aloSIM - Reviews and experiences

Weird thing — a coworker told me to try this and I also downloaded it from the App Store after a quick look. I hesitated at first because some posts warned about coverage, and honestly I expected a few hiccups. Turns out the set-up was easy and instructions are better than before, but the real problem showed up in Mexico City. Even with bars on my iPhone the data would just… disappear, sometimes on a certain block or inside a building. It messed up Google Maps, translation apps and my Ubers, so I kept having to step outside or wait for a signal. I’d used the same provider fine in Baja and in San Diego, L.A. and Vancouver last year, so this was surprising. Mildly annoyed, a bit unsafe at times — I probably won’t rely on it for CDMX again.

I was half a coffee into my first morning in Australia when my phone still had no data. I bought two AloSim eSIMs because the deal included a “free” number through their Hushed app and, honestly, I needed a local number while working abroad. I hesitated before buying. I like to back Canadian companies, but that free-number pitch felt a bit too good. Still, I went for it and followed every install step to the letter. Both eSIMs failed to connect.
Tech support answered fairly quickly. That was nice. But most replies were snippets from the FAQ, things I’d already tried. They suggested a few fixes, then asked me to delete and reinstall the eSIMs. I did that. Still nothing. By day three I had no service and a growing pile of missed calls from clients back home. I had set up the Hushed app before leaving, grabbed the numbers and even told people in Canada to use them. Those worked, so I thought at least that part was fine.
Then AloSim deactivated the eSIMs after refunding me, which I appreciated — the refund was handled without a fight. What I didn’t expect was that my working Hushed number got deactivated too, without warning, and they said I’d have to pay to reactivate it. That was annoying and created extra steps and extra cost I hadn’t budgeted for. A heads-up would have been simple.
In the end I bought Airalo eSIMs. They installed in minutes and were online within three minutes on the same network AloSim couldn’t do. Relief set in. So I’m glad it all worked out, mostly — I got my refund and I had connectivity. Still disappointed in the hiccups and lack of clear communication from AloSim, but relieved my trip didn’t stay offline.