Keeping your U.S. phone number abroad doesn’t have to be messy or expensive. This is the exact setup I use in Spain. It's simple, reliable, and 2FA-friendly.
Thanks for this info, Jen! Do you think Tello would work well living in Spain if I mostly use my US number for data and text and calling? I would also have a spanish plan and a dual sim but I would use more US number more. It would be kind of the reverse of how you do it so wondering if you think Tello would be good for that...Thanks in advance!
While using a Spanish plan, you shouldn't need the data portion. As long as you have WiFi calling on, you should be able to text and call. We use Vodafone, and if we turn our U.S. lines on while out and about, Vodafone allows the WiFi calls from Tello to come through. That may not be true for every Spanish phone carrier, so that would take a little more research.
I still think Tello would work for you. I'd also encourage you to start getting used to using WhatsApp as much as possible. Spain (and most of Europe) operates with WhatsApp because of the free calling, texts, etc., no matter your phone plan or location. Even doctors' offices will contact you with WhatsApp, and it helps alleviate some of the phone issues.
Good point about using data from the Spanish plan and I've heard good things about Vodaphone. I'm always on Whats App but when working with US clients I use regular calling and texting. If you've got your US line activated, why do you need to get through Vodaphone at all? You would just be using Tello at those times, right?
If you’re at home, you wouldn’t be using Vodafone service. Your calls would come through WiFi. But if you’re out and about, the calls wouldn’t come through without WiFi or — in our case — cellular service with Vodafone. We don’t leave roaming on for the Tello lines, so once you’re abroad, you wouldn’t be able to receive any calls or texts unless the line is turned on and WiFi calling is enabled.
I hope that makes sense. We’re getting into the technical details now!
LOL, we did the same analysis and reached the same conclusion before we left Denver for Portugal. Very happy with Tello and I would recommend to keep a pay-as-you-go balance, for the times I text my mom from the mall, or forget to turn on wifi and accidentally engage roaming. I only used $50 over seven months, so Tello's add-on pricing is as amazing as the monthly unlimited plan. Vodafone monthly bill is 21€ monthly. I think Verizon was charging 150$, you know, to cover the cost of the 'free' phone.
I’ve tried Google voice and it hasn’t worked for me. Since moving to Madrid about three years ago it was getting to be a headache to not have a US number active. I found an app by digging around Reddit. It was originally called Cloud sim but now it’s called Call.com - I pay for a plan and get a US number, it works for 2FA for my US bank and for my freelance work. I’ve been really glad I found this app.
Thank you for that tip! I know there are others out there that work. It can be hard to dig them out because of the two big ones that keep getting thrown around (Google Voice and Tello).
Before we moved to Spain, my wife and I switched to Ultra Mobile, which buys and supplies network service via T-Mobile. They offer cheap international calling, but of course we use Wi-Fi which presents no additional fee. In our research, we learned many other services cut off if unable to ping a US cell tower, whereas Ultra doesn't (to our knowledge). Our phones are both dual-SIM, so we simultaneously keep that up with Spanish plans.
I'll discard my US phone number relatively soon, because I simply won't need it. Unfortunately some services my wife uses don't support a Spanish number for 2FA. Google Voice would be too risky to try, since its 2FA support can be limited... people report various outcomes with it for that purpose. My understanding is that it may work for 2FA for a while, but can abruptly stop.
There are so many options! I've seen NumberBarn mentioned a lot, too, along with Tossable Digits. I may eventually drop my line, but I have to figure out a solution for 2FA before I do.
Hi Reese, this is really good helpful! I was using T mobile but the wifi calling suddenly stopped being free so I need to switch. Do you think Ultra would work well if you mostly use the US number while you're in Spain (and keep the Spanish plan via dual sims)?
Thanks, Jennifer! Unfortunately, I don’t think Ultra Mobile is a permanent solution, only a temporary one, and I’m not sure how well-suited it is for your situation. The service must be initially activated in the US. And while it works outside the US afterward, it’s not explicitly intended for extended international use. With that in mind, if you’re regularly traveling back and forth between Spain and the US, it would probably be fine.
Alternatively, if 2FA isn’t an issue, then I’d recommend converting your number to Google Voice. Then, through the Voice app you can do everything with your US number you’d normally be able to do. But! I think you may only be able to port it while you're in the US... refer to this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/c7JO9AA570s. I trust that channel (they live near me).
Another option: messaging and calling through an app such as Signal (https://signal.org) over Wi-Fi, or even with your Spanish mobile plan, would work quite well. Messaging apps like Signal piggyback off whatever data allotment is available. In that case, you'd just need to keep an eye on your mobile data if you were doing a lot of video calls. Of course, using an app like Signal requires that the other person you're communicating with use it as well, which is its main downside.
I hope you find a solution that works for you! I wish I could be more helpful, but this is pretty much all I know.
We have decided to keep our US number here in Spain indefinitely and have simply kept Tmobil as our provider using WhatsApp or FB messenger for phone calls. We have another cell that we simply pay a monthly fee for when we need to make or receive Spanish or local calls which so far hasn’t been much. I’d be curious what you’re paying for Tello? I have been wondering if there was a cheaper option. I think we pay around $125 a month for the privilege (we are also carrying one kid because it doesn’t cost us any extra and I fact for some bizarre reason saves us money ). I have an iPhone but wasn’t aware there was room for 2 SIM cards. What model do you have? Thanks.
We have different iPhone models in the house. I think the lowest one (kid phone) is an 11. It will hold an eSIM but not multiples. I believe it’s the 12 and up that will hold multiples. Mine is a 17 Pro Max. For my line with no data and 300 minutes, I pay $5/month + taxes and fees. It’s less than $7 total. I don’t make many U.S. calls anymore other than what I receive on WhatsApp or the like, and I change the plan to an unlimited $25 plan when I’m in the U.S. It works perfectly for my needs. A lot of people like Google Voice, but I’ve heard some have issues with getting bank texts, etc., because it’s a VoIP.
I do, but I turn the line on as needed. I can still receive iMessages over WiFi and my Spanish cell signal. It’s only the SMS texts that won’t come through unless the U.S. line is on.
Thanks for this info, Jen! Do you think Tello would work well living in Spain if I mostly use my US number for data and text and calling? I would also have a spanish plan and a dual sim but I would use more US number more. It would be kind of the reverse of how you do it so wondering if you think Tello would be good for that...Thanks in advance!
While using a Spanish plan, you shouldn't need the data portion. As long as you have WiFi calling on, you should be able to text and call. We use Vodafone, and if we turn our U.S. lines on while out and about, Vodafone allows the WiFi calls from Tello to come through. That may not be true for every Spanish phone carrier, so that would take a little more research.
I still think Tello would work for you. I'd also encourage you to start getting used to using WhatsApp as much as possible. Spain (and most of Europe) operates with WhatsApp because of the free calling, texts, etc., no matter your phone plan or location. Even doctors' offices will contact you with WhatsApp, and it helps alleviate some of the phone issues.
Good point about using data from the Spanish plan and I've heard good things about Vodaphone. I'm always on Whats App but when working with US clients I use regular calling and texting. If you've got your US line activated, why do you need to get through Vodaphone at all? You would just be using Tello at those times, right?
If you’re at home, you wouldn’t be using Vodafone service. Your calls would come through WiFi. But if you’re out and about, the calls wouldn’t come through without WiFi or — in our case — cellular service with Vodafone. We don’t leave roaming on for the Tello lines, so once you’re abroad, you wouldn’t be able to receive any calls or texts unless the line is turned on and WiFi calling is enabled.
I hope that makes sense. We’re getting into the technical details now!
LOL, we did the same analysis and reached the same conclusion before we left Denver for Portugal. Very happy with Tello and I would recommend to keep a pay-as-you-go balance, for the times I text my mom from the mall, or forget to turn on wifi and accidentally engage roaming. I only used $50 over seven months, so Tello's add-on pricing is as amazing as the monthly unlimited plan. Vodafone monthly bill is 21€ monthly. I think Verizon was charging 150$, you know, to cover the cost of the 'free' phone.
I didn’t think about the “pay as you go” option! I may need to try that. That’s a great idea.
I’ve tried Google voice and it hasn’t worked for me. Since moving to Madrid about three years ago it was getting to be a headache to not have a US number active. I found an app by digging around Reddit. It was originally called Cloud sim but now it’s called Call.com - I pay for a plan and get a US number, it works for 2FA for my US bank and for my freelance work. I’ve been really glad I found this app.
Thank you for that tip! I know there are others out there that work. It can be hard to dig them out because of the two big ones that keep getting thrown around (Google Voice and Tello).
This was so helpful! We were just trying to decide what to do about our phone numbers - thanks!
You’re welcome, and good luck! It really is pretty simple but can feel intimidating when you’re staring down having to do it.
Before we moved to Spain, my wife and I switched to Ultra Mobile, which buys and supplies network service via T-Mobile. They offer cheap international calling, but of course we use Wi-Fi which presents no additional fee. In our research, we learned many other services cut off if unable to ping a US cell tower, whereas Ultra doesn't (to our knowledge). Our phones are both dual-SIM, so we simultaneously keep that up with Spanish plans.
I'll discard my US phone number relatively soon, because I simply won't need it. Unfortunately some services my wife uses don't support a Spanish number for 2FA. Google Voice would be too risky to try, since its 2FA support can be limited... people report various outcomes with it for that purpose. My understanding is that it may work for 2FA for a while, but can abruptly stop.
There are so many options! I've seen NumberBarn mentioned a lot, too, along with Tossable Digits. I may eventually drop my line, but I have to figure out a solution for 2FA before I do.
I would hope to use Ultra for text, data and calling to the US from Spain to give you context for my question below. Thanks very much!
Hi Reese, this is really good helpful! I was using T mobile but the wifi calling suddenly stopped being free so I need to switch. Do you think Ultra would work well if you mostly use the US number while you're in Spain (and keep the Spanish plan via dual sims)?
Thanks, Jennifer! Unfortunately, I don’t think Ultra Mobile is a permanent solution, only a temporary one, and I’m not sure how well-suited it is for your situation. The service must be initially activated in the US. And while it works outside the US afterward, it’s not explicitly intended for extended international use. With that in mind, if you’re regularly traveling back and forth between Spain and the US, it would probably be fine.
Alternatively, if 2FA isn’t an issue, then I’d recommend converting your number to Google Voice. Then, through the Voice app you can do everything with your US number you’d normally be able to do. But! I think you may only be able to port it while you're in the US... refer to this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/c7JO9AA570s. I trust that channel (they live near me).
Another option: messaging and calling through an app such as Signal (https://signal.org) over Wi-Fi, or even with your Spanish mobile plan, would work quite well. Messaging apps like Signal piggyback off whatever data allotment is available. In that case, you'd just need to keep an eye on your mobile data if you were doing a lot of video calls. Of course, using an app like Signal requires that the other person you're communicating with use it as well, which is its main downside.
I hope you find a solution that works for you! I wish I could be more helpful, but this is pretty much all I know.
We have decided to keep our US number here in Spain indefinitely and have simply kept Tmobil as our provider using WhatsApp or FB messenger for phone calls. We have another cell that we simply pay a monthly fee for when we need to make or receive Spanish or local calls which so far hasn’t been much. I’d be curious what you’re paying for Tello? I have been wondering if there was a cheaper option. I think we pay around $125 a month for the privilege (we are also carrying one kid because it doesn’t cost us any extra and I fact for some bizarre reason saves us money ). I have an iPhone but wasn’t aware there was room for 2 SIM cards. What model do you have? Thanks.
We have different iPhone models in the house. I think the lowest one (kid phone) is an 11. It will hold an eSIM but not multiples. I believe it’s the 12 and up that will hold multiples. Mine is a 17 Pro Max. For my line with no data and 300 minutes, I pay $5/month + taxes and fees. It’s less than $7 total. I don’t make many U.S. calls anymore other than what I receive on WhatsApp or the like, and I change the plan to an unlimited $25 plan when I’m in the U.S. It works perfectly for my needs. A lot of people like Google Voice, but I’ve heard some have issues with getting bank texts, etc., because it’s a VoIP.
Ah ok. Thanks that’s helpful. So you don’t text on US phones at all sounds like?
I do, but I turn the line on as needed. I can still receive iMessages over WiFi and my Spanish cell signal. It’s only the SMS texts that won’t come through unless the U.S. line is on.
Thanks for your speedy response! This is good to know and helps me narrow down my options so it's still very helpful!