on iPhones using Tracfone AT&T or Verizon SIM cards, should "Data Roaming" in settings be on or off?

[AmandaCL]

on iPhones using Tracfone AT&T or Verizon SIM cards, should "Data Roaming" in settings be on or off?

I've always had Tracfone Verizon SIM card and on or off made no difference.

However, I just got a Tracfone AT&T SIM card. When I put it into the same iPhone, I noticed that "Data Roaming" got turned off by itself. When I put the Tracfone Verizon SIM card back in, the "Data Roaming" got turned on again(green).

Just wondering what it really does? (or doesn't do)

THanks!

[LadyLC]

Looking at my iphone SE (1st gen) on TF Verizon, data roaming is off.
The explanation for it states "Turn on to use services when traveling internationally".

[arny56]

It’s my understanding that Tracfone doesn’t roam so either setting would not have any effect. I leave my original se (Verizon) on roam just in case.

[NathanA]

As others have said, TF does not allow for international roaming, so the setting will make no difference in your case. The reason the phone gives you that option in the first place is because if you are travelling internationally AND are on a postpaid plan that DOES allow for roaming, if you leave it on, you might end up getting hit with a surprisingly large bill from your provider. Some people are willing to pay the steep costs for roaming, while others would rather not; thus the choice is left up to you.

I believe that the default setting is "off", and I suspect that iPhone probably tracks that setting on a per-SIM basis. So if you ever turn it on for a given SIM that you have in your phone, and then you swap SIMs by putting in one that the phone has never seen before, it'll go back to the "off" position (because that's the default). But if you put your original SIM back in (the one that was in the phone when you toggled that setting on), it will remember that you asked for roaming to be enabled for that SIM, and toggle it back on.