14

It's relatively easy to disable data roaming on an Android device in the "Wireless & networks" settings section, but the phone still tries to connect to other services via roaming like voice and SMS. Is there a way to disable ALL roaming whatsoever? I know about airplane mode, but that completely disables all connectivity, and it's also annoying to have to remember to keep turning airplane mode off and on again when I enter/leave the vicinity of this network. I'd like to be able to connect to my network but not allow any roaming.

Why disable? Becuase the network offering the roaming isn't one I trust, as I think it may be intercepting and recording my data. So I don't want my phone to use it.

Jez
  • 614
  • 2
  • 8
  • 20
  • Out of curiosity: what makes you think that they're recording? –  Jun 24 '12 at 10:27
  • Because I believe that the people providing the roaming service were my company, and they monitored all traffic (even doing a MITM for HTTPS) going over their computer networks. – Jez Jun 24 '12 at 10:32
  • @Jez: Why the paranoia about it? You worked for that company before is the impression I get. If you know that you're going to hit on that network when roaming, don't use it - simples :) Or get a pre-paid sim card of another network instead and pop it in to your device? – t0mm13b Jun 24 '12 at 11:28
  • 1
    Choosing a network manually and then forcing that network only seems to be the only solution. Might break functionality when you go out of that area though, as mentioned. That said, I think you're being paranoid. Even if you don't access their roaming point they can still sniff your signals right out of the air if they want to, the data isn't encrypted AFAIK, and if you encrypt it yourself then who cares about untrusted nodes. – pzkpfw Jun 24 '12 at 11:31
  • @bigbadonk420 I think your latter solution might actually be the solution in the long term - we need all mobile comms to be encrypted as a matter of course; voice, MMS, data, etc. All is reduced to data, all data should be encrypted. Then roaming wouldn't matter from a security perspective. – Jez Jun 24 '12 at 21:32
  • So start encrypting your traffic. HTTPS for websites, PGP for e-mails and so on. – pzkpfw Jun 25 '12 at 07:28
  • What about voice and SMS? – Jez Jun 25 '12 at 13:10
  • Why doesn't turning Airplane Mode on count as a valid answer for disabling all roaming? Airplane Mode doesn't do this? – user610620 Jan 03 '23 at 12:27

2 Answers2

2

I don't think this is possible.

I think when carriers agree to let users roam on each others use their network, that probably their policies would comply in the way that when you can trust your carrier, you can probably trust it when it trusts the other one.

EDIT: Actually I recently found this out: When you go to Settings > Wireless and Networks > Mobile networks > Network operators, you can choose to select your network manually instead of having it done automatically. But in fact, I'm not sure what it will do when you go out of coverage of the network you chose.

Steven Roose
  • 477
  • 3
  • 10
-1

The best way to do this in 2017 is to first turn on aeroplane mode which disables everything, then enable WiFi manually.

Ian Macintosh
  • 99
  • 1