suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated.

I would walk into a phone store that carries your brand and discuss the options. Usually someone is knowledgable to check your phone settings to know what will work. Or possibly there is a temporary low cost international calling plan to consider.

The issue I see for you is that if you don't respond to the text from your bank/CC company to approve an activity, they may lock your card.

So, I would contact each bank and let them know you will be out of the country and for how long. That should minimize the verifications needed. You can tell them you will not be able to receive texts during that period.


As for cell service, most providers offer an international rate.

ATT offers a $10 for 24 hour period "day pass". You only pay if you use it. So, if you call/text family back home on Monday at 7 am, you pay $10. Every other call/text you make from then until Tuesday at 6:59 am will be free. Once, if, you hit ten days of use during the same billing cycle, you will not be charged for any additional days within that billing cycle.

I did this, and to minimize the days paid, I put the phone on airplane mode for the bulk of my trip. Every few days, I would turn off airplane mode and check for messages (text, email and voice). Over the next 24 hours, I would send messages, make calls home, internet surf, etc. Then I'd turn on airplane mode again.

When I am out of a service area, I can use OnStar to connect when I have to. I have the basic plan which gives me 3 gb a month. Works for me.

time2roll wrote:
would walk into a phone store that carries your brand and discuss the options. Usually someone is knowledgable to check your phone settings to know what will work. Or possibly there is a temporary low cost international calling plan to consider.

This has not been my experience with US based cell providers. They typically have little to no clue regarding overseas options.

My suggestion (sitting in Poland at the moment, 2nd country into a 10 country 7 month trip):
- If you can convert your 2 step authentication to send the code to an email, it's much easier as it no longer links into your phone number at all. If you have internet, it works.
- Get an IP based phone number. This is hit and miss as a lot of companies will reject a non-cell number for authentication and even if they do, SMS messages often are delayed...to the point they are useless for authentication. (alternatively, some will allow an automated call with the code and if they do, that works better)
- Get a SIM with a local number when you reach a new country and add that number to your cards website. Usually you can have more than 1 number linked to the account.
- Upgrade your US plan to cover the country you are visiting. Then you should be able to get calls/SMS on your regular number...but the cost can be crazy high compared to using a local SIM.

Getting a SIM in most countries is quick and cheap. Usually in the $10-30 for a month of service with 15-50GB of data. They will usually put it in and set it up for you (10-20min and you are out the door). As mentioned, currently in Poland and it's crazy cheap 5 zloty ($1.25) for 10 days service with 50GB. Took all of 10min at a mall kiosk for them to put the SIM card in and set it up.