Receiving SMS in USA

[borromeo]

Based on the info in some other threads, I've concluded it's not possible to receive SMS in USA without having the roaming add-on. The threads are a bit older. Is this still the case today?

Other carriers I have used will allow you to receive SMS when roaming, but not to send, and sometimes even if your account has an expired balance (until the SIM expires).

Public Mobile is cheap and works great in Canada, but is too restrictive for roaming. I hope they will expand their roaming soon and allow receiving SMS without a roaming add-on. Yeah, I know there's the possibility solution to use SMS forwarding if you leave your SIM behind in Canada; that works, but I'd rather not add more complexity. Get with the times and add some roaming agreements, please.

[Korth]

Worth noting that standard SMS (texts) will work but MMS and "enhanced" SMS messages will not. It can be an issue if your phone's SMS handler is RCS, iMessage, or any other nonstandard SMS app which extends SMS features (through data).

So you might not receive your SMS texts at all unless you first go through your settings to enable SMS and disable RCS/iMessage/etc.

[kselmak]

The only way to keep forwarding to your voicemail or the number of your choice is to prevent sim from accessing network before you start moving around. If your sim registers on the network where you didn't purchase roaming you will not be allowed to forward to your voicemail anymore.

I believe the incoming texts work because of the messages and reminders they keep sending.

Leaving your phone behind and forwarding to your VoIP seems to be way too go.

Hopefully once the covid is over they will have some roaming add-on updates and more plans with roaming included, it's a matter of time before movnis move in and I know of at least one that will be offering free unlined calls and texts in usa. If the price is more reasonable many will not bother with the secund sim.

[Anonymous]

 @Nezgar 

I don't think it's entirely wise to openly dig into all the bugs and quirks around here. If something's unofficial but works then it would be best to discuss it in pm.

JMNSHO

[kselmak]

I would say it's outdated.

Now when you approach the border you receive handful messages about roaming. For that reason you will be receiving messages.

You should look into TextNow while long term in usa, talk and texts are free with their sim you only need to pay for data if you want to purchase it. You need cdma

[Nezgar]

---

@darlicious wrote:

Unofficially some users have said they have relieved incoming calling as well.

---

Before covid hit, I was trying to piece together accounts of behaviour of incoming calls while in the US without a roaming plan for voice. It seemed that as soon as your phone registered to a US network, incoming calls would fail - and not route to voicemail, or continue to call-forward if you had set it. The only way to work around that would be to leave your SIM out of the phone prior to leaving Canada...

Once more people can test while in the US we can piece together this technicality more fully..

[darlicious]

@borromeo 

Unofficially some users have said they have recieved incoming calling as well. If you know you'll have reliable access to wifi to use the many free apps for communication ( text now, fongo, what's app, messenger etc...) and immediate communication isn't necessary then you can get by without a US roaming add on for most holiday trips. Although it would be prudent to have a balance on your account to ensure if the need arises you can purchase a roaming add on quickly to fufill your needs.

[Anonymous]

 @borromeo 

Way to the bottom of this help page officially recognizes that you will receive SMS for free.

I have been in the states without an add-on and I received texts.

I'll grant that this place isn't great for keeping up their references but this one is true. Last I checked in January anyway. mmmmm...Maui. 😞

[popping]

---

@mm80 wrote:

---

@borromeo wrote:

Based on the info in some other threads, I've concluded it's not possible to receive SMS in USA without having the roaming add-on. The threads are a bit older. Is this still the case today?

That's wrong. The threads are wrong too. Incoming text messaging works in the US without a roaming add-on. It always has.

---

+1.  That is correct.  SIMon agrees too.

[mm80 · Accepted solution]

---

@borromeo wrote:

Based on the info in some other threads, I've concluded it's not possible to receive SMS in USA without having the roaming add-on. The threads are a bit older. Is this still the case today?

That's wrong. The threads are wrong too. Incoming text messaging works in the US without a roaming add-on. It always has.