New rules to tackle 'confusing' mobile roaming policies finally take force after MSE campaign – here's what's changing

When the UK left the European Union (EU), EU 'roam like at home' rules – and UK law requiring mobile operators to alert customers of roaming charges when they start to roam – ceased to apply.

Since then, some mobile operators have voluntarily continued to send their customers alerts, but there hasn't been a consistent approach across the board. This is something MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis had warned was "possibly deliberately confusing and opaque".

What the new rules mean for you

Under Ofcom's new rules, mobile providers will now have to send you a notification when you start roaming. This message should include, or direct you to, information on the following:

• At what point you start roaming and, if there is a charge based on a period of time, when the period starts and ends.

• Any fair use or time limits that apply.

• The option to set a spending cap to control costs.

• Where to find additional information on roaming limits and costs.

The image below is an example from Ofcom of what these messages could look like – we've also seen similar examples from major mobile providers, though they will vary depending on your plan and where you are in the world:

In addition, you'll now be alerted by your provider if you inadvertently roam – where you're near a border and you unwittingly stray into another country's mobile network despite not physically being in that country. This can happen along the borders of Greece and Turkey, for example. It can even happen on the south coast of England and in northern France.

Providers must also now have measures in place to enable customers to reduce or limit their spend on roaming while in the UK. Vodafone, for example, told us it's made roaming in Ireland available at no extra cost for all customers, up to a fair use limit of 25GB, to help those in Northern Ireland who are near the border. For other international borders, Vodafone will let you manually select a network for the destination you are in.

MSE has long called for increased roaming rights

We've long called for better roaming rights for consumers and have given evidence to the regulator on the issue. In 2022, our Roaming Risk report highlighted how networks weren't always upfront about how they defined what a 'day' was under their daily roaming charges.

More recently, our investigation into 'fair use' limits in 2023 found that most networks limited how much data you can use abroad and that several providers weren't making this clear when you signed up or in the roaming alerts received.

Ofcom's own research found that almost one in five holidaymakers were unaware they could face extra charges when using their mobile abroad.

How to cut your roaming costs

One option is to consider purchasing an eSim – particularly outside of Europe where roaming typically costs more.

Alternatively, if you want to stick with your network provider, there are some steps you can take to help prevent unexpected roaming bills.

Before you go away:

• Set a data use cap. Android users can do this in their phone's settings (see below). iPhone users can't do this in their phone's settings. However, you can ask your mobile provider to set a spend cap.

• Check how much data you have to use. If your network has an app (most do), you should also log in to check how much data you have left. It won't tell you how much roaming data you've used once overseas though.

Once away:

• Only use Wi-Fi. If you're worried about exceeding your allowance abroad, the easiest thing is to turn roaming off completely and rely on local Wi-Fi networks, for example, those potentially offered by your hotel. See our quick roaming tips for more.

• If you need roaming, turn on your handset's low data or data-saving modes. If your roaming is switched on, it'll naturally use data in the background, even if you're not using your phone. Low data or data-saving modes help stop or limit background data use, but you have to turn it on in your settings. The process varies depending on if you're using an iPhone or Android, but we've instructions on this below.

• Check your roaming usage using your phone's settings. You can also use your phone's settings to check your data use - and this will work while you're overseas. The process varies depending on if you're using an iPhone or Android, but we've instructions on how to turn it on for both below. Some networks will also voluntarily automatically text you once you've used 80% of your data allowance and then again at 100% of your allowance.