2-Step Verification Whilst Overseas - WITHOUT Access to Receive SMS

Charlotta on 13/03/2023 - 01:45

Whilst travelling I won't be able to receive any sms messages needed for 2-step verification.

I'm an Android user very happy with Vaya (on Optus network) - with no interest to change from their $16 legacy plan despite limitation of zero International Roaming.

I have a lengthy round-the-world trip coming up incl diverse parts of Africa and South America coming up. I'll be buying a local data sim in each country i visit - which helps to keep costs low.

Thanks to Musk's restructuring of Twitter to remove SMS from 2-step for unpaid accounts, I've only recently just using the Google Authenticator App

A few concerns:-

1/ With which services has anyone had most problems?

2/ Has anyone drawn up a list of which 2-step verifications one should make sure check, for transition their 2-step away from SMS to Google Authenticator services? Seems like a good idea for a standard wiki pages.

3/ What happens to restore my access whilst traveling if my phone is damaged or lost or stolen?

4/ What experience has there been with acccessing or restoring the Apps of the major Australian Banks onto a new phone whilst overseas with no access to one's Australia mobile phone number?

Travel

Comments

  • payless69 on 13/03/2023 - 07:55
    +2

    Africa: Add to the adventure by dropping 2FA…..

  • scotty on 13/03/2023 - 08:55
    +5

    A few things:

    • Definitely a good idea to get onto a mobile provider that gives at least free roaming to receive SMS when going overseas. That solves many of your problems.

    • A hardware or token based 2FA is still more secure than SMS based 2FA and no less convenient. There were lots of SIM swap / SIM hijacking in the past, and losing your SIM while overseas would be very troublesome. So if there's a service that offers both token based 2FA or SMS 2FA — choose the token based one.

    • Google Authentication does not backup your code. There's an option to transfer to another account, which is not useful when you lost your phone. I use Authy which does backup & restore onto their own server (with a passphrase). So in the event of losing your phone, you can just install Authy onto a new phone and then restore all your tokens.

    • CyberMurning on 13/03/2023 - 09:52

      "mobile provider that gives at least free roaming to receive SMS when going overseas"
      that i am not aware…..(free)

      • scotty on 13/03/2023 - 09:58

        I would think most providers would let you receive SMS for free? Even Kogan Mobile can do that. I am not talking about roaming data or outbound calls.

        • CyberMurning on 13/03/2023 - 11:04
          -1

          hmm not sure. and i dont have kogan mobile to test.
          but i thought so a sim card can active (ie receiving or making a thing) overseas, roaming is a must. doesnt matter call, data or sms. anything.
          without roaming, the sim is dead outside australia. dead as useless dead full stop.

          there are exception like telstra or boost but i have not been able to verify myself.

          • scotty on 13/03/2023 - 11:18
            +2

            @CyberMurning: I've received SMS overseas with amaysim, Boost, Kogan Mobile and Woolworths Mobile without paying any optional "roaming fee", and I assume it applies to most network and MVNOs as well. So the issue might be with OP's legacy Vaya SIM.

          • dcep on 13/03/2023 - 15:28

            @CyberMurning: Yes, almost every prepaid sim service that offers international roaming will allow you to receive sms for free (but costs $ for calls / voicemail).
            The same cannot be said for postpaid as some requires a deposit to enable international roaming.

            Sim service that does not support international roaming will not work overseas whatsover, nor the one that requires manual activation and wasn't enabled for international roaming to work automatically upon landing.

            Boost only brought back international roaming few months ago. It wasn't available last couple of years.

    • suchan on 13/03/2023 - 10:13

      I second (or third) the vote on Authy. Before I knew about Authy I put everything into Google Auth and when I had to restore / transfer my phone I found I have lost all of them with no way of restoring (or remembering) whatever's in there.

    • Chandler on 13/03/2023 - 15:22

      This.

      Authy is good - was a happy Authy user myself, but went through a FOSS streak in the recent past and am using Aegis currently. It has the ability to export your tokens, so you can backup/restore your 2FA in the even you lose/wipe your device (as long as you got the backup file off it!).

  • Youfah Mizzum on 13/03/2023 - 09:05
    +1

    You realise it costs nothing to receive SMS?

    Just keep your normal SIM in your normal phone & take an old 2nd phone to chuck in a local data SIM & hotspot off it.
    Been doing this for years. 2FA works fine with the usual SMS.

    • CyberMurning on 13/03/2023 - 09:51
      +1

      costs nothing to receive SMS?

      but her/his provider must have roaming feature, no ?

      • Youfah Mizzum on 13/03/2023 - 12:09

        I suspect that roaming needs to be turned on, but ensure you NEVER use data roaming whilst overseas. That's where you'll be slugged extra coin.
        Turn it off in your phone settings.
        And just to be sure, NEVER do outgoing calls or txts. Just have your normal SIM to receive those 2FA txts.
        Best check with your AU carrier.
        I am on the cheapest amaysim plan, never get charged extra, and I get all my 2FA texts.

        When I need to communicate with anyone, I'll do it via a data-based app (hotspotting to the local SIM where ever I am). So messenger, whatsapp, skype etc.
        Or use that local SIM card - i.e. the phone it's in, to call Australia as typically whatever you SIM you buy overseas will also include an allowance for calls too.

  • CyberMurning on 13/03/2023 - 09:50
    +1

    "Google Authenticator App"
    dont use that. it doenst have backup feature. if you lost/broke your phone… its nightmare for you.
    other other similar for example authy.

    edit.
    ups scotty said the same

  • Twix on 13/03/2023 - 10:07

    List of sites with two factor auth support which includes SMS, email, phone calls, hardware, and software.

    2FA Directory - AU
    2FA Directory - Global

    Click on the Australian flag on the top right corner to change countries.

    Don't 2FA one way. If the website allows write or print out single-use account recovery codes. Recovery codes expire after being used and you can generate new recovery codes.

  • donga100 on 13/03/2023 - 13:01
    +1

    If you can't receive sms overseas you could leave your sim in an Android phone in Australia and access the messages through https://messages.google.com/web

    • OMGJL on 13/03/2023 - 13:42
      +1

      it may log you out and asking you to scan the QR code again rather quickly, as you are keep changing GEO locations.

      Mightytext / Microsoft Your Phone might be a better idea.

      also better leave the phone to a Friend/relative in Australia, in case you need to re-login, or access it.

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