May I use my phone in China?

[suhong]

I want to know how to keep my phone works when I travel in China.I heard other phone company can. Thanks.

[srlawren]

@whyveeare FYI Hangouts outbound dialing is being sunset in early 2021.  You will need to use another solution for outbound dialing soon.

[whyveeare]

Here's what I do when I travel to USA and overseas:

1. Call forward my PM number to my TextNow number.  This way I can answer any call to my PM number as long as I have a data or WiFi connection.  If I can't answer (I'm in a plane), it goes to my TextNow voicemail automatically.  The greeting is similar to my PM voicemail greeting, so the caller can't tell the difference.  TextNow is a free service and gives you a free Canadian number to use.  https://www.textnow.com/  Plus, you can use it to call any number in Canada or USA for free, but it will show your TextNow number on the Caller ID, not your PM number.

2. Setup text message forwarding on my iPhone.  https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208386   For this I use an old iPhone 4s.  Just before I leave home, I move my PM SIM to the iPhone 4s (using an adapter since 4s uses microSIM) and activate text message forwarding.  The SIM stays in the 4s and the 4s is plugged in and turned on the whole time I am away.  All notifications, sounds and vibrations are disabled so it doesn't drive my wife crazy 🙂   Since both iPhones are using the same Apple ID, all messages show up on both phones (including SMS texts and iMessages) and I can reply from either phone.

3.  For outgoing calls, I use Google Hangouts because I can use it mimic my PM number as the Caller ID.  This way the person knows it's me calling.  It's free to call any number in Canada and USA.  Unfortunately, Google is planning to shutdown Hangouts early next year and has not mentioned any replacement.  My Plan B is to use Skype since it also allows you to mimic your PM number as your Caller ID.  Downside is that it is not free.  Calls to Canada or USA are about $0.02 per minute, so not too bad.  I don't make a lot of calls to phone numbers.  Mostly I use WhatsApp with family, friends and colleagues.

4.  For roaming service, I have 2 travel SIM cards which I use, depending on which country I am traveling to.  There are lots of options out there.  But I'm considering trying Airalo https://www.airalo.com/   They offer a whole range of eSIM's (individual countries, regions, global) that you can store on your iPhone (iPhone X and later) and top up only when you need it.

Maybe this will work for you.  Not sure how to do this with an Android phone, but I can vouch it works perfectly with iPhone.  But you will need any old iPhone (iOS 8 or higher) to leave in Canada with your PM SIM card.  Just don't forget to set up call forwarding and text messaging forwarding BEFORE you leave Canada because you can't do it once overseas.

[popping]

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@suhong wrote:

I've been with public mobile for more than 5 years. I want keep my phone working in China same way as Canada, make call or answer phone, texting. not only keep the number. Thanks!

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You PM plan will not work in China because PM does not offer roaming add-on for China.  But you can keep your phone number as long as renew your plan with autopay.  You can switch to the cheapest $15 plan before leaving Canada.

If you are planning to be in China for longer than 30 days, you can stop paying your plan by disabling autopay.  Your account will be suspended without paying.  90 days after suspension, your account will be canceled.  You need to reactivate your plan before 89 days and keep your phone number.  With the $15 plan, your are paying $15 every 119 days ($15 for 30 days after reactivation + 89 days suspension)

[Triguy]

PM only offers US roaming.  You could either purchase a local sim or use Wi-Fi apps like Textnow, WhatsApp, Fongo, or Skype.

[JoyLuck]

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@suhong wrote:

I've been with public mobile for more than 5 years. I want keep my phone working in China same way as Canada, make call or answer phone, texting. not only keep the number. Thanks!

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Your phone will not work in China. Follow @popping suggestion above.

[suhong]

I've been with public mobile for more than 5 years. I want keep my phone working in China same way as Canada, make call or answer phone, texting. not only keep the number. Thanks!

[ashleyskye]

Are you planning to use your phone while in China or just want to keep your number?  Are you currently with Public Mobile or just doing some research? Does your phone have dual SIM? 

[JoyLuck]

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@suhong wrote:

I want to know how to keep my phone works when I travel in China.I heard other phone company can. Thanks.

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If you are travelling in China for an extended period of time you have 90 days from your renewal date to make a payment to keep your account. It would be best to make a payment on the 85th day in case there are problems with your payment to give you time to fix.

What Happens When You Miss A Payment

If you miss a payment due date, your account will be put into a suspended state, meaning you will be unable to use your phone services. You will have up to 90 days to make a payment, and after doing so your payment cycle with restart and your service will resume. After 90 days, suspended accounts are permanently deactivated, which means you will:

• Lose access to your phone number, and won’t be able to transfer it to a new provider in the future.
• Need a new Public Mobile SIM card if you decide to activate a new Public Mobile account.

[popping · Accepted solution]

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@suhong wrote:

I want to know how to keep my phone works when I travel in China.I heard other phone company can. Thanks.

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No.  PM offers only US roaming add-ons.  When you travel outside North America, you need to get a local SIM card to use at your destination.

My family uses WhatsApp in Canada and aboard.  It is very convenience.  Without knowing the new local phone number of the traveler, we can continue to reach the traveler using WhatsApp.  Before the traveler getting a local SIM, the traveler can use airport WiFi to report safe arrival.  We, in Canada, don't want to know the local phone number of the traveler because we don't want to dial the extra number for the international calls.  We continue to communicate with the traveler as if the traveler is still in Canada.