Last updated: 20 October 2026
US Mobile works abroad, and on its two top plans roaming is already included. Unlimited Premium comes with 20 GB of roaming data, 200 minutes and 250 texts, and Unlimited Starter billed annually with 1 GB, 200 minutes and 250 texts. On any other unlimited or shared-data plan you buy a roaming add-on: $15 for 1 GB, 150 minutes and 150 texts, or $30 for 5 GB, 500 minutes and 500 texts. Mexico and Canada work the same way as everywhere else: there is no separate free North America allowance on the unlimited plans. How many countries you can roam in depends on which of US Mobile's three networks your line is on.
On Starter, Flex or a shared plan, going for two weeks? Add-ons for about 1 GB a day come to $60 or more. Our 15-day Europe plan with 1.5 GB a day costs $19.99, and your US Mobile number stays on.
What each US Mobile plan includes abroad
| Plan | Price (as listed on 11 October 2026) | Roaming included | Mexico and Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unlimited Premium | $44 a month, or $299 for the first year paid annually (renews at $390) | 20 GB data, 200 minutes, 250 texts | Same allowance, no extra cost |
| Unlimited Starter, annual | $199 for the first year (renews at $270) | 1 GB data, 200 minutes, 250 texts | Same allowance, no extra cost |
| Unlimited Starter, monthly | See usmobile.com | None: buy a roaming add-on | Add-on from $15 |
| Unlimited Flex (annual only) | $210 a year | None: buy a roaming add-on | Add-on from $15 |
| North America by-the-gig | Shared data pool | Your pool's data, plus 100 minutes and 100 texts | Covers the US, Canada and Mexico |
| Global by-the-gig | Shared data pool | Your pool's data, plus 100 minutes and 100 texts | Included, with 180+ supported countries depending on network |
US Mobile says roaming is either included in your plan or prepaid, so there are no daily charges and nothing is billed after you come home. Plan prices change with promotions: check usmobile.com for today's price before you switch.
Mexico and Canada
US Mobile lists Canada and Mexico among its most popular roaming destinations, with the same three options as the UK: Unlimited Premium (20 GB, 200 minutes, 250 texts), annual Unlimited Starter (1 GB, 200 minutes, 250 texts) or a roaming add-on from $15. In other words, a trip to Cancún or Toronto draws on the same roaming allowance as a trip to Rome.
If you cross the border often, US Mobile also sells a North America by-the-gig plan: a shared data pool for use in the US, Canada and Mexico, with 100 minutes and 100 texts per line each cycle. It suits a household that travels to Mexico or Canada regularly more than a one-off trip.
For how the bigger carriers treat Mexico, see will my phone work in Mexico?, and for Canada, will my phone work in Canada?
The rest of the world: it depends on your network
US Mobile runs its lines on three networks, Warp, Dark Star and Light Speed, and you can move a line between them. Roaming coverage is not the same on each:
| Network | Roaming destinations |
|---|---|
| Light Speed | 180+ countries, with calls, texts and data |
| Warp | 125+ countries, with calls, texts and data |
| Dark Star | 110+ destinations, 30 of them data only |
So the "180+ countries" in US Mobile's headline is the Light Speed figure. If your line is on Dark Star or Warp, check your destination before you fly. US Mobile's Travel Planner (in your Lines dashboard, under Line Settings, International Travel) tells you whether your plan and network cover the countries you enter, and recommends changes if they do not. Network transfers are free on Unlimited Premium; on other plans the first two are free, then $2 each.
A few rules apply on every network:
- Your line must have been used in the US first. US Mobile says roaming will not be provisioned until the line has some domestic usage, and it will not work if you activate the line outside the US.
- Calls go home or local. While roaming you can call the country you are in and the US. Calls to a third country might not be supported.
- No cruise ships. US Mobile's roaming does not cover service on a cruise ship: see eSIM for a cruise for what works in port.
How to turn on roaming
On Unlimited Premium or annual Unlimited Starter, there is nothing to buy. Turn on data roaming in your phone's settings and travel:
- iPhone: Settings, then Cellular (or Mobile Service), select your US Mobile line, turn on Data Roaming and set Network Selection to Automatic.
- Android: Settings, then Network and Internet, then SIMs, select your US Mobile line, turn on Roaming and set Network Selection to Automatic.
Two network-specific steps: on Light Speed, make sure your phone has the correct APN setting (US Mobile publishes them). On Dark Star, set your destination under Roaming Destination in your line settings, or ask support to do it.
On any other plan, buy a roaming add-on on the line details page in the US Mobile app or web app. Unlimited Flex, Unlimited Starter, Unlimited Premium and by-the-gig shared plans can add one on all networks; the Light Plan and Custom plans only on Light Speed and Dark Star.
| Add-on or top-up | Price | Data | Talk and text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roaming add-on or top-up | $15 | 1 GB | 150 minutes, 150 texts |
| Roaming add-on or top-up | $30 | 5 GB | 500 minutes, 500 texts |
| Talk and text top-up | $5 | None | 100 minutes, 100 texts |
You can top up as many times as you need, including on plans that already include roaming. US Mobile notes that usage figures can lag by a few hours to a day, and that provisioning abroad can take up to 60 minutes after you land.
What happens without roaming
If your plan does not include roaming and you have not bought an add-on, your US Mobile line will not roam. Because US Mobile has no pay-as-you-go roaming, that also means no surprise bill. On Wi-Fi, US Mobile says Wi-Fi Calling to US numbers is generally included, while calls to local foreign numbers may cost extra.
US Mobile's own international data eSIMs
US Mobile also sells data-only international eSIMs from its Account Dashboard ("Add International Data"). They are a separate line on your phone, carry no calls or texts, and are valid for 30 days from purchase. US Mobile's pages put their coverage at more than 100 countries (figures range from 100+ to 140+ depending on the page), and say that in many destinations they are complimentary with Unlimited Premium and annual Unlimited Starter. They are mainly a way to get data where your network does not roam, without switching networks.
What a trip costs with US Mobile
| Trip | Unlimited Premium | Annual Starter | Flex or monthly Starter | Our travel eSIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks in Europe, about 1 GB a day | Included (within 20 GB) | $60 in add-ons (two $30 top-ups, 10 GB more) | $75 (two $30 + one $15, 11 GB) | $19.99 (15 days, 1.5 GB a day) |
| 1 week in Mexico, about 1 GB a day | Included | $30 (one 5 GB top-up, plus your 1 GB) | $45 ($30 + $15, 6 GB) | $13.99 (7 days, 1.5 GB a day) |
Add-on prices as listed on US Mobile's roaming page on 20 October 2026; our prices from our catalogue on the same day.
When a travel eSIM is cheaper
If you are on Unlimited Premium, its 20 GB is a generous roaming allowance and a travel eSIM is mostly a backup. A travel eSIM tends to win when:
- Your plan has little or no roaming. On annual Starter, Flex or monthly Starter, every gigabyte abroad costs $6 to $15 in add-ons. A travel eSIM is sized for the whole trip in one purchase.
- Your network does not cover the destination. Warp reaches 125+ countries and Dark Star 110+, some of them data only. An eSIM for the country you are visiting does not depend on which network your US line is on.
- You use a lot of data. Maps, ride-hailing, video calls and photo backups add up. Travel eSIMs come in larger fixed, daily and unlimited sizes.
- You visit several countries. A regional plan, for example one for Europe, covers every country on one eSIM.
A travel eSIM needs a phone that takes an eSIM and is not carrier-locked: check yours in 30 seconds. US Mobile says some promotional phones it sells stay locked to US Mobile for 30, 60 or 90 days; if you are traveling in that window, ask its support before you go. For the four ways to get data abroad side by side, see best international phone plan for travel.
Setting it up: US Mobile and a travel eSIM together
You do not have to choose. Keep your US Mobile line for your number and let the travel eSIM carry the data.
- Install the travel eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi: iPhone or Android.
- Turn on Wi-Fi Calling for your US Mobile line, so calls to US numbers work over Wi-Fi.
- When you land, set the travel eSIM as the line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for the eSIM only.
- On your US Mobile line, leave data roaming off if your plan has no roaming, so it never carries data. On Premium you can leave it on for calls and texts within your allowance.
- Turn off automatic data switching (on iPhone, "Allow Cellular Data Switching"), so a weak signal never moves data back to your US Mobile line.
Comparing carriers? See Visible, Mint Mobile, Google Fi, Cricket, Boost Mobile, Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile, or the big three: Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
FAQ
Does US Mobile work in Mexico?
Yes. Mexico is one of US Mobile's roaming destinations. Unlimited Premium includes 20 GB of data, 200 minutes and 250 texts abroad, and annual Unlimited Starter 1 GB, 200 minutes and 250 texts. Other plans need a roaming add-on from $15, as of October 2026. The North America by-the-gig plan also covers Mexico.
Does US Mobile work in Canada?
Yes, in the same way as Mexico: included on Unlimited Premium and annual Unlimited Starter, with a roaming add-on from $15 on other plans. There is no separate free Canada allowance on the unlimited plans; Canada uses the same roaming allowance as any other country.
Is US Mobile international roaming free?
It is included at no extra cost on Unlimited Premium (20 GB, 200 minutes, 250 texts) and on Unlimited Starter billed annually (1 GB, 200 minutes, 250 texts). Other plans pay for an add-on: $15 for 1 GB, 150 minutes and 150 texts, or $30 for 5 GB, 500 minutes and 500 texts.
How many countries does US Mobile roaming cover?
It depends on the network your line is on: 180+ countries on Light Speed, 125+ on Warp, and 110+ destinations on Dark Star, 30 of them data only. The Travel Planner in your US Mobile dashboard checks your destinations.
Does US Mobile have a travel eSIM?
Yes. US Mobile sells data-only international eSIMs from its Account Dashboard, valid for 30 days, with no calls or texts. In many destinations they are complimentary with Unlimited Premium and annual Unlimited Starter. Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked.
Why is my US Mobile line not roaming?
Check that data roaming is on and Network Selection is set to Automatic, that your plan includes roaming or you bought an add-on, and that the line was used in the US before you left. On Light Speed, check the APN setting; on Dark Star, set your Roaming Destination. US Mobile says provisioning can take up to 60 minutes after you arrive. If a travel eSIM is the line that will not connect, see eSIM not working abroad.
Facts checked on 20 October 2026 against US Mobile's international roaming page (included allowances, add-ons and networks), with plan prices as listed on its plan pages on 11 October 2026, and our catalogue.