Troubleshoot mobile phone problems when travelling
How to restart your device or manually select a mobile roaming network
Check mobile network coverage
To confirm the mobile network coverage for your destination and ensure that you’re in an area with coverage, view the support article:
Mobile network coverage map for international travelling
. Ensure Data Roaming is turned on in your mobile device settings
If you are having trouble using data, or if sending/receiving picture and video messages, including instant messaging (for example, iMessage or WhatsApp) isn’t working, data roaming on your device may be switched off.
Data roaming is typically switched OFF by default in your mobile device’s settings. To enable data roaming on your device, follow the device-specific instructions below.
iOS (Apple) devices
- SelectSettings
- SelectCellular
- SelectCellular Data Options
- Toggle Data Roaming to on. It will appear green when data roaming is enabled
Android devices
- SelectSettings
- SelectNetwork and Internet
- SelectMobile Networks
- Toggle ONRoaming - Connect to data services when roaming
BlackBerry 10 devices
- SelectSettings
- SelectNetwork Connections
- SelectMobile Networks
Restart your device
Restarting your phone causes its software to reload, which can fix some problems. To restart your device:
iOS (Apple) devices
For iPhone X or later
: Press and hold the side button and either volume button until the slider appears. Then drag the slider to turn your device completely off. After the device shuts off, press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.For iPhone 8 or earlier
: Hold down the power button on the right side of the device (or on the top of the device for earlier models) until the slider appears. Then drag the slider to turn your device completely off. After the device shuts off, hold the power key until you see the Apple logo.Devices with removable battery
- Remove the battery
- Wait 10 seconds
- Reinsert the battery
Note
: If your device does not have a removable battery, completely power off and restart the device.Ensure there isn’t a data block active on your device
If you are having trouble using data, or if sending/receiving picture and video messages, including instant messaging (e.g. iMessage or WhatsApp) isn’t working, then you may have a data block active on your device. There are a few ways that a data block may be active on your device.
For more information on how to manage these data blocks, view the support article:
Data access and blocking for mobile devices
.Manually select your roaming network operator
TELUS automatically steers your mobile connection to the roaming partner that should offer the best possible service experience based on your location. However, sometimes you may find that the specific roaming operator is not offering a strong enough signal at a given time due to various reasons (for example, specific geography is blocking the signal, network congestion, etc.).
If there is a specific mobile network operator you want to always stay connected to, you may access the mobile network settings on your device to manually select your mobile network for roaming. When you get back to Canada, ensure you turn your network selection back to automatic to resume your normal service experience. Below are instructions for managing your network operator in your device’s settings.
For Apple devices
:- SelectSettings
- SelectCellular
- SelectNetwork Selection
- Turn "Automatic" off. Your phone will search for networks in range
- Select the appropriate network for your device
For Android devices
:
Please note that the steps below may vary slightly between different generations of devices.For Samsung devices
:
Important
: You must deactivate the data service before searching for an available network.- From the Home screen, select ➔Settings➔Connections➔More networks➔Mobile networks
- SelectNetwork operators. All available networks are displayed, with the current network connection at the top of the list
- SelectSearch networksto manually search for all networks
- Select automatically to select a network connection
- Select a network operator to manually register on that network
For HTC devices
:- From the home screen, accessDevice Settings
- UnderWireless and Networks, selectMobile Data
- Select an available network operator to manually register on the network
For LG devices
:- From the home screen, access device settings
- SelectTethering and Networks
- SelectMobile Networks
- SelectNetwork operators
- Select an available network operator to manually register on the network
For BlackBerry 10 devices
:- On the home screen, swipe down from the top of the screen
- SelectSettings➔Network connections➔Mobile network
- If theMobile networkswitch is off, set it toOn
- Set theNetwork selection modetoManual
- When your device finishes scanning for networks, select a network
For all other devices
:The procedure is specific to each device. We recommend you view your device-specific instructions and download your device’s user guide to learn how to access your device’s network settings and manually select your network operator. You can also check the manufacturer’s website for more information. For more device-specific information, view our support section for
mobility devices
.Ensure you're roaming on a VoLTE-supported device
As of February 22, 2022, AT&T will begin phasing out its 3G/HSPA wireless network service in the U.S. Throughout the year, other U.S. wireless carriers will follow suit. If you're using a mobile device that does not support 4G LTE data and Voice over Long-Term Evolution (VoLTE) roaming, you will not be able to make or receive calls (including 911), send/receive text messages or use data while roaming in the U.S.
Learn more about the
U.S. 3G/HSPA shutdown
. Ensure VoLTE is enabled in your device settings
If you're experiencing issues while roaming, it could be that your device settings do not have VoLTE enabled. Follow these
steps to enable VoLTE
on your Apple or Android device.Did this article solve your problem?
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