Most travel eSIMs say "data only" in the plan details. That means the eSIM gives you internet and nothing else: no phone number, no normal calls and no SMS. Your own number can keep working at the same time, though. Below is how to keep your usual calls and texts coming while the eSIM handles the internet.
What "Data Only" Actually Means
An eSIM is a digital SIM card. Instead of a plastic chip you pop into your phone, the carrier profile is stored electronically inside your device. Functionally, though, a data only eSIM works just like a normal SIM for internet purposes. You get mobile data for browsing, maps, social media, and streaming, but the profile has no phone number attached to it, so it cannot send or receive SMS text messages or make or receive regular phone calls.
This is not a limitation of eSIM technology itself. The GSMA standard that eSIMs are built on fully supports voice calls and SMS, plus extras like call forwarding. But most eSIMs sold to travelers are set up as data only on purpose. Travelers mainly need internet access when abroad, and skipping the voice and SMS setup keeps the eSIM simpler and cheaper to provide. That is why data only plans are so common among travel eSIM providers, including on our global eSIM plans that cover multiple countries on one profile.
How to Keep Your Calls and Texts While Using a Data eSIM
The good news is that switching to a data eSIM does not mean giving up your regular phone number. Most travelers run both at the same time, and it is easier than it sounds.
Your Phone Can Run Two SIMs at Once
Most phones made in the last several years, including iPhones from the XS and XR generation onward and most mid range and flagship Android phones, support something called Dual SIM Dual Standby. In plain terms, this means your phone can keep two SIM profiles active at the same time. One handles your data, and the other handles your calls and texts, and they work independently without interfering with each other.
In practice, you keep your home line in the phone, whether it is a physical SIM or an eSIM, and install your travel eSIM alongside it. Your home SIM still handles calls and texts on your usual number, while the eSIM quietly takes care of your internet. If you are not sure whether your specific phone supports this, check our eSIM compatible devices guide before you travel. Our eSIM setup guide walks through installing and switching between profiles step by step.
Data Roaming and Call Roaming Are Two Different Settings
This one trips up a lot of travelers. On your phone, "data roaming" is a separate toggle from voice and text roaming. When you turn off data roaming on your home SIM to avoid roaming data charges, you are only switching off its internet connection. Calls and texts on that number generally continue to roam and arrive normally, because they travel over a different part of the network than data does. In most cases your carrier just needs a roaming agreement in that country and your phone needs signal, and your calls and texts should keep coming through as usual. One catch on some US plans: making or answering a call, or sending a text, on your home line abroad can start a daily charge such as AT&T's $12 International Day Pass. Incoming texts do not. Our guide to day pass charges with a travel eSIM shows how to avoid it.
Does WhatsApp work on a data only eSIM?
Most of the messaging and calling people actually rely on these days does not need a phone number at all. Apps like WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, Signal, and Facebook Messenger send messages and make calls over an internet connection, whether that is WiFi or mobile data. Your data only eSIM handles all of this without any issue, since these apps were built to run over data in the first place.
So if most of your communication already happens through one of these apps, a data only eSIM alone may cover everything you need. It is really only traditional carrier based calls and SMS that require a separate number, and that is where keeping your home SIM active becomes useful.
| App or service | Voice calls | Video calls | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Keeps your normal number. The default choice almost everywhere. | |
| FaceTime | Yes | Yes | Apple devices only, works over data as normal. |
| Telegram | Yes | Yes | Good on weak connections, low data use. |
| Signal | Yes | Yes | Same as WhatsApp for calling, stronger on privacy. |
| Facebook Messenger | Yes | Yes | Useful when that is where your contacts are. |
| Zoom or Google Meet | Yes | Yes | Fine for work calls, heavy on data. |
| Normal phone calls | No | No | Needs a SIM with a voice plan, not a data eSIM. |
| Normal SMS | No | No | Arrives on your home number, so keep that line on. |
The important row is WhatsApp. Your WhatsApp account is tied to your phone number, not to the SIM currently in your phone. Swap SIMs, fly across the world, put your phone on a hotel Wi-Fi, and WhatsApp still shows your usual number to everyone. Nobody has to add a new contact for you, and your group chats behave exactly as they did at home.
This matters most in WhatsApp first countries. Jordan practically runs on the app, so a data only Jordan eSIM from $2.60 covers your calls home without needing any local number.
What Might Not Work, and Why
There are two cases where a data only eSIM on its own can leave you stuck: security codes sent by text, and apps that expect a local phone number. Both are easy to plan around.
The first is SMS verification codes, often called OTPs, that banks and other services send to confirm your identity. These codes travel over the traditional SMS network to a specific phone number, and since your data eSIM has no phone number attached, it cannot receive them. The fix is simple: as long as your home SIM stays in the phone and is not suspended, those OTP codes generally still land on your usual number, since SMS delivery does not depend on which SIM is handling your data. A few banks treat a number that seems to be roaming abroad differently, so check with yours before an important payment. If a code still does not arrive, our fix for bank codes not arriving abroad goes through every cause.
One extra safeguard worth doing at home: switch your important accounts to an authenticator app rather than SMS codes. Authenticator codes are generated on the device itself and need no signal whatsoever, which makes them immune to this problem entirely.
The second is apps and services that ask for a local phone number. Some banking apps, ride hailing apps, and restaurant booking platforms prefer or require a number with the local country code, and may reject or flag a foreign number during sign up. Not every service does this, and you cannot tell in advance which ones will. Keeping your home SIM active for verification purposes, or checking a service's requirements ahead of time, avoids the frustration of being locked out mid trip.
How do you make calls on a data only eSIM?
To friends and family
Use WhatsApp, FaceTime, Telegram or Signal. Voice calls over these apps are cheap on data, roughly half a megabyte a minute. An hour of talking costs about 30 MB, so even a small plan handles daily calls home comfortably.
To a local business, restaurant or taxi
This is the one genuine gap. A restaurant will not be on WhatsApp, and you cannot dial them from a data only eSIM. Three ways round it:
- Many restaurants and hotels do have WhatsApp, particularly in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Check their listing first.
- Book through the website or an app rather than by phone.
- Use your home SIM to make the call, accepting the roaming charge for a two minute conversation. Occasionally that is simply the easiest answer.
To an emergency number
Emergency numbers like 112 and 911 usually connect even on a data only eSIM, because the phone and the network handle those calls outside your plan. There are a few catches, covered in our guide to emergency calls on a data only eSIM, so keep your home line switched on as well.
Putting It Together for Your Trip
For most destinations, the setup that works best is simple: install a data eSIM for reliable, often much cheaper internet, and leave your home SIM in place for calls, texts, and anything that needs your real number. If you are heading somewhere with a lot of countries on one itinerary, say a multi stop trip across Europe, a data only eSIM that covers the whole region saves you from juggling a new SIM at every border, while your home SIM quietly stays on standby for anything that needs it.
The same setup travels well. Visitors to Brazil, Morocco and Turkey lean on WhatsApp for almost everything, from booking a table to messaging a driver, so a data only plan covers the calls and messages they actually make.
Data allowances matter too, especially with plans labeled "unlimited." Our guide on what unlimited really means for travel eSIM data explains the fair use limits that usually sit behind that word, so you know what you are actually getting.
Setting Up Two Lines Before You Fly
To set which line does what on iPhone, go to Settings, then Cellular, and pick the Default Voice Line and the line for Cellular Data. On Android, look under Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, where you choose a SIM for calls, SMS and mobile data separately.
- Check your phone supports Dual SIM Dual Standby before you travel, especially if it is an older model.
- Install your travel eSIM a day or two before departure so you are not troubleshooting at the airport.
- Leave data roaming off on your home SIM but keep the SIM itself active, so texts and calls still arrive without the roaming data charges.
- Tell your bank you are traveling and confirm how they send verification codes, especially if you plan to make purchases abroad.
- Set your eSIM as the primary line for data and your home SIM as primary for calls and texts, so your phone does not default to the wrong network for each task.
Mistakes That Cut Off Your Calls and Codes
- Removing or deactivating the home SIM entirely, which also cuts off calls, texts, and OTP codes along with the roaming data charges.
- Assuming a data only eSIM will let you receive bank verification texts, when it has no phone number to receive them on.
- Not checking device compatibility first and discovering mid trip that an older phone cannot run two profiles at once.
- Forgetting to turn data roaming back on, or off, correctly when switching between the eSIM and home SIM for different tasks.
- Assuming every app or service is fine with a foreign number, then getting stuck signing up for something that needs a local one.
Data Only eSIM Questions
Can I make normal phone calls with a data only eSIM?
No, a data only eSIM has no phone number attached, so it cannot make or receive traditional calls or SMS texts. You can still make calls through apps like WhatsApp or FaceTime that run over the internet, since those use your data connection rather than the phone network.
Will people still be able to text or call my normal number while I travel?
Generally yes, as long as your home SIM stays in your phone and your carrier has a roaming agreement in the country you are visiting. Turning off data roaming on that SIM only stops its internet access, it does not stop calls and texts from reaching it.
Do I need a dual SIM phone to use a data eSIM and keep my home number?
You need a phone that supports Dual SIM Dual Standby with eSIM. Every iPhone since the XS and XR does, and so do most recent Android flagships, but many budget Android phones still have no eSIM. You can check our device compatibility guide to confirm your specific model before you buy.
Why do most travel eSIMs not include a phone number?
The eSIM standard itself supports voice and SMS, but travel eSIM providers mostly sell data only plans because that is what travelers need most, and it keeps the eSIM simpler and more affordable to offer. Most MegaEsim plans are data only too. A few include a local number, and the plan page says so. Those number plans start their days at install and cannot be refunded.
What happens if I do not have my home SIM active at all?
Without a home SIM in the phone, you lose access to your usual phone number entirely, including calls, texts, and any SMS verification codes tied to it. A data only eSIM cannot substitute for that number, so keeping your home SIM active alongside your travel eSIM is the simplest way to avoid that gap if you rely on SMS codes for banking or other accounts.
Does WhatsApp use a lot of data?
Messages use almost nothing. Voice calls use about 30 MB an hour. Video calls are the expensive one at roughly 300 MB an hour, so use voice when you can.
Can I keep iMessage working?
Yes. iMessage runs over data and stays linked to your Apple ID and phone number. Texts from other iPhone users arrive normally. Green bubble SMS from Android users arrive on your home line.
Do I need a local number to use ride hailing apps?
Usually not. Uber, Bolt and similar apps work on your existing account over data. Drivers often call to find you though, and that call goes to your home number, so keep it switched on.
Do You Need a Phone Number on Your Travel eSIM?
For most trips, no. The eSIM handles maps, messages and app calls, and your home line stays on in the background for normal calls, texts and bank codes. You pay for data, not for a voice plan you would barely use abroad. If you are planning your next trip, take a look at our current global eSIM plans to see coverage and pricing before you go.
