How to Prevent Roaming on iPhone & Avoid Bill Shock

Roaming often results in unexpected bills after a trip, sometimes amounting to hundreds of dollars for background data alone, and streaming a single Netflix episode abroad can cost $50 or more. This blog explains exactly how to prevent roaming on an iPhone by navigating to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Roaming > Off. Additionally, it covers how to turn off all cellular data, block specific apps, and reset usage statistics before traveling. The easiest way to avoid international roaming charges is to skip roaming altogether by using an eSIM for iPhone. Jetpac offers the best eSIM for travel with international eSIM plans, upfront pricing, multi-network switching, hotspot support, and no bill shocks, so you can stay connected in over 200 countries without surprise fees. Read this blog to learn step by step how to prevent roaming, control costs, and travel confidently without bill shock.

Paul came back from his Europe trip feeling great, until his phone bill arrived a week later. It was hundreds of dollars higher than normal, all because of roaming charges he didn’t realize were running in the background.

This is a common problem for travelers. Roaming is a carrier service, not a device issue, and it can affect anyone using a smartphone abroad. In this blog, you’ll learn exactly how to prevent roaming, step by step. We’ll also cover smarter options, like using an eSIM or choosing the best eSIM for travel, so you can stay connected without surprise fees or bill shock.

What Is Roaming & Why Does It Lead to Bill Shock?

Roaming happens when your phone connects to a network outside your carrier’s home coverage. Once you cross borders, every text, call, or bit of mobile data is handled by a foreign carrier, and your provider bills you extra for that access.

These international roaming charges add up quickly. Some carriers charge $10–$15 per day just to keep data active, while others still bill by the megabyte, which can mean paying several dollars for loading a single map. That’s how travelers like Paul end up with shocking bills after a week abroad.

Knowing how to avoid roaming charges before you leave is the first step to protecting your wallet.

How Roaming Works on iPhone?

The moment you land in another country, your iPhone will search for an available mobile network. If Data Roaming is turned on, it will automatically connect to a local carrier so you can call, text, or use mobile data.

The catch is that this connection comes at a premium. Your home carrier pays the foreign carrier for access, then passes those costs to you in the form of international roaming charges. Even if you don’t actively use your phone, roaming can still rack up costs in the background. Apps may refresh emails, update social media feeds, or pull your location for maps, all without you realizing it.

There are also different types of roaming on iPhone:

Data roaming – Using mobile internet abroad (the biggest source of bill shock).

Voice roaming – Making or receiving calls outside your home network.

SMS roaming – Sending or receiving texts abroad.

If you’re traveling internationally, the simplest safeguard is to know how do I switch off roaming in your iPhone settings before you leave, or at least as soon as you land. This ensures your phone doesn’t quietly connect and start using data without your consent.

Step-by-Step: How to Turn Off Data Roaming on iPhone

Turning off data roaming is the most reliable way to stop unwanted charges when you travel. Here’s how to do it:

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

Tap Cellular (or Mobile Data, depending on your region).

Tap Cellular Data Options.

Look for Data Roaming and switch the toggle to Off.

Once you do this, your iPhone will stop using mobile data on foreign networks. You’ll still be able to connect to Wi-Fi, send iMessages, or use WhatsApp when Wi-Fi is available, but you won’t risk surprise roaming data charges.

This simple setting is the first step in learning how to prevent roaming on iPhone and protect yourself from unexpected international roaming charges.

​​Alternate Method: Turning Off All Cellular Data

If you want to be extra cautious and make sure your iPhone never uses mobile data while you’re abroad, you can turn off cellular data completely:

Open Settings.

Tap Cellular (or Mobile Data).

Switch the Cellular Data toggle to Off.

This stops all mobile data use on your iPhone, whether at home or overseas. It’s the strictest option and guarantees you won’t see unexpected international roaming charges, even from background activity like automatic app updates, emails, or location tracking.

If you want to stay connected while traveling but avoid wasting data on non-essential apps, you can control which apps use mobile data:

Open Settings.

Tap Cellular (or Mobile Data).

Scroll down to the list of apps installed on your iPhone.

Toggle off any app you don’t want using cellular data.

When disabled, those apps will only work on Wi-Fi. This is useful for blocking data-heavy apps like YouTube, Netflix, TikTok, or iCloud backups while still allowing essentials such as email, iMessage, or maps.

You can also go further:

System Services: At the bottom of the Cellular screen, tap System Services to see how much data is being used by features like iCloud Drive, Siri, or push notifications. These can consume roaming data in the background.

Wi-Fi Assist: Found under Cellular settings, this feature automatically switches to mobile data when Wi-Fi is weak. If you’re abroad, turn this off to avoid hidden roaming usage.

By customizing app-level access and disabling background services, you can keep control of data use while traveling, an important step in avoiding surprise international roaming charges.

How to Monitor Roaming Data Use?

Keeping an eye on your usage is one of the best ways to avoid bill shock. iPhones have built-in tools to help:

Open Settings.

Tap Cellular (or Mobile Data).

Tap Cellular Data Usage.

Here you’ll see how much mobile data you’ve used during the current period. The screen shows both overall data and roaming-specific usage, so you can quickly spot if your phone has been using data abroad.

Things to know:

Roaming section: Displays the amount of data used while outside your carrier’s home network.

Current period: Doesn’t reset automatically. You need to reset it manually (usually before you travel) to get accurate trip data.

Per-app usage: Scroll down to see which apps are consuming the most data. This helps you decide which apps to disable from using cellular.

By monitoring regularly, you’ll know if data roaming is on or off and avoid running up unexpected international roaming charges.

How to Check & Reset Data Statistics Before You Travel?

If you want a clear picture of how much data you use abroad, it’s important to reset your iPhone’s statistics before your trip begins. This way, you’ll know exactly how much roaming data is being consumed while you’re away.

Here’s how to do it:

Open Settings.

Tap Cellular (or Mobile Data).

Scroll all the way down.

Tap Reset Statistics.

Confirm when prompted.

After resetting, your usage counter starts from zero. During your trip, you can check Cellular Data Usage to see how much data has been used overall and specifically under Roaming.

Why this matters:

The Current Period in iOS doesn’t reset automatically — it keeps accumulating until you reset it yourself.

Resetting before you leave gives you a clean slate for monitoring while abroad.

It’s one of the simplest ways to keep your data under control and avoid surprise international roaming charges.

3 Common Issues & How to Fix Them

Even after you’ve learned how to prevent roaming on iPhone, there are small settings that can cause unexpected charges. Here are the most common problems and how to solve them:

1. Still using data after turning roaming off

If you’ve disabled Data Roaming but data is still being used, check Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching. This prevents your iPhone from switching lines (useful if you have a Dual SIM or an eSIM for iPhone) and accidentally using roaming data.

2. Confusion about Wi-Fi calling

Calls made over Wi-Fi generally do not count as roaming. However, some carriers treat them differently. Always confirm with your provider before traveling so you know whether Wi-Fi calling is free or billed as a roaming call.

3. Messages still charging

If you’re using iMessage but have weak internet, your phone may try to send the message as an SMS instead, which can trigger international roaming charges. To avoid this, go to Settings > Messages and switch off Send as SMS. That way, messages will only go through when iMessage has data access.

By checking these settings, you’ll avoid the hidden costs that catch many travelers by surprise.

5 Tips to Reduce Roaming Costs

Roaming can add up quickly, but a few smart habits can save you from bill shock:

Check your settings twice – Before boarding, confirm whether data roaming is on or off in your phone settings. This avoids accidental usage as soon as you land.

Download offline maps – Save Google Maps, Maps.me, or other offline navigation tools in advance so you don’t burn through data while finding your way.

Use Wi-Fi when available – Stick to hotel, café, or airport Wi-Fi for video calls on WhatsApp, FaceTime, or Zoom.

Carrier travel passes – Some providers offer daily or weekly travel passes. They’re convenient but often cost $10–15 per day, so compare against local or eSIM options.

Choose an international eSIM plan – The most reliable way to avoid roaming charges is to skip roaming altogether. With an eSIM for iPhone, you can install it before you leave and activate it as soon as you arrive. Providers like Jetpac offer the best eSIM for travel, giving you coverage in 200+ countries, upfront pricing, and no bill shocks.

These steps make it easy to control costs and keep your phone useful without draining your budget.

Should You Use a Travel Plan, eSIM, or Local SIM Instead?

When thinking about how to avoid roaming charges, you have three main choices. Each works differently and has its own pros and cons:

1. Carrier travel plans

• Pros: Easy to activate with your existing carrier. You keep your number and don’t need to install anything new.
  
• Cons: Usually cost $10–15 per day, which adds up quickly on long trips. Coverage can also be limited to specific partner networks.

2. Local SIM cards

• Pros: Often the cheapest option for long stays. You get local rates and high-speed data.
  
• Cons: You need to buy and register the SIM in person, usually at the airport or a local shop. It requires swapping your primary SIM, which can be inconvenient if you still want to receive calls or texts on your home number.
  

3. eSIM for iPhone (and other eSIM-ready phones)

• Pros: The most flexible option. You install the plan before departure, activate on arrival, and connect instantly without queues or SIM swaps. You can keep your home SIM active for calls and texts while using your international eSIM plan for data. Providers like Jetpac offer the best eSIM for travel, with coverage in 200+ destinations, upfront pricing, and no bill shocks.
  
  
• Cons: Only available on eSIM-compatible phones, but most modern smartphones now support it.
  

Travel Confidently Without Bill Shock with Jetpac

The most reliable way to prevent roaming on iPhone is to avoid roaming altogether, and Jetpac makes that possible. Instead of paying unpredictable international roaming charges, you get one simple solution that works anywhere.

Here’s what sets Jetpac apart:

One eSIM, 200+ countries – Install once and stay connected across borders.

Up to 70% cheaper than roaming – Transparent pricing, no hidden fees, no surprises.

Multi-network switching – Your phone always connects to the strongest local signal.

Voice + data together – Not just internet; Jetpac also offers voice plans when you need to make regular calls.

Hotspot included – Share your data with your laptop or family without restrictions.

Free essentials – WhatsApp, Uber, and Google Maps keep working even if your data runs out.

24/7 premium support – Real help, available anytime and across time zones.

With Jetpac’s international eSIM plans, you can use all your favorite apps, maps, messaging, social, or work tools, without worrying about surprise bills. It’s the simplest way to travel connected and skip roaming stress for good.

FAQs

What happens if you forget to turn off roaming?

Your phone may connect to a local network as soon as you land, and you’ll be billed high international roaming charges even if it’s just background data.

How do I stop roaming on my iPhone?

Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Data Roaming > Off. This is the easiest way to learn how to prevent roaming on an iPhone.

How do I avoid data roaming charges abroad?

Turn off data roaming, stick to Wi-Fi, or install an eSIM for iPhone with affordable international eSIM plans.

How do I prepare my iPhone for international travel?

Reset data statistics, download offline maps, disable roaming, and install the best eSIM for travel before your flight.

Will I be charged for roaming if I use Wi-Fi?

No. Using Wi-Fi does not trigger roaming charges. Just double-check that data roaming is switched off.

What is the cheapest way to use your phone overseas?

Use Wi-Fi whenever possible and get an international eSIM plan instead of paying roaming fees.

Can I use airplane mode to avoid roaming fees?

Yes. Airplane mode blocks all cellular activity. You can turn Wi-Fi back on to keep using apps like iMessage, WhatsApp, or FaceTime without roaming.