On the road
You run out of data mid-trip: what to do
You are not cut off, and it can almost always be sorted in ten minutes. The ways out in order, and how to avoid a repeat.
Nerea Aguilar 6 min Photo by Giorgia Doglioni on Unsplash Running out of data in a foreign country causes more alarm than it deserves. First, to bring the pulse down: your usual number is still in the phone, so you can receive calls and messages and make a call if you need to. You are not cut off.
First: check that is really what happened
Before buying anything, two checks of thirty seconds each. Sometimes it is not that the data has run out but that the phone has stopped using the right line.
- Check whether the eSIM is still the data line and whether its roaming is on.
- Check remaining data and days wherever your provider shows them. It may be the validity that has expired, not the allowance.
If it is not working and you do not know why, the full list is in what to check when the eSIM is not working.
The ways out, in order
- Top up the same plan if it can be topped up. Fastest, since nothing needs installing and it is done over the wi-fi where you are staying.
- Buy another eSIM for the destination and install it alongside the previous one. The chip holds several profiles, so nothing needs deleting.
- Switch on your operator's add-on if your plan allows it. Usually dearer, but it activates straight away in their app.
- Get by on wi-fi for the rest of the trip if there are few days left and the place you are staying has a decent connection.
The first two need a connection, so they are done over the hotel wi-fi, at a café, or by borrowing the hotspot from the phone of whoever you are travelling with for a moment.
How to stretch what is left
If you have few megabytes left and several days to go, these five settings make a big difference.
- Turn on the system's data saver, which cuts background activity.
- Download the map of the area next time you have wi-fi.
- Turn off photo backup until you are home.
- Turn off autoplay video on social media.
- Send text messages instead of voice notes and photos while things are tight.
What not to do
- Turn on data roaming on your own number without checking your plan. Outside your own zone that is exactly what you were avoiding.
- Delete the exhausted eSIM believing you have to make room. Several profiles fit, and deleting gives nothing back.
- Connect to any open network to do your banking.
So it does not happen again
The maths almost always goes wrong for the same reason: the first days use more, because novelty makes you share more and because backups start the moment there is a connection.
A simple rule is to add 30% to what you expect to use, and to look at the counter on the phone halfway through the trip rather than at the end.
The maths by traveller type is in how many gigabytes a trip really uses.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if I run out of data abroad?
Check first that the eSIM is still the data line. If the allowance is spent, top it up if you can, or install another eSIM for the destination over the wi-fi where you are staying.
Am I cut off without data?
No. Your usual number stays active for calls and texts, so you can call and be reached.
Can I top up the eSIM without installing another?
It depends on the plan. Some can be topped up and others cannot, and it is stated on the page of the one you bought.
Can I install a second eSIM without deleting the first?
Yes. The chip holds several saved profiles, so you can add a new one and leave the previous one switched off.
How do I stretch the data I have left?
Turn on the system's data saver, turn off photo backup, turn off autoplay video and download maps next time you have wi-fi.
