Text messages while travelling

[Angieh42]

I will be travelling in Europe - I always keep my Public Mobile account active while away. My question is can I receive texts from Canadian numbers when I'm there - e.g.  confirmation security codes from Public Mobile & from my banking/credit accounts?

[DennyCrane]

@Angieh42 Unfortunately, no. No service at all outside of Canada and the US. Your best bet is to try and change all of those MFA to email codes while you're away, if possible.

[Angieh42]

Thank you, KJA for your quick response!

[Angieh42]

Thank you, Denny. I received 3 emails (same)! from you during course of the day! I will go with email option from  my bank/credit cards.

[Angieh42]

Thank you. I have checked with my banking/credit cards & I can receive MFAs by email. I won't be using TextNow as we will have 2 other phones with us & will buy SIM cards for them!

[Nezgar · Accepted solution]

Many services allow a phone-call or email instead of an SMS, so I'd explore each to see if such a backup option is offered. I have personally confirmed banking services such as BMO, CIBC, Tangerine, Wise, and PC Financial all offer a phone call option instead of SMS. Public Mobile's "eversafe" login will always initially send an SMS, but if you click the "didn't recieve" link right afterwards, it offers an email option as well.

Anyhow - Once you have confirmed if the services you need offer a phone call option, you can use the TextNow app as mentioned by others to call forward your Public Mobile line to your TextNow phone number before you leave Canada. Then you can receive calls to your Public Mobile number (including bank 2FA calls) via TextNow anywhere you have Wi-Fi or mobile data connectivity via a local SIM.

[DennyCrane]

@Chalupa_Batman is correct that there is no service in Europe, however TextNow alone will not solve your MFA issue. The easiest way is to see if your various service providers have an email option for MFA codes; if they do, change your settings before you travel to have all MFA codes sent to email rather than text.

Alternatively you could go with a more complicated workaround, which would be to leave your PM at home in a secondary/burner phone. Then download a text forwarding app and leave your phone at home, on the charger, turned on for the whole trip. Then you'd need another phone number to have those texts forwarded to, which TextNow may work for. The first option is much easier if available.

[Chalupa_Batman]

Hi @Angieh42 

Public Mobile only works in Canada and the United States. Does not work overseas.

Only option I can recommend if you wish to chat with folks back in Canada is to download TextNow and pick a local number. Then share that with everyone you want. Then while there if you get a plan that has data, this will work down there. Or free Wifi. Free.