You land in another country, switch your iPhone back on, and want to be sure it isn’t quietly running up a roaming bill. Open Settings, tap Cellular, tap Cellular Data Options, and turn off Data Roaming. On a dual SIM iPhone, tap the line first. The iPhone then won’t use cellular data on networks outside your carrier’s coverage, on current iOS with a physical SIM or eSIM.
What the Data Roaming Switch Controls
Apple’s article on cellular data roaming options explains that Data Roaming lets your iPhone get online over a cellular network in areas your carrier doesn’t cover. That usually means another country, though it can also happen near a border or in a remote area served by a partner network.
With Data Roaming off, your iPhone won’t use mobile data on those partner networks. Wi-Fi keeps working, and your iPhone still uses data normally when it is back on your own carrier’s network. The switch is about data only. Calls and texts are handled by your carrier’s roaming rules, which is why it helps to know what the toggle does and doesn’t cover before you travel.
Some carriers include international roaming on select plans at no extra cost, Apple notes, so it is worth checking your plan before you assume roaming is expensive.
Turn Off Data Roaming on a Single-SIM iPhone
Use these steps if your iPhone has one line, whether that line is a physical SIM or an eSIM.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Cellular. Depending on your iPhone and region, this may be labeled Cellular Data or Mobile Data.
- Tap Cellular Data Options.
- Turn off Data Roaming. The switch is off when it is gray.
That’s the whole change, and it stays in place until you turn it back on. Depending on your model, carrier and region, the screen may also show Voice Roaming (on CDMA networks). Turning Voice Roaming off avoids charges from other carriers’ networks, but your iPhone then has no cellular service at all where your carrier’s network isn’t available.
Turn Off Data Roaming on a Dual SIM or eSIM iPhone
On an iPhone with two lines, roaming is set for each line, so you choose the line before you change the setting.
- Open Settings and tap Cellular.
- Under your SIMs, tap the line you want to change, such as Primary or Travel.
- Tap Cellular Data Options.
- Turn off Data Roaming for that line.
- Repeat for the other line if you don’t want it roaming either.
Pick Which Line Uses Data
Apple’s guide to using Dual SIM says only one number can use cellular data at a time. To choose it, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and tap the number you want for data. If you buy a travel eSIM, set that line as the data line and leave Data Roaming off on your home line.
Allow Cellular Data Switching
The same Cellular Data screen has an Allow Cellular Data Switching switch. When it is on, the voice line you are using for a call can temporarily use data as well. Apple says this switching won’t work while you are using Data Roaming. Apple also notes that if Data Roaming is on for your data number, your voice-only number disables Visual Voicemail and MMS. If you want data to come only from your travel line, keep switching off so the home line never picks up data by mistake.
If Your iPhone Says Mobile Data
Apple’s UK edition of the roaming article uses different labels: Settings > Mobile or Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options > Data Roaming. The switch works the same way. If you can’t find Cellular, look for Mobile or Mobile Data near the top of Settings.
What Turning Roaming Off Does and Does Not Stop
The Data Roaming switch is narrower than many people expect. This table shows what still works with it off and what you need to handle separately.
| Activity | With Data Roaming off | What to do if you want it blocked or allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Web, apps, email over cellular abroad | Blocked | Turn roaming on, or buy a local or travel plan |
| Anything over Wi-Fi | Works normally | Nothing; Wi-Fi isn’t roaming |
| Phone calls on a foreign network | Not controlled by this switch | Check your carrier’s roaming rates, or use Airplane Mode |
| SMS texts on a foreign network | Not controlled by this switch | Check with your carrier |
| iMessage and FaceTime | Work over Wi-Fi | Connect to Wi-Fi |
| Data on your home network | Works normally | Turn off Cellular Data if you want it off everywhere |
If you want to be sure no call or text can be billed while you are away, Airplane Mode is the blunt option, since it turns off the cellular connection. For more on what that status bar icon means, see what the airplane icon at the top of the iPhone screen means.
Other Ways to Avoid Surprise Charges
Turn Off Cellular Data Completely
For zero mobile data anywhere, go to Settings > Cellular and turn off Cellular Data, as described in Apple’s guide to using cellular data. Your iPhone then uses only Wi-Fi for internet, while calls and texts still work.
Block Data for Specific Apps
Roaming is on or off for the whole line, but you can stop individual apps from using cellular data. In Settings > Cellular, scroll to the list of apps and turn off any app that shouldn’t use mobile data. That app then works only on Wi-Fi. This is useful if you buy a small travel data plan and want to keep video and cloud apps from eating it. More ideas are in 10 ways to reduce cellular data usage on an iPhone.
Turn On Low Data Mode
According to Apple’s Low Data Mode guide, to turn it on, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options, tap Data Mode, then choose Low Data Mode (on some older iPhones it is a switch on the Cellular Data Options screen; on a dual SIM iPhone, tap a number first). It pauses background network use, Background App Refresh, automatic downloads and backups, and iCloud Photos updates, and it lowers streaming quality. Background refresh can also be managed on its own; see how to turn Background App Refresh on or off.
Watch Out for Connectivity Assist
Connectivity Assist uses cellular data alongside Wi-Fi when Wi-Fi is weak, busy or not connected to the internet, which may incur charges. Apple’s iPhone User Guide says it isn’t used while the iPhone is roaming internationally or in cellular Low Data Mode, and that it is on if you previously had Wi-Fi Assist turned on. To switch it off, go to Settings > Wi-Fi and turn off Connectivity Assist, which is worth doing if a travel plan has a small allowance.
Use Wi-Fi Calling Where Your Carrier Allows It
If your carrier supports it, Wi-Fi Calling lets you make calls over a Wi-Fi network. Apple’s Wi-Fi Calling article puts the switch at Settings > Cellular > Wi-Fi Calling > Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone. How calls made abroad over Wi-Fi are billed depends on your carrier, so ask before you rely on it.
Travel Plans, Local SIMs and Travel eSIMs
Turning roaming off means no mobile data abroad. If you need maps or messages on the go, Apple suggests three routes:
- Your carrier’s international plan: contact the carrier before you leave to compare plans and avoid higher rates. Then, after you arrive, turn Data Roaming on.
- A local SIM or eSIM: buy or rent one for the country you are visiting, swap it in or turn it on, and keep your original SIM somewhere safe. A physical local SIM needs an iPhone that isn’t locked to a carrier (or a SIM-free iPhone) and that supports physical SIM cards.
- An eSIM plan on iPad: Apple notes that iPads with eSIM can browse plans from select carriers covering more than 190 countries, regions and territories.
Apple adds that when you stop traveling, you may get a prompt to switch your eSIM back to your home plan.
A Before-You-Fly Checklist
Here is how one traveler, Marcus, might set up an iPhone with a home line and a travel eSIM for a week abroad:
- Before leaving, he checks his carrier’s plan to see whether roaming is included or charged.
- He installs the travel eSIM and labels the lines Home and Travel.
- In Settings > Cellular, he turns off Data Roaming for Home and sets Travel as the Cellular Data line.
- He leaves Allow Cellular Data Switching off.
- He taps Reset Statistics at the bottom of the Cellular screen so the usage counter starts from zero.
- On arrival, he turns on Data Roaming for the Travel line only, if the eSIM provider tells him to.
The last step matters: some travel eSIMs connect through partner networks, so the travel line may need Data Roaming on while the home line keeps it off. Follow the eSIM provider’s setup instructions.
How to Confirm It Worked
- Turn off Wi-Fi briefly and try to load a web page. If roaming is off and you are on a foreign network, the page won’t load.
- Check usage in Settings > Cellular, in the Cellular Data section. Apple says this is where your data use appears. If the number isn’t growing, no mobile data is being used.
- Look for a text from your carrier. Some send a welcome message with roaming rates when you connect abroad.
When You Actually Need Roaming
If you turned roaming off and now see No Service or SOS only abroad, Apple’s troubleshooting steps help:
- Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and make sure Set Automatically is on.
- Turn on Airplane Mode for about 30 seconds, then turn it off so your iPhone can find the best network.
- Check that Data Roaming is on for the line you want to use.
- If the problem continues, try a different SIM card or contact your carrier.
If those steps don’t help, resetting network settings on iPhone is a further option. It removes saved Wi-Fi networks and VPN settings, and Apple notes it may also turn cellular data roaming off, so check Data Roaming again afterward.
Roaming and Travel: Quick Answers
Will I still get calls and texts with Data Roaming off?
Usually yes, because the switch controls data, not voice. Whether those calls and texts cost extra abroad depends on your carrier, so check its roaming rates before you travel.
Do I need to turn roaming off when I travel within my own country?
Most of the time no, since you stay on your carrier’s network. It can matter in remote areas or near a border, where your iPhone might join a partner or foreign network.
Does a travel eSIM mean I can leave roaming on?
Leave roaming off on your home line, and set the travel line as your data line. The travel line may need Data Roaming on to work, depending on the provider.
Why did I get a roaming charge with roaming off?
The switch only covers data. Calls, texts, or a carrier plan that charges a daily fee when you use the network abroad can still appear on your bill. Your carrier can explain each line item.
Do iMessage and FaceTime work with roaming off?
Yes, over Wi-Fi. They need an internet connection, so they won’t work over a foreign cellular network while roaming is off, unless you have a local or travel data line.
Before your next trip, check the roaming switch on every line and reset your usage counter, so the first number you see abroad is the one that matters.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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