new addition to my travel kit

albatross710

Established Member
Joined
May 15, 2004
Posts
3,704
With so many access and security protocols now being linked to my mobile phone I've added a replacement SIM to my travel kit.

In the event I lose my phone overseas I will obtain an unlocked phone and use this blank SIM as my new SIM. Then I will be able to receive the various confirmation text messages.

This will suffice until one day I get an e-sim.
 
I bought a blank AMAYSIM for $1 from Woolworths which I will use through the Activate option which will offer me a new number or my old number.
 
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I guess the only hurdle may be if you need to be in Australia on the Optus network in order for the activation of the replacement SIM to work. I don't know if that is the case or not.
 
Work used to provide us with a spare Telstra sim in case we lost/damaged our phone. Fortunately, I never had the need but I have a vague recollection that they could deactivate the old and activate the new even when overseas.

I don’t know for sure, but I‘d suspect an eSIM is a good work around for a lost/stolen phone (and physical sim). If you back up to the cloud, it might reinstall on a new phone. So long as you still have another iOS device handy to help verify and activate the new phone.

If I switch my Optus service over to eSIM I must remember to ask if that works.
 
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… or, take an old phone with its own SIM ( or an overseas one) as a spare. I keep my previous iPhone updated from time to time so except for the number, it would be a seamless replacement if my main phone was unusable.
 
… or, take an old phone with its own SIM ( or an overseas one) as a spare. I keep my previous iPhone updated from time to time so except for the number, it would be a seamless replacement if my main phone was unusable.
Yes, I do that as a matter of course (handy to have a spare phone for a physical SIM if eSIM options aren’t available/cost effective). Switching a physical sim is seamless os but obviously doesn’t help if you’ve lost the sim.

I‘m now curious if say a prepaid Optus SIM could be repurposed OS. Another question for Optus! (or Telco of choice).
 
… or, take an old phone with its own SIM ( or an overseas one) as a spare. I keep my previous iPhone updated from time to time so except for the number, it would be a seamless replacement if my main phone was unusable.
Good idea, but doesn't help with 2FA. That's my main concern. Losing my phone could potentially lose me access to a number of vital services that use my phone number to send a code for authentication.
 
Good idea, but doesn't help with 2FA. That's my main concern. Losing my phone could potentially lose me access to a number of vital services that use my phone number to send a code for authentication.

Most/many have options other 2FA, though don't they? Of course that doesn't help it when the one you need, doesn't!
 
I am thinking of having 1 of my phones for usual service in Australia and taking a second phone OS. Basically I am only worried by losing access to banking. However with CBA it appears that I can ring a day or 2 before leaving to change the number for codes and do the reverse when I get home.
 
Most/many have options other 2FA, though don't they? Of course that doesn't help it when the one you need, doesn't!
Some do. The worst in my experience is government accounts. I recently lost the ability to log into the NDIS website because they had phone 2FA, and the only way to change was through mygov, which requires, guess what, phone 2FA! I was basically unable to pay for my wife's care when I was abroad.

Since Telstra, in their wisdom had stopped ALL roaming for prepaid plans, my phone would not even connect while abroad. Very fortunately, I had activated the NDIS app, and used biometric to log in.
 
Access to all of our TFA sites can individually be solved. My thought with the backup SIM is to be able to quickly solve the problem.

I do carry a backup iphone 5 into which I put my Au SIM. I usually always have a local SIM.

Also on the covenience front I don't carry overseas any of our 'joint' bank cards. nor a card that has any direct debits. it's easy to replace bank cards, harder to have to change all the debit details.
 

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