How does international texting/calling work in El Salvador?

I have a friend who is currently visiting family in El Salvador. I’m aware that they don’t have any or much cell service unless you pay for it in that area but she has an American phone so just uses wifi to text and call when she’s at her family’s house. When she leaves the house with her phone my messages or calls don’t deliver/go through at all.
It’s just weird because I spoke with her last about 2 weeks ago now and my Calls and messages are not going through HOWEVER- every few days or so, my message will deliver. Just not often. When I see it delivers I try to send another one and the next one does not go through again…. Is it possible that she’s out and gets enough spot of service just for my message to deliver and then it goes away again? I just worry that’s all and I’m not very tech savvy. But I’m assuming that’s what happens. She’s not home with her family so she doesn’t have wifi for my messages/ calls to go through but every so often wherever she is- gets maybe a small spot of service and it will go through? Then back to no service.

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reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

how close are you? when I travel a barely stay in contact with anyone except my parents because my mom will worry to death but I have communicated with my folks from all over the world, even remote mountain villages in Nepal or in the Amazon forest. sometimes in areas with weak wifi video-calls don't work but texting always works. does the icon say the messages were read or just received? usually there are 3 stages : 1:sent but not received, 2: received but not seen, 3:seen. maybe if you are worried you can contact family of hers who she would definitely be in contact with?. one time I was in Peru and forgot to write to a friend of mine to tell him I was ok and when I did he was freaking out.

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reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

@Sb356 what about family of hers that lives close to where you live?

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@reflectingmonkey yes those are the ones I referred to in my comment above :)

reflectingmonkey · 51-55, M

@Sb356 oh ok, are you facebook-friends with any of them? or maybe some that have met you already? I'm just feeling for you how awkward it might be. but being worried for your frind is an honorable reason to cross over certain bounderies.

SW-User

How does she get the messages? Whenever I travel, I purchase an international SIM card or a foreign SIM in the country. You get a new number so basically, you put the SIM in and use that number. Unless El Salvador has her phone carrier, it's impossible that she can get a message to her phone.

Unless she is using an app? Textnow?

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@SW-User no she has iPhone and her phone service doesn’t work out there. She also has not for whatever reason purchased an international sim. We communicate through iMessage which can be done through a wifi connection. She has wifi at her grammas so either it cut off or maybe she isn’t at her grammas😕

justanothername · 51-55, M

She can send and receive when she has wifi connection or within cellphone coverage.

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@justanothername yeaaahh and I know In El Salvador there isn’t much coverage for a lot of American phone services in general. I just worry about her cause we usually chat every day and then two weeks ago just stopped randomly. I’m wondering what happened.

justanothername · 51-55, M

@Sb356 That’s a tough one considering El Salvador is very safe

Sb356 · 26-30, F

@justanothername I’m not sure what part you’re talking about but it’s got a lot of issues with gangs and violence. It’s an issue. I wouldn’t say it’s safe. It gets pretty rough out there. I got a few friends from there actually.

This message was deleted by its author.

BiasForAction · M

@allygator18 you really should do standup

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