-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: If you were buying a TV today, which brand would you choose?
Activate Vodacom VoWifi while overseas
- Thread starter Spizz
- Start date
Good to know. I think I’ll be okay but I’ll play it easy until the end of the month and check the bill then. WhatsApp is working fine where the am and I’m not travelling away from here this month anyway (construction site).
eSIM + Dual SIM Q&A
This post is a wiki, so if you have an eSIM, see a question and know the answer, feel free to add the question and the answer. This WikiPost will focus on all the questions not covered by Apple in the support documents below. Table of Contents General Info Support documents from Apple about...forums.macrumors.com
I think you are onto something of a gem here my friend, if we go by this link at least. Apparently Apple changed things up quite abit with the launch of iOS 13 to make this magic happen. Wasn't possible when the iphone XR/ XS range launched eSim compatibility on iOS12
If this works perfectly in this manner it turns the latest iPhones with eSim/ dual sim into a total beast of a " world phone " so to speak.
You don't even need much local minutes if you're travelling with family/ associates that use networks with VoWiFi Support. Just contact the others on their SA numbers using your standard minutes. Only need to load a sufficient data bundle on the local eSim and you're away for cheap.
That's until Vodacom pulls up their socks and launches eSim locally, physical slot always available for foreign countries/ rain unlimited data when local. Although I suspect they may never launch it due to lost revenue.
Exactly. That’s how I’m set up just now and it’s working great. As I say, I have reservations a little about billing because my minutes aren’t ticking down, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was more down to a glitch with Vodacom and me being out of the country.
It most certainly is a game changer and you are right about this being a beast of a world traveller phone. I’m lucky enough to have bought a dual nano sim iPhone 11 over here, but if Apple continue on the eSim route then our local providers surely must roll out support, even reluctantly. It only takes one of either Vodacom, MTN, Telkom or Cell-C and surely the others will have to follow.
Either that or Apple just realise a proper dual sim iPhone everywhere instead of just China.
So I discovered today that Vodacom (MTN?) don't sell dual SIM phones. Vodacom intentionally disables one of the SIMs on disk SIM phones before settling them.
@Spizz I had wondered how you managed to get dual SIM groom Vodacom, thanks for the explanation. Telkom and Cell c do support dual SIM as far as i know as well as the Edgars etc.
Huawei has all its service centres in Vodacom stores. Therefore no chance to try out the VO-2ndSIM option.
There may still be a chance of a test phone via Huawei directly.
@Spizz I had wondered how you managed to get dual SIM groom Vodacom, thanks for the explanation. Telkom and Cell c do support dual SIM as far as i know as well as the Edgars etc.
Huawei has all its service centres in Vodacom stores. Therefore no chance to try out the VO-2ndSIM option.
There may still be a chance of a test phone via Huawei directly.
I just had to make a call to someone in SA and I hit upon an idea at the same time.
The number I was calling was a SAn number and it was saved on my phone without the +27 in front. So when I called and spoke, I HAD to be making a local call because otherwise if roaming in another country it would tell that the number was invalid without a country code.
So from here on in, I’ll add a new number to for example my wife’s contact details in my phone but make it without the +27. Then I use that number when I want to call and it’s obviously a local call
And FYI, the call I just made was not connected to WiFi in my office but using the data from my local Myanmar sim and it went through perfectly.
Happy days.
The number I was calling was a SAn number and it was saved on my phone without the +27 in front. So when I called and spoke, I HAD to be making a local call because otherwise if roaming in another country it would tell that the number was invalid without a country code.
So from here on in, I’ll add a new number to for example my wife’s contact details in my phone but make it without the +27. Then I use that number when I want to call and it’s obviously a local call
And FYI, the call I just made was not connected to WiFi in my office but using the data from my local Myanmar sim and it went through perfectly.
Happy days.
Do any android dual LTE phones support VOWiFi on one SIM using data from the other
There has been some discussion about using VOWiFi to avoid roaming costs when travelling abroad. There is also confirmation that using some iPhones will allow you to use the second SIM data as the "WiFi" connection...
mybroadband.co.za
I've opened a new post specifically asking if there is android phone support for VO-2ndSIMdata
One thing to note, having the second sim on VO mobile data from first sim uses a lot more battery during the course of the day. I tend to keep it off and just switch on when I need to make a call or am expecting a OTP. Like today I’m expecting a courier and only the domestic helper is at home, so I’ll keep it on in case he calls with any problems etc.
So today I had both sims switched on, local one on local 4g, Vodacom one showing VoWiFi using data from local sim as the WiFi, when all of a sudden I get an sms from Vodacom saying welcome to Myanmar and a list of roaming charges.
So I look at the phone and the Vodacom sim is now showing the local provider name instead of the Vodacom VoWiFi message. So basically, I’m now roaming on the local sim.
I tried a few times in different locations over several hours but every time I switch on Vodacom sim, it goes straight to a local network instead of the VoWiFi using first sim as data.
If I connect to WiFi, the VoWiFi works as normal so that’s a relief, it just doesn’t work when it’s using the first sims data.
So basically, I’m not sure if this is a local thing, a Vodacom thing or an iPhone thing. But tbh it was such a battery drain I tended to use it when I had to make a call rather than leaving it switched on all the time. But I’ll keep checking and see if it comes back.
So I look at the phone and the Vodacom sim is now showing the local provider name instead of the Vodacom VoWiFi message. So basically, I’m now roaming on the local sim.
I tried a few times in different locations over several hours but every time I switch on Vodacom sim, it goes straight to a local network instead of the VoWiFi using first sim as data.
If I connect to WiFi, the VoWiFi works as normal so that’s a relief, it just doesn’t work when it’s using the first sims data.
So basically, I’m not sure if this is a local thing, a Vodacom thing or an iPhone thing. But tbh it was such a battery drain I tended to use it when I had to make a call rather than leaving it switched on all the time. But I’ll keep checking and see if it comes back.