The short answer: Steady Pace works anywhere, with no roaming, no local SIM, and no wifi. It needs no data connection and no account, and GPS works in every country. Land in a new country, put your phone in airplane mode, and run that first morning. Your pace tone, splits, distance, and elevation all run on the device, so a foreign dead zone or an expensive roaming plan makes no difference.
Why travel breaks most running apps
Abroad, your data is often the first thing to go: roaming is off or costly, and you have not sorted a local SIM yet. Many running apps assume a connection. They want you to log in, sync the run, or load a map, and without data they stall on a spinning loader before you have taken a step. GPS would work fine, but the app's dependence on the network fails you in a new country.
Why Steady Pace works anywhere
Steady Pace never uses the connection, at home or abroad. There is no login, no sync, and nothing to fetch, so it does not matter that your SIM is dead or roaming is off. GPS positions you from satellites the same in Tokyo as on your home street, so pace and distance are just as accurate. Run in airplane mode and you also avoid any roaming charges entirely, since the phone is not touching a foreign network at all.
| Steady Pace | A connection-dependent app | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs local data or roaming | No | Often, to start or sync |
| Works with a dead SIM | Yes | Frequently stalls |
| Risks roaming charges | None in airplane mode | Possible when it syncs |
| GPS accuracy abroad | Same as at home | Same, if the app will run |
Because Steady Pace needs no data and no account, you can run in a new country the same way you run at home, even with a dead SIM.
Blog
Works offline
The general case for needing no signal.
Blog
Airplane mode
Radios off, no roaming, GPS on.
Privacy
What a data leak looks like
87 real, cited incidents, and why no roaming means no data sent home.
Can I use a running app abroad without a data plan?
Yes. Steady Pace needs no data, roaming, or wifi, and GPS works in any country. Put the phone in airplane mode and run the first morning with no SIM sorted at all.
Will it cost me roaming charges?
Not in airplane mode, because the phone is not connecting to any foreign network. The app never syncs, so there is nothing to trigger a roaming charge.
Is GPS accurate in other countries?
Yes. GPS uses a global network of satellites, so positioning is the same abroad as at home. Pace and distance are just as reliable in a new city.
Do I need to set anything up before I travel?
No. There is no account and no sync to configure. Buy it once, and it works the same wherever you land.