Can a travel eSIM receive SMS? No, and how to get your codes abroad
Wigoo plans are data only: no phone number, so no SMS and no calls. How to keep receiving bank codes, WhatsApp verification and other texts while you travel.
No. Our travel eSIMs are data only: they come without a phone number, so they cannot receive SMS or calls. That is also why they are cheap and quick to install. Your verification codes keep arriving on your usual number, as long as that line stays switched on in the phone.
Most travel eSIMs work this way, so it is worth checking before you buy any of them for a code you need abroad.
The setup that keeps your codes arriving
Almost every recent phone can run two lines at once: your usual SIM and the travel eSIM.
- Keep your usual line on. On iPhone: Settings, Mobile Service, your line, "Turn On This Line". On Android: Settings, SIMs, your line, on.
- Set mobile data to the eSIM. The travel eSIM handles the internet.
- Turn data roaming off on your usual line, so it never uses your home operator's data abroad.
Your usual line keeps receiving texts and calls, bank codes included, while all the data goes through the eSIM.
Does receiving texts abroad cost anything?
Inside the EU, receiving texts while roaming in another EU country is free. Outside it, most operators do not charge for incoming texts, but some do, and calls you answer are often charged. Check your operator's roaming page before you leave.
WhatsApp, iMessage and the rest
- WhatsApp stays linked to your usual number and works over the eSIM's data. You do not need to verify it again.
- iMessage and FaceTime keep using your number over the eSIM's data.
- WhatsApp Business, or a new account, needs a number that can receive a text or a call. A data-only eSIM cannot do that: use your usual number.
When you really need a local number
Some local apps only accept a number from that country, such as some banking and payment apps. For those, the answer is a local SIM with a number, bought in the country with your passport, not a travel eSIM.
Quick answers
Can I receive SMS with a travel eSIM?
Not with ours. The plans are data only and come without a phone number. Keep your usual line on for texts.
Will I get bank verification codes abroad?
Yes, on your usual number, if its line stays on in the phone. Receiving texts is free in the EU and usually free elsewhere, but check your operator.
Can I use a travel eSIM to register WhatsApp Business?
No. Registration needs a number that can receive a text or a call, and a data-only eSIM has none.
Does WhatsApp keep my number with a travel eSIM?
Yes. WhatsApp stays linked to your usual number and simply uses the eSIM's data.