Looking for recommendations for an international iphone app for phone calls and data.

I have tried the AIS bolt on packages which generally do not work and are a waste of money.

and limited luck with e-sim purchases.

I work in a variety of countries, Africa, Middle East and Asia to name a few.

Please base your suggestions on actual experience.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Thanks

I use Talk360 for calls to UK and crystal clear, check that out, i prefer it over mytello as it shows my mobile number when i call

mytello works well for me from here to UK.

I used Airalo in the Maldives, couldn't fault the service & was reasonably cheap (IIRC it was $40 for 30 days & 20GB, which the GF also used via hotspot for her data)... PAYG so no monthly payments required.

Quick Google and they have...

Africa Regional eSIM: Covers multiple countries, with options often starting around $19-$24 for varying data amounts.

Middle East: Popular 30-day options include 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, or 20GB, with prices ranging from roughly $20 to over $50 USD depending on the data amount.

Thanks for all the advice 👍

I will check them out as I need something that will work worldwide.

https://www.localphone.com Have been using it for nearly twenty years worldwide.

On 3/9/2026 at 11:00 AM, SamSpade said:

I used Airalo in the Maldives, couldn't fault the service & was reasonably cheap (IIRC it was $40 for 30 days & 20GB, which the GF also used via hotspot for her data)... PAYG so no monthly payments required.

Quick Google and they have...

Africa Regional eSIM: Covers multiple countries, with options often starting around $19-$24 for varying data amounts.

Middle East: Popular 30-day options include 3GB, 5GB, 10GB, or 20GB, with prices ranging from roughly $20 to over $50 USD depending on the data amount.

That's data, rather than calls.

2 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

That's data, rather than calls.

Sorry, when I'm travelling I make all of my calls over Whatsapp/Line & will use my Thai or UK number if I need to make an actual call.

Here's the Airolo packages that include Calls/SMS which I think is of more use for Guys who are looking to maintain a US mobile number wherever they are...

https://www.airalo.com/help/using-managing-esims/ZSEEHBT5HW6F/what-is-discover-global-esim/IEF5FXBUXGVU?srsltid=AfmBOop8klDQKZC4jo_C5ab52cTgCabjR3m1lqR40Xmn0F8CPxcqHgjh

Thanks for the recommendation of https://www.localphone.com am planning a trip to Taiwan & Korea if my UK trip falls through so will check them out.

For anybody who's interested, I'm just back from a 4 week trip to Malaysia and used a 1 Month Maxis Pre-Paid (Bought at Penang Airport, 45MYR for unlimited data), couldn't fault it & IIRC this did include Calls & SMS.

Get a plan with your telco (or some other telco) back home that includes international WiFi Calling. You can often get that feature even with a basic plan that does not include international roaming. I get SMS message verifications from my bank and make/receive local calls as if I was connected to my Telco's cell towers back home, no matter where I am in the world.

If they say it includes WiFi Calling MAKE SURE it allows international WiFi calling. Sometimes it doesn't because they don't want to lose those sweet international roaming fees. If it doesn't include international WiFi Calling you will have to go through a VPN to get it to work.

1 minute ago, shdmn said:

Get a plan with your Telco back home that includes international WiFi Calling. You can often get that feature even with a basic plan with no international roaming.

That might result in very expensive International calls.

2 minutes ago, IsmeUno said:

That might result in very expensive International calls.

There are zero fees. No long distance fees. No roaming fees. It works exactly the same as if you were connected to the telco tower back home. The only difference is that it connects directly to your telco through the internet instead of through their towers. Nobody calling you or sending SMS messages will know the difference either, so no possiblity that it won't pass bank fraud checks either.

Just now, shdmn said:

Then you don't understand how it works. There are zero fees. No long distance fees. No roaming fees. It works exactly the same as if you were connected to the Telco tower back home. The only difference is that it connects directly to your telco through the internet instead of through their towers. Nobody calling you or sending SMS messages will know the difference either, so no possiblity that it won't pass bank checks either.

I understand, fully. Calls will be charged at rates as if you were in the country of your Telco. That's okay if you are calling solely to that one country. Not great if you need to call worldwide.

Viber is great, it's like 5-6 dollars a month for unlimited to landline worldwide only. Feel sorry for people who are to careless to just google something or ask it even easier to ChatGPT or Grok nowadays, you would have gotten this answer instantly too.

If you need a reachable number yourself there is services that can forward to your current mobile number (or for businesses their staff on duty based on working schedules etc). Or you just could take a VOIP number for 20-30 a month and install a easy app to use it.

It's 2026 guys. You can get high speed Internet on planes or in the ocean, get real. If you not start using AI, it will use you.

Disliking in a comment doesn't change facts or truths.

Just now, BuffaloRider said:

Disliking in a comment doesn't change facts or truths.

That's true. Are there any facts in your post? I would say there are none.

57 minutes ago, BuffaloRider said:

Viber is great, it's like 5-6 dollars a month for unlimited to landline worldwide only. Feel sorry for people who are to careless to just google something or ask it even easier to ChatGPT or Grok nowadays, you would have gotten this answer instantly too.

If you need a reachable number yourself there is services that can forward to your current mobile number (or for businesses their staff on duty based on working schedules etc). Or you just could take a VOIP number for 20-30 a month and install a easy app to use it.

It's 2026 guys. You can get high speed Internet on planes or in the ocean, get real. If you not start using AI, it will use you.

Quote:

Viber (Rakuten) is a messaging app offering free, encrypted calls and messages, popular for international communication. While some users enjoy its user-friendly interface and unique features, recent reviews highlight significant issues, including difficult subscription cancellations, billing errors, poor call quality, and unresponsive customer support.

Did my due diligence before coming on here, jut wanted some real life experiences, not Bots or hyped up sales talk.

I live in Thailand and mostly do short trips in different countries.

Some apps like whatsapp are blocked in some countries I visit so will go with one of the ones previously recommended to me based on experience.

Thanks anyway!