Can I reduce my bill costs when I’m travelling overseas?
Take me to
International roaming is an additional service on your mobile phone plan. Whatever plan you’re on, activating international roaming will mean your bill costs are going to be higher than usual because you’ll be using extra data.
If you choose to use international roaming while you’re overseas (remember, you also have the options of buying a local SIM or tapping into local hotspots), follow our tips to help keep your data usage costs down:
- Turn off mobile data when you’re asleep (it’s a simple slider button in phone settings that can easily be turned back on when you need it). Need help? Visit device guides.
- Turn off auto software and app updates + any unnecessary apps
- Turn off your location tracking and GPS
- Keep an eye out for SMS usage updates from Telstra
- Track your usage in My Telstra app
- Take advantage of free Wi-Fi calling to Australia when you're overseas
Streaming uses lots of data
While streaming platforms like Netflix, Stan, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube are awesome when you have some airport downtime, they can quickly chew through your mobile data allowance. We strongly recommend downloading and saving streaming content before you leave, so it’s available to watch offline later. This will free up your data for more important things like accessing crucial travel info, maps, connecting via your socials, texting and calling.
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