Local SIMs Internationally + 2-factor authentication?

[BrittanyHighland]

Short story: driving around the world. Thought Google Fi would be my phone solution. Only got four months in before getting a notice saying my plan would be suspended if I don't go back to the U.S. I only have a couple of weeks left now.

With local SIM cards, I'll have to change my phone number every time. So how does two-factor authentication work? We work from the road and have so many things set up with 2-factor: banking, email, social media, apps, services, etc.

Would love recommendations on how to best navigate this challenge. It feels like a big one. Thanks.

P.S. I know email is sometimes an option for 2-factor, which is great, but sometimes text/phone call seems to be the only option.

 

[WanderingBison]

One option I’ve played with for this and other similar reasons is to setup a telephone number with a VoIP provider (I use VoIP.ms) to keep one phone number in my “home” area code that I can use using a soft-phone.

The provider offers me a dirt cheap phone number with voice mail and also allows me to receive txt messages.

I haven’t found a good provider that would allow me to receive a txt directly on the soft-phone but I can log in and get a txt message, like you’d need for two factor authentication.

I still end up using a “local” SIM card since almost anywhere has lower prices for phone and/or data than I can in Canada, and usually in the US.

Hope that helps!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Awkragt]

Maybe a dumb idea, but could you mail your phone back to the US for a few days to reset the plan? What did you end up doing with this?

 

[BrittanyHighland]

Maybe a dumb idea, but could you mail your phone back to the US for a few days to reset the plan? What did you end up doing with this?

Hey, thanks for checking in. So Google Fi turned off my data when they said they would. Phone and text kept working.

This is what we ended up doing:

-My husband and I ported our long-time U.S. numbers to Google Voice.
-My brother in California bought SIM cards for old, unlocked phones that weren't being used. We tried Straight Talk first, but they only do monthly plans. We're trying TracFone now. They're ongoing plans, but there are cheaper options than Straight Talk.
-Those California phones are linked to our Google Voice accounts. So our long-time numbers are still active, and any time they receive calls or texts (including for two-factor verification), we immediately receive those voice messages/texts where we are.
-Meanwhile, our physical phones are running local SIM cards. We have to change them out in each country. But fortunately, data has been very inexpensive and connectivity has been good.

So that's our setup! It isn't really that complicated, but it was complicated to figure out. There are so few people doing long-term overlanding like we are and there isn't a lot of information out there.

 

[BrittanyHighland]

Update: the best burner phone we found was through TracFone. The phone is $19.99 online, and if you click through to the plan options, there is a 90-day plan for $19.99. Again, this phone just sits in the states at my brother's and "anchors" my Google Voice number. Whenever someone texts or leaves a voicemail on the U.S. number I've had for years, it goes through the burner phone to Google Voice, and I immediately receive the text message or voicemail through email AND the Google Voice app. Hope this is helpful to someone.