In this day and age, when everything from your social media accounts to your bank accounts is linked to your phone number, losing access or having to change your phone number every time you travel abroad is quite frustrating.
Imagine if your US bank requests a security check using your US phone number while you’re abroad. This would be a nightmare!
Luckily, many options allow you to keep your US phone number while overseas and continue to receive calls and texts at any time.
How to Keep Phone Number When Moving Abroad
There are several practical ways to keep your existing US number active while living overseas, such as checking if your current cellular service provider offers international plans; if not, consider porting your number to one that does, such as T-Mobile.
You can also port your number to Google Voice or TossableDigits, which will convert it into a virtual number, use VoIP apps like WhatsApp, or park your number until you come back to the United States.
6 Ways to Keep Us Phone Number Abroad
1. Check if Your Service Provider Supports International Plans
Many people are unaware that most phone service providers provide international plans that allow you to use your existing phone number for talking and texting, as well as mobile Internet plans in some countries outside of the United States.
T-Mobile, for example, offers unlimited talk and text as well as unlimited 5G and 4G LTE data in over 215 countries outside of the United States. (Except for a few conflict zones, it is almost the entire planet).
Therefore; before moving abroad, and before resorting to any third-party service to keep your US phone number overseas, it’s essential to check if your current US cell phone service provider offers international plans.
Simply Google “cell phone service provider + International Plans” and you’ll find all the answers.
2. Port Your Number to the Best International Cellphone Provider
Trust me, T-Mobile is not paying me; I wish they were 🙂
I know I keep “suggesting” T-Mobile repeatedly, but I consider it to be the best choice for international phone plans.
Now, let’s go back to our topic.
If you don’t know what “porting” means, it simply means moving a phone number to another service provider.
So, since this kind of option is available from most cellphone service providers, it makes sense to select the best one for overseas travel and just switch to it.
This is where T-Mobile comes into play, as in my opinion, it is the best option for international travel.
“How do I transfer my number to T-Mobile?”
Because this is an extended procedure that varies depending on the situation, it’s best to visit the official service provider’s support page and go through the processes individually.
3. Port your US number to Google Voice
If you hate T-Mobile or don’t want to port your number to another cellphone service provider, you can port your number to Google Voice for a one-time fee of $20 per number.
Following that, you will be able to make and receive calls and texts via data on the Google Voice app without charge from anywhere in the world.
Also, if you don’t want to use the Google Voice app for calls, you can link a local phone number to forward calls to.
This allows you to keep your US number when going abroad and only need to purchase a new sim card when you enter a new country.
Here’s how to port your mobile number to Google Voice:
- Open voice.google.com on your computer.
- Open an account or log in if you already have one.
- At the top right, click Settings.
- Navigate to Account > Port a number.
- Enter the US phone number you want to port.
- Enter the 6-digit code that you received on your phone.
- Next, you’ll have to pay the one-time $20 fee.
- Now, you must wait up to 48 hours for the porting process to complete.
- Finally, once your phone number has been successfully ported, download and use the Google Voice app (Android or iOS) to get the best experience.
The only drawback to porting your phone number to Google Voice is that some banks and financial institutions block Google Voice numbers or don’t send SMS texts to them since they are considered “VoIP numbers” rather than “real numbers.”
This means that Google Voice is NOT the best option on this list for travelers who rely on SMS verification messages from their bank regularly.
4. Use VoIP Apps (WhatsApp, etc.)
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology replaces traditional phone lines with broadband internet connection for voice calls.
This means that as long as your phone has data or an internet connection, you can receive calls and SMS for free from anywhere in the world.
There are multiple popular VoIP apps with millions of users, and one of them is likely loaded on your phone.
Apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Discord, FaceTime, and Skype all allow you to make video and voice calls over the internet.
So by linking your US number to one of these apps, you don’t have to change your number to exchange calls and texts with your friends and loved ones.
But…
There are a few issues with using a VoIP app that may make you overlook this option; for example, the other party or person must have the same VoIP app as you or you will be unable to communicate.
Also, you must be careful of losing your phone number as a result of long periods of inactivity and unpaid bills. (in this case, you can use one of the “number parking” services).
5. Port Your Number to Tossable Digits
TossableDigits offers a $5/month porting service that allows you to transfer your existing US phone number and convert it into a virtual number to which you can make and receive calls and texts via the internet without having to be in the US. (You only need their app.)
Similar to Google Voice, it allows you to forward all calls made to your US number to any selected international number, and SMS messages can be sent to you via email.
However, TossableDigits stands apart from Google Voice and most other “number porting services” in that it works well for all your 2FA needs (Two-factor authentication).
“Why is this important?”
Many US travelers only need their USA numbers for two-factor authentication (2FA) for banks and financial investments, and because most banks don’t accept VOIP numbers for 2FA, it can be difficult for them to find a solution.
With that stated, you can learn more about TossableDigits’ support for SMS Short Codes (2FA) on their website, which also includes a partial list of banks and businesses that accept Tossable Digits virtual numbers.
6. Park Your Phone Number
If you don’t need your US phone number for calls, messages, or even bank SMS verification but want to keep it active while you’re overseas until you return, use a number parking service.
Parking your number allows you to keep your US number active while abroad for a small fee so that you don’t lose it due to prolonged periods of inactivity.
“How can I park my US number?”
There are many “number parking services” but the best are Numberbarn ($2/month) and Tello ($3/month).
Just sign in with one of the two services, follow their parking process, and you’re ready to go.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on the phone service company you use; for example, T-Mobile will automatically cancel your phone contract after 120 days of nonpayment, AT&T will immediately terminate your contract after 60 days of “expired balance,” and so on.
If you want to avoid having your phone contract canceled after moving on board, you can pay a small fee ($2/month) to one of the number parking services (for example, Numberbarn) to keep your US number active while abroad.
If your cellphone provider supports international plans and allows you to make and receive calls and texts when abroad, the answer is no; your mobile number will remain the same.
The best option to get a real US phone number while overseas is to get a T-Mobile SIM card and then purchase one of their international plans, which will give you a US phone number in 215+ countries. Of course, this only applies if you are a US citizen.
However, if you are a foreigner, the only method to obtain a US phone number is through virtual phone number providers such as Google Voice, Textnow, and so on.
Yes, you can keep your WhatsApp number abroad and use it normally because it’s a VoIP service that requires only an internet connection rather than a traditional phone line.
However, if you need to get a verification code to verify your phone number and log in to your WhatsApp account, do so while you’re still in your home country, and then link an email address to your account in your WhatsApp settings so that you don’t have trouble verifying your ownership of the account in the future.
You should also be careful of getting your phone contract canceled and losing your phone number as a result of unpaid bills for an extended period.
Use Numberbarn, a number parking service that will only cost you $2 per month to keep your US number active while traveling. This will allow you to save money and keep ownership of your number for extended periods while you’re abroad
Conclusion
Moving abroad doesn’t mean you have to lose your US phone number; luckily you can keep your US phone number while traveling abroad and stay in touch with your friends, family, and business contacts by simply following one of the options suggested above, depending on your situation.
Finally, if you have any suggestions, please share them with us in the comments section.
1 Comment
After sweating out all this stuff about keeping my phone number etc., I arrived in Vietnam two months ago just to find out that my old iPhone 12 with my original California phone number works just fine as long as I switch on Wi-Fi calling.
Phone calls are free. Just like I’m sitting on my couch back home. I repeat, as long as you’re on Wi-Fi, and you activate the Wi-Fi calling switch on your phone, your calls home are FREE.