A Quick Survival Guide for Singtel hi! Prepaid Users (As of April 2025)
Arriving in Japan without roaming plan? I know It happens. Let me share the similar situation with you.
Here’s How I (Sort of) Fixed It in Tokyo
I landed in Tokyo, pulled out my phone, and saw the dreaded “No Service.”
Then it hit me — I forgot to buy my Singtel hi! prepaid roaming plan before leaving Singapore.
“No big deal,” I thought. “I’ll just log in to the hi! app and sort it out.”
Plot twist: the app needs SMS authentication. No network = no SMS = no login. Perfect.
Why This Happens
The Singtel hi! app logs you out automatically if you don’t use it for a while.
If you’ve been regularly using the app? You’re fine — you’ll likely stay logged in.
But if you’re like me and haven’t opened it in weeks (or months), it boots you out.
Now you’re overseas, unable to receive SMS, and locked out of your account.
Bonus nightmare: if your number is tied to any services — like banks or ride apps — and they need to send you an SMS? You’re stuck there too.
How I Managed to Recover (Using Wi-Fi)
Luckily, I found Wi-Fi around.
Here’s what worked for me — and might work for you too:
1. Connect to Wi-Fi or use another data source (like a local SIM or pocket Wi-Fi).
2. Open the hi! app. If you’re still logged in — great. If not, unfortunately, you’re out of options.
3. Go to Top-Up Services
And enter your mobile phone number. (You should know it.)
4. Choose Roaming Plans
5. Choose a plan for your destination
In my case, hi!DataRoam Pack B, having “Japan”.
6. Tap “Get,” review the details, then proceed to payment.
Not many options here as you can see.
No SMS or call only plans as of 2025 Apr. FYI.
7. After purchase, wait a few minutes for the activation to complete.
Don’t forget to turn on Data Roaming in your phone settings.
But wait — there’s more.
Sometimes the app just doesn’t work.
You tap “Pay” and nothing happens. Or it fails to redirect to the payment site.
Or the page loads with an error.
If that happens? Accept it with grace. It’s not your fault. Try again later if you’re still up for it.
Don’t Be Like Me — Do This Instead
- Buy your roaming plan before you fly. Seriously.
- Open the hi! app now and then to stay logged in.
- Don’t assume you can fix everything after landing, especially without mobile signal.
Tried Customer Support (Just in Case)
I called Singtel prepaid support, hoping they had a magic fix.
They were friendly, but without access to the number, they couldn’t do much.
TL;DR Recap
- Roaming pack? Buy it before leaving Singapore.
- The app logs you out if not used regularly.
- No network = no SMS = no login = no roaming = no support.
- If you find Wi-Fi, you might be able to buy the plan after arrival.
- App payment sometimes fails. Try again — or just accept it and move on.
Good luck, Have a nice trip!