Skype application for iPhone
I thought most people knew about this trick, but I’ve been sharing this with several travelers lately who didn’t know about it. Nobody likes paying exorbitant cell phone bills, so here is my best trick for making free calls abroad with an iPhone.
Before you go abroad, be sure to go into your settings and turn Fetch and Data Roaming off. If you accidentally leave these features on, you may end up paying AT&T a small fortune.
First, before you leave town, download the free Skype app for the iPhone.
Second, make sure you stay somewhere with free WiFi. Many hotels, hostels, and vacation rentals now offer free WiFi to guests, so it shouldn’t be hard to find.
Making Skype to Skype calls is free, regardless of whether it’s via computer, headset, or app on a cell phone. Here’s one way I made a call for free. I was at a hostel in Florence and my dad was at his home in Houston. We had a prior email conversation in which we determined a set time to talk. I connected to the hostel’s free WiFi with my iPhone, opened up my Skype app, and signed in. My dad was on Skype on his home computer, which has a built-in microphone. I Skype called him through the app, and we were able to have a full conversation—me speaking directly into my iPhone like a telephone, and him listening to me and talking to me through Skype on his computer. The quality was incredible.
You can also use Skype to call land lines and mobile numbers for just 2.1¢/minute, plus a connection fee that is just a fraction of a cent. I have also done this with great success. Several months ago, I was in London on a business trip, staying at a hotel with free WiFi. My boyfriend isn’t a big computer person and doesn’t have Skype. Each night I either called his mobile phone via Skype from my iPhone (one time I actually did it from the computer because my phone batteries were low). Again, the quality was fantastic, and I was paying just around 2 cents a minute. It saved me loads of money.
If you want to see the face of your loved one, you can both get on your computers and have video-to-video Skype calls, as well.
You should be aware that Skype does not make emergency calls and should not be fully substituted for phones that have emergency call capability.
Have you ever used Skype to make free or cheap calls while traveling?
Photo by ThomCochrane
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Great information! I am always amazed like you when people don’t know about Skype. I’m getting ready to leave for Italy and plan on communicating back home just as you did. Thanks for the refresh on using Skype!
Suzy, great post. I am relatively new to skpye but I’ll try it out on my next journey! Vickie
Thanks, Suzy and Vickie–so glad you found this helpful!
I’ve used Skype on my Mac for IM, but haven’t used it on my iPhone yet, I’m downloading it as I write this. Thanks for the tip which will likely save me quite a bit on my next overseas trip!
Do I need to put my setting on airplane mode to avoid using the AT&T network? Thanks!
Rbuff–if you put it on airplane mode, I don’t think you can use the WiFi feature, which you need in order to use Skype. You don’t pay AT&T anything if you use WiFi instead of 3G (though you have to be within a WiFi zone).
Hey thanks for this info. I have recently started using skype via my MAC and also my iphone4. I was thinking about getting some credit on my skype account for my forthcoming trip to Egypt, but I understand there is free wifi in the hotel so will use this instead. Not planning on making many call, mainly IM, but will be cheaper than paying O2!!!!
So I just got off the phone with AT&T. They informed me that it will now cost about 2 cents per kilobyte to use WIFI overseas, even if you are using a free internet WIFI source. How do I avoid this ridiculousness!!! I don’t understand. They even said that I will be charged extra for any voicemails left…even if my phone is shut off! Apparently, the phone still receives a signal when switched off. How do I avoid any extra charges. I have already switched Fetch and Data Roaming off. Is there anything else I should know? I want to use skype on a free WIFI connection but I do not want to be charged this extra 2 cents per kilobyte?
Sphnix, thanks so much for your comment. I have not heard about this development! I hope that’s not true. I’m going to look into this and get back to you (I’m about to leave town for a little while so it might take a week).
According to my research, the best thing to do is Turn Data Roaming Off, Turn Push Off, 3G Off, and Cellular Data Off if you intend to only use the phone via free WIFI. There is some confusion as to whether or not you can send and receive text with Cellular Data Off, apparently you can still make and receive calls and text with this off, just not picture or MMS, but you might want to double check when overseas.