Most travellers no really want new phone number for abroad. Dem want make dia normal number continue to work, for di bank, di family group chat and di delivery guy for house, while dia mobile data dey come from anoda place wey no be dia home network roaming tariff.
Na exactly wetin dual SIM dey for. Your home SIM and travel eSIM go sit side by side for one phone, each one dey do di work wey e sabi do pass.
How dual SIM dey work for modern phone
Dual SIM phone get two mobile lines. Usually, dat one mean your physical SIM card plus eSIM, but plenty new phones fit also run two eSIMs. Each line get im own settings: you fit on am or off am, give am label, and on or off data roaming for am without say e affect di oda one.
Di main rule be say only one line dey handle mobile data at a time, while calls and texts fit enter through any of di two. Na dis one dey make di travel setup work: you point data to di eSIM and leave your own number to handle calls and texts. Most dual SIM phones dey also show di signal for each line separately, for di status bar or di control panel, so you fit see quick quick which one don connect.
HelloSIM eSIMs na data-only, so dem no dey ever fight your home number. No second number wey go confuse pipo, and nothing for your WhatsApp account go change.
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Di setup wey dey work for most trips
Dis na di configuration wey you suppose aim for once you don land:
- Home line: on, for calls and texts, data roaming off
- HelloSIM line: on, set as di mobile data line, data roaming on
- Automatic data switching: off
With data roaming off for di home line, your network provider no fit charge you for roaming data even if di phone lose di eSIM signal for small time. With data roaming on for di HelloSIM line, di eSIM fit use di local networks wey dem design am for, without extra cost, becos di data na prepaid.
Which line suppose do wetin
Mobile data
Always di HelloSIM line while you dey away. Everything wey dey use internet go then run through di eSIM: maps, email, social media, messaging apps and calls wey dey go through apps.
Calls and texts
Your home line. Pipo wey dey call or text your normal number go still reach you. Remember say na your network provider dey set di price of calls and texts for abroad, and e fit cost well well, so check your current tariff before you take long calls. Plenty travellers dey reply with message and move di call go data instead.
WhatsApp, FaceTime and iMessage
WhatsApp dey tied to your phone number, no be to any SIM wey dey supply di data, so e go continue to work under your usual number while di data dey pass through di eSIM. FaceTime and iMessage dey also run on data; for dual SIM iPhone, you go choose which number dem go use, so pick your usual one.
SMS codes from banks and services
Dis na di main reason why you go keep your home line on. One-time passcodes (OTP) from banks, card issuers, airlines and work systems dey usually come by SMS to your registered number. If di home line off, those codes no go reach you until you on am back.
Leave di home line on for calls and texts for di whole trip. To receive texts for abroad dey often free, but network providers no be di same, so check your tariff once before you comot.
How to avoid surprise charges for your home line
Most dual SIM bill shock dey come from one of dis three mistakes:
- 1Data roaming wey you leave on for di home line. Off am before di plane land.
- 2Automatic data switching. For iPhone, "Allow Mobile Data Switching" dey let di phone fall back to di oda line data when signal weak. Off am. Plenty Android phones get similar automatic switching option for di SIM settings.
- 3Long calls on di home number. Na your network provider dey bill calls for abroad, so check your current tariff and use calls on data anytime wey you fit.
How to set am up, step by step
For iPhone
- 1Install di eSIM for house on Wi-Fi: Settings → Mobile/Cellular → Add eSIM, then scan di QR code from your email.
- 2When e ask you, label di lines, for example "Home" and "Travel".
- 3Set your home line as di default for calls and texts, and for iMessage and FaceTime.
- 4When you land, go Settings → Mobile/Cellular → Mobile Data and choose di HelloSIM line.
- 5Off "Allow Mobile Data Switching".
- 6Open di settings for each line: data roaming on for HelloSIM, off for your home line.
For Android
Di wording dey different by brand, but di steps resemble:
- 1Add di eSIM under Settings → Network & internet → SIMs, or Connections → SIM manager for Samsung, and scan di QR code.
- 2Rename di lines so e go easy to know which one be which.
- 3For di SIM preferences, set calls and SMS to your home line and mobile data to di HelloSIM line.
- 4On roaming for di HelloSIM line and off am for your home line.
Before you go, and when you come back
Dual SIM go only work if di phone support eSIM and e no dey locked to one network, so check both before you buy; "Add eSIM" option for Settings na good first sign. Install di eSIM for house, since di plan days go only start once e connect for your destination.
When you don return house, set mobile data back to your home line and off di HelloSIM line. Your number no ever change, so nothing else dey to undo.
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