Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
#16
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Joined: Mar 2017
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Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
If you really want to keep it you could always port it to A&A - https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobi...obile-porting/
#17
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 428
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
If you use your phone in the US to send a text while international roaming that doesn't reset the timer (for a fee obvs)?
#18
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
I lost my phone number about a year ago and caused me some issues. I was here for 11 years and then suddenly I went to use my phone and the contract had been cancelled, so I never had the option of porting. I have a bit of a dance to get HSBC to reset my mobile app , it was a manual process without a UK number. Nationwide, just plainly refuses any non UK number. This make 2FA very difficult. I wish there was a voip service I could sign up for or banks would use landlines to verify transactions.
#19
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 22
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
Unfortunately using the phone in any way in the US (text, voice, data) does not reset anything. Their contract states after two months they will cut off service, and I must use the phone in the UK for longer than I used it abroad before ANY roaming services will become available again.
Thanks for the porting info - I am still legally a UK resident and maintain bank accounts etc. so I will investigate the Andrews and Arnold service, as well as other providers like O2. Thanks everyone.
Thanks for the porting info - I am still legally a UK resident and maintain bank accounts etc. so I will investigate the Andrews and Arnold service, as well as other providers like O2. Thanks everyone.
#20
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Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
Maybe give someone you trust in the UK a burner phone?
#21
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Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
A trusted UK person with a burner phone is definitely a backup option (thanks for the suggestion) but I was really enjoying the fact I didn't need to pay for a US phone (which are extortionate in comparison) and contract etc.
#22
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
I mainly deal with texts on my computer rather than my phone, much easier.
#23
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Joined: May 2019
Posts: 348
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
I use a US sim here, so I'm not costing them all the US based data that you maybe are. That could factor into it.
#24
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
I pay $15 a month for unlimited everything (Mint mobile). If you use ultra mobile , similar price, they provide a local UK number for people to call you with. Also they include 150 minutes or so each month of UK calls.
#25
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
I'm assuming you still have a physical UK mobile or is there another option. I used to get free online texts on my plan which didn't count against my usage, hence why my service was cancelled. I have been without my UK cell phone for about a year now and the sky has not fallen down, but it has issues.
#26
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
Is the physical phone you are using locked? O2 unlocked mine for me (despite being under contract in the UK); my husband had a family plan network in the US that he added me to so I used a US sim in it but put my UK sim back in when I went back to the UK. Same phone. It was a pain keeping sims safe and swapping over repeatedly but it worked, when I upgraded my US phone, I kept the old one so I could permanently have my UK sim in it. Then it was a matter of taking both phones with me and chargers etc.
#27
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Joined: Aug 2010
Location: NYC
Posts: 470
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
My wife and I are on Three pay-monthly, we lived in the US since January (no travel back to the UK ever since due to Covid) and it works great. We have have two SIMs in the iPhone (physical Three and virtual AT&T post-paid).
#28
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Joined: Jul 2018
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Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
Thanks kindly all - having contacted them, they're giving me two months grace period which alleviates the urgency. They will be contacting me to ask me for proof that I am resident in the UK though, which I must provide, though they don't specify what kind of proof.
I will definitely look into Mint Mobile, thanks.
I will definitely look into Mint Mobile, thanks.
#29
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
Hi, is anyone aware of a good way to keep a UK number running while living in the US? Primarily for receiving text messages for authenticating a variety of services including UK banks, government services etc. It would also be nice to keep the number as we may be back in the UK for long periods in the next few years.
I've been here in the US since Coronavirus hit, and cannot go back to the UK until early 2021 (or maybe even mid 2021 depending how long my adjustment of status takes) and my current provider (Three) is about to cut off my access as I've been out of the UK for too long. This is going to play havoc with bank access, filling in personal and business tax returns etc.
I've been here in the US since Coronavirus hit, and cannot go back to the UK until early 2021 (or maybe even mid 2021 depending how long my adjustment of status takes) and my current provider (Three) is about to cut off my access as I've been out of the UK for too long. This is going to play havoc with bank access, filling in personal and business tax returns etc.
If you really want to keep it you could always port it to A&A - https://www.aa.net.uk/voice-and-mobi...obile-porting/
You can then receive texts via email and make/receive calls by using a SIP client.
When I moved here I just ended up abandoning my UK number - Lloyds Bank and HSBC can cope with a US number on file and I believe HMRC can too. I do keep a Vodafone PAYG SIM in my dual SIM iPhone for trips back to the UK though to save paying for Verizon TravelPass.
You can then receive texts via email and make/receive calls by using a SIP client.
When I moved here I just ended up abandoning my UK number - Lloyds Bank and HSBC can cope with a US number on file and I believe HMRC can too. I do keep a Vodafone PAYG SIM in my dual SIM iPhone for trips back to the UK though to save paying for Verizon TravelPass.
#30
Re: Maintaining a UK mobile number while in the US long term
I can confirm that you can use the HSBC app without a UK number. It does require a phone call to customer service, but it works. Barclaycard and nationwide only support UK numbers as far as I know