Forum Discussion
EU roaming not working
Any tips for getting EU roaming to work on an iPhone? I have followed the steps suggested on the smarty website (going to mobile data network and changing the mobile data/MMS APN to mob.asm.net. Roaming is switched on. I’ve re-started the phone a few times.
i still have no internet. I specifically bought this plan because it said EU roaming was included, so quite annoyed that it’s not working! Currently limited to wifi.
LaurenS_2643774 Worth checking the you do have mobile data roaming turned on in the phone settings.
If you cannot get service on a network, worth changing to manual network selection in your settings and then trying each in turn to see if any is better.
Don't forget the 12GB limit while roaming and also 60 day limit.
50 Replies
Had same experience in Greece. Tried everything and got useless connection
Hi Lauren/Everyone trying to roam with an Apple iPhone
I am in Italy on my first overseas trip with Smarty and what a disaster !
I carried out all the instructions from Smarty on how to roam, changed settings, reset my phone, removed the SIM and still could only get intermittent 3G at best in both Bologna and Florence, both big cities with great coverage on all the networks.
After a lot of exchanges of emails when I had WiFi my complaint was escalated, and I was then told that this is a KNOWN ISSUE for Apple users on the Smarty network. When roaming you are not able to connect to 4G so at best you will only ever get 3G, and potentially 5G if you can connect to another network manually but this as I have found is intermittent at best.
According to SMARTY there will be no fix until end September. Other people in my party are with other providers and had full connectivity (with iPhones) on various networks from stepping off the plane.If you need data when roaming think about another network until this is fixed. From what I can see it is a Smarty only issue which they are conveniently not telling customers about until the complaint is escalated.
I have had the same problem with Smarty. Change network etc solutions but none work. It was advised to me to get a French sim to get internet access. They could at least let customers aware of the issue.
Thought I had got eu roaming although I found it very challenging.This is probably an age thing as I am in my eighties.As it did not work for me and I will have incurred out of plan charges I do not think Smarty is for me.
Disappointed
Eleanor_3457716 If you have not previously added any credit to your account, then you cannot incur any out of plan charges - so, no problem there!
EU Roaming sometimes requires you to manually select a network from those available until you find a strong signal - it's in the phone settings.
Did you also have roaming turned on in your settings? Did you follow Smarty's instructions for roaming?
Total nightmare with Smarty in Berlin on an iPhone 13 - absolutely no signal despite checking all the settings- yet on my wife’s android phone no problems - what is the problem
Tristan_3222814 Both on Smarty? Both in the same place? Both Roaming on the same network?
Have you tried swapping your sim to her phone to see if it works then? If it does, it will be a phone issue. You did turn on all Roaming settings definitely?
Ridiculous that Smarty cannot get its systems working for iPhones. I am having the same problems as you.
Katrina_1423832 Why do you assume that it is Smarty's fault? When roaming, you are relying on one of the networks in the country you are in.
I have been with Smarty since May and usually travel 2-3 times per month mainly to Germany, Portugal and Spain. I can say that experience with Smarty on roaming has not been great, which is how I ended up on this discussion as I was searching options. That said experience with EE previously over several years was exactly the same. I didn't have to change ADN with EE but always had to switch to manual network selection and toggle between them trying to find one that works. This is tedious as toggling between manual and automatic itself takes several minutes and then you need to try each network which takes a few more minutes. Not sure if anyone has found way to do this faster.
I would assume local subscribers will always get priority in countries which would also have an impact. I would also assume contracts between providers vary thus why some say that their companions have better experience in different countries. Side note but I assumed same thing when I couldn't get Smarty to connect to data in central London as would assume 3 (I think that is Smarty base network) subscribers would get priority in congested areas. What it's hard to find is any research on which provider has the best actual connectivity when roaming, it's always just comparisons of cost and options.
A potential solution I have seen mentioned elsewhere which is what I was researching when ended up here is getting a second sim from different provider and keeping both active. Hypothetically the iphone will switch between whichever one has data connection, I remain skeptical this will happen automatically but at least would increase chances of one working for maintaining connection. Getting one EU one to combine with Smarty could then be an option. Obviously it's higher monthly cost maintaining two but might be worth it if it's less frustration.
In summary it's frustrating and is a problem but it doesn't seem to be just a Smarty problem. I have also always been able to get a data connection with Smarty roaming, it's just a matter of how long it takes fiddling with settings to get there and if I get the connection before I throw the phone out of frustration 🙂
ONCO-IT Another possible solution is to get an Esim - assuming your phone accepts it and if a data connection is very important. These can be purchased with varying amounts of data and varying times in which to use it.
Obviously, roaming on a plan that you've already paid for is the ideal, but an Esim could be useful backup.
That is what I was thinking of doing but with exception it would just be a EU wide one ongoing monthly as otherwise I would be switching back and forth between them and trying to manage multiple ones. The catch being of course the fact I don't know if the iphone will really just switch between them without me having to do anything and also if EU roaming is any better as I know my coworkers also sometimes have issues and they already are on EU plans.
It's not just a Smarty problem though, that is for sure. There may be better or other companies that don't have as many issues but catch is finding them without just literally trying them all 🙂
I’m getting nothing in Malaga had to buy an e sim roaming was the reason I went for Smarty it previously worked in Lanzarote
Bottom line is….you cannot rely on Smarty roaming.
sometimes it works great, other times virtually nothing.Just changed to Smarty, have 38 gb left of my monthly allowance but arrived in Amsterdam and no mobile data. All settings were done before travelling and I’ve been in chat with Smarty while on airport WiFi waiting in passport line. Was told that the reason I couldn’t automatically get roaming data was because I’d used up my 12gb data. But I used that in UK and assumed because my monthly plan is 50gb data, that any 12gb data of that is useable in EU roaming not just the first 12gb of each month. So I’ve had to pay £7 extra for an EU data add on for 3 days. Not what I was expecting when I signed up.
Hiya Richard!
We are aware of the issue and are actively working to resolve it. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. If you encounter this problem again, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Thank you for your understanding.
-Linsey
“that any 12gb data of that is useable in EU roaming not just the first 12gb of each month”
that’s really poor. I need to look for new provider. Smarty is just plain unreliable.
I’m having exactly the same in Poland. Been on live chat for 2 days. Tried the sim in other phones - exactly the same.
I don’t understand what’s going on. I’m on an iPhone 15 Pro. Ive travelled with Smarty all over Europe (including Poland) before. It’s just not working.
after 2 hours on live chat I got a refund on my monthly package and got an eSIM which is working perfectly.
what a hassle though! Ive been a big smarty advocate- but I need something more reliable.
RoCoUK Not totally sure that it is fair to blame Smarty here. You say yourself that you have travelled all over Europe with a smarty sim and presumably you were happy with it.
Surely this is down to the local network(s) - I assume that you did a manual search and tried each in turn.
Wildcard idea......you're not anywhere near Ukraine where there may be congestion?
I tried all networks in Dresden, nothing
in Vienna the day before was fine.
