3 Steps to Get Your Smartphone Ready for International Travel

How can you make your phone a great travel partner? Follow these three steps to “tech up” your smartphone before your next getaway.

Stay connected abroad
- Contact your mobile provider a few weeks before your departure to learn how to use your phone without excess charges. Depending on your phone and service plan, you may need to:
  - Upgrade your plan for your trip’s duration.
  - Purchase a temporary SIM card when you arrive.
- Avoid expensive data overages, too. Turn off roaming to help save your battery life, since your mobile device may be constantly searching for Wi-Fi. While public Wi-Fi is becoming more common, be cautious about what information and sites you’re accessing on public networks. Try to only access websites where the sites are HTTPS (secure with an encrypted padlock).
- Consider using WhatsApp, a free instant-message and phone-calling service that works around the world.
Secure your finances
- It may be tempting to check your banking and credit-card balances while away from home, but make sure you’re taking appropriate precautions:  to log in. Even better: Download the company’s app before you go, then enable two-factor authentication when possible.
Take advantage of helpful apps:
- Mobile Passport Control provides quick customs processing where available.
- TripIt is an itinerary organizer.
- Google Translate helps you quickly communicate, translate, and interact with locals if you’re not familiar with the language.
- EA+ members can use the EA+ mobile app for currency conversion, or the app Xe if you’re not yet a member.
- Dateful is a time zone converter.