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Have you ever waited at an airport and watched Instagram or TikTok? It’s possible that you were shocked by a cell phone bill you received later. You’re not alone, I’ll tell you that. When we use our phones as usual without considering the data we are using, international roaming continues to be one of the most expensive mistakes we make as travelers.
Sim Local’s mobile communications specialist, Georgia Brivida, cautions against a feature that many people ignore before flying: the automatic playback of videos on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok (currently the most popular app), and even music streaming services like Spotify. All of these apps, on both Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android devices, are configured by default to play content without your request, which can quickly drain your bank account if you’re not in the US.
Fortunately, there is a way to prevent unforeseen fees and enjoy your trip without worrying about the next payment. Let’s begin, then!
What you should do before leaving the U.S
According to Georgia Brivida, a specialist at Sim Local, it is essential to verify if several apps have autoplay before boarding an international trip. This feature’s goal is to make using apps like TikTok more seamless by automatically playing videos while you navigate the app. This isn’t ideal if you’re traveling overseas, though, since it will result in high data usage if you don’t have a suitable data plan or aren’t using Wi-Fi.
Many travelers are unaware of this, and they immediately begin using applications like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and others as soon as they arrive at the airport. These applications instantly begin playing visual content, which in certain nations might be very costly.
How much data are you spending?
Videos that automatically play quickly use up a lot of mobile data without us even realizing it. Here are some concrete examples to help you become more conscious of your spending:
- Watching 10 minutes of content on YouTube or Netflix can consume up to 100 MB.
- Spending just a few minutes on TikTok or Instagram can take about 20 MB.
- Listening to music on Spotify also adds up to data, averaging 15 MB in a short time.
Because many carriers charge for each megabyte used while you’re abroad, this amount of usage might result in roaming fees of hundreds of dollars if you don’t have an international data plan.
Watching TikTok without worrying about the bill
Saving money is something that everyone enjoys. The good news is that there is a very easy way to prevent this issue. All you need to do, the expert said, is turn off autoplay before you get on the aircraft. Let’s now go over how to complete this process based on the kind of cell phone you own:
- On iPhone (iOS): 1. Go to Settings . 2. Go to Accessibility . 3. Then go to Motion . 4. Turn off the option called Automatic video previews .
- On Android: 1. Go to Settings. 2. Go to Google . 3. Tap on All services . 4. Select Search, Assistant and Voice . 5. Then go to Other settings . 6. Look for the Autoplay video previews option and select Never.
Autoplay does make it easier to access information, but when you’re overseas, every second of video literally counts toward your cost. You now have the ideal and simple way to watch your TikTok videos when traveling overseas!
