Phone and Internet
Plans, eSIM, home internet, scam calls
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Choosing a phone plan without an SSN
Prepaid, postpaid and smaller carriers explained, what you can get without US credit, and what a plan usually costs.
4 min
Setting up an eSIM on iPhone or Android
What an eSIM is, how to add one from a QR code or app, and how to keep your home number active at the same time.
4 min
Scam calls and texts, and how to stop them
Fake toll and package texts, call screening, forwarding spam to 7726, reporting to the FTC and the Do Not Call list.
5 min
Keeping your home number and why US numbers get recycled
Keep your home SIM alive for bank codes, move accounts to your US number, and avoid losing codes when a number is reused.
4 min
Getting home internet: providers, speed and real prices
Find who serves your address, choose a speed, check data caps, buy or rent the router, and plan for the price going up.
5 min
Low-cost and free internet options
Lifeline, providers' low-income plans, free library Wi-Fi and hotspot lending for when money is tight.
3 min
Texting culture, Wi-Fi calling and calling home cheaply
Why Americans use SMS and iMessage, when to use WhatsApp, how Wi-Fi calling works and cheap ways to call family abroad.
4 min
Getting a phone: bring yours, buy unlocked or finance
Will your phone from home work? Unlocked vs carrier phones, monthly phone payments, eSIM-only iPhones and used phones.
4 min