Lycamobile (sometimes spelled Lyca Mobile) is a UK mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses the EE network for its coverage. It’s known for low-cost, SIM-only plans and a big focus on international calling. In this guide we examine Lycamobile in detail: what plans and features it offers, how its network performs, and what customers say in reviews and forums. We’ll cover everything from coverage and data speeds to roaming in Europe, customer service, Trustpilot and Reddit feedback, and even the recent data breach that affected some users. By the end, you should have a full picture of Lycamobile reviews – what’s good and what’s not – so you can decide if it’s any good for you.
What is Lycamobile and how does it work?
Lycamobile is a prepaid mobile provider. It doesn’t own its own towers but piggybacks on EE’s network – one of the largest in the UK. That means Lycamobile customers get roughly the same coverage as EE users, without paying EE prices. Lycamobile emphasises no contracts: all its services are prepaid or monthly SIM-only. You can buy rolling 30-day plans or longer deals (3, 6 or 12 months). They also sell “phone contract” style plans, but those simply let you pay for a handset in instalments alongside a SIM plan. In practice, Lycamobile’s value comes from its low prices and inclusions, not from fancy perks. As one reviewer put it, Lyca operates on a “no frills, no fuss” basis – it offers affordable plans with inclusive EU roaming and international minutes, but no loyalty rewards or freebies.
All Lycamobile plans include 5G at no extra cost, so if you have a 5G-capable phone (Android only as of now), you can access EE’s 5G network. However, at present Apple iPhones cannot use 5G on Lycamobile – 4G is the maximum on iOS. Lycamobile also supports eSIM on compatible devices, making it easy to switch on service without a physical SIM card.
In summary, Lycamobile is aimed at people who want simple, cheap mobile service with a focus on international use. It’s especially attractive if you need to call overseas often or if you want lots of data at a low cost. But as you’ll see, there are trade-offs: Lycamobile’s customer service and extra features are more limited than big name networks.
Lycamobile plans, allowances and prices
Lycamobile offers a wide range of SIM-only plans and also Pay As You Go (PAYG). All plans are rolling (month-to-month) unless you opt for a longer 3/6/12 month deal. Plans are divided into “UK Plans” (which focus on UK usage) and “International Plans” (which include extra international minutes). Here are some key points:
- Data and calls: Most plans include generous allowances. For example, the cheapest plan (UK Plan Smart) gives 3GB of data, 1,000 UK minutes and texts, and 100 international minutes, for just £5 per month. Many plans even include unlimited UK calls and texts. In short, Lycamobile packs a lot into each plan for the price.
- International calling: A standout feature is that most plans include a good amount of international calling at no extra charge. On a standard “National” plan, you typically get at least 100 minutes to call abroad each month. Higher-tier international plans might give hundreds or even unlimited international minutes. This is rare among UK networks, and it makes Lycamobile especially good if you need to call family or friends overseas. (A recent analysis even noted Lycamobile’s inclusion of unlimited calls to 100 countries in its plans.)
- Roaming in Europe: All Lycamobile plans include free EU roaming, meaning you can use your UK plan in Europe just as if you were at home. For example, even the unlimited data plan includes up to 35GB of EU roaming data. This is a big bonus for UK customers travelling in the EU. (Note: UK-EU roaming was removed by many networks after Brexit, but Lycamobile kept it included.)
- No data caps or speed capping: Unlike some providers, Lycamobile does not impose artificial speed limits on data. In other words, even on heavy-use plans, you can get full LTE/5G speeds. In fact, one test noted that Lycamobile’s uncapped 4G often beat EE’s own capped speeds. If you choose an unlimited data plan, you truly get unlimited data (subject to fair use policies).
- PAYG and Top-ups: If you prefer, you can use Lycamobile as Pay As You Go. Rates are typically 25p/minute, 15p/MB data, 23p/text, and calls/texts to other Lycamobile UK numbers are free. Top-ups can be purchased online or at many retailers (grocery stores, post offices, etc.) or via the Lycamobile app or website.
- Handset contracts: Lycamobile isn’t strong on phone contracts. They let you buy handsets outright or through instalments (via Klarna or fixed term payments), but you won’t find a bundled “free phone” like on EE or Vodafone. If you want a device, you’ll pay it off separately; then you add a SIM-only plan.
Overall, Lycamobile’s pricing is very low compared to big networks. For example, the £5 plan we mentioned is a real bargain. However, you should shop around as other MVNOs (e.g. Smarty, iD Mobile, Lebara) may occasionally have similar or better deals. The main advantage of Lycamobile plans is those generous international allowances and roaming. One expert noted that except for Lycamobile and Lebara, it’s “quite rare to find SIM plans that come with international calls for no extra fee”.
Network coverage and performance
Because Lycamobile rides on EE’s network, its coverage is excellent. EE’s 4G network covers about 99% of the UK population, and Lycamobile customers share that reach. In practice, you can expect good signal strength in most towns and cities, and even rural coverage is strong by UK standards. In London and other major cities, Lycamobile service is typically “rock solid”. One reviewer found it held up even in crowded events and packed venues without dropping calls.
Even after Lycamobile switched from using O2’s network to EE (around 2022), coverage improved. EE has the largest 4G network in Britain, and Lycamobile now offers coverage identical to EE’s. In other words, wherever EE has a signal (4G or 5G), Lycamobile does too. Simsherpa gave Lyca a high coverage rating, noting that in their tests Lyca’s signal matched EE’s very closely. In practice, that means most of the UK is covered by Lycamobile.
For 5G, Lycamobile also uses EE’s 5G network. Coverage of 5G is growing fast; most big cities and many towns now have EE 5G. However, as noted, Lycamobile currently only supports 5G on Android phones. iPhones on Lyca will only get 4G LTE for now. Also, note that some user reports (see below) have mentioned quirks with 5G activation.
Data speeds: Because Lycamobile doesn’t throttle its plans, you can often get very fast data. Our sources show 4G speeds commonly in the 30–100 Mbps range, depending on location. In central London a tester hit 180 Mbps on 4G – faster than standard EE. Even outside cities, Lycamobile’s data is generally solid. For 5G, speeds are good but not top-ranking – tests gave around 97–119 Mbps on average. In practice, you’ll find Lycamobile can stream, browse and use apps smoothly on both 4G and 5G where available.
VoLTE and Wi‑Fi calling: Lycamobile supports 4G calling (VoLTE), so calls can continue even if 2G/3G is being phased out. However, Lycamobile does not currently offer Wi‑Fi calling. If you need to make calls over a Wi-Fi network, that is not an option on Lyca at the moment.
In summary, on network grounds Lycamobile is strong: excellent UK coverage via EE, generous 4G/5G availability, and usually high data speeds. One reviewer summed it up by saying Lycamobile was the most reliable of the MVNOs he tried; even on crowded trains or events Lycamobile’s speed and stability were better than cheaper networks on Vodafone or Three.
Roaming and international use
Europe (EU) roaming: Lycamobile’s UK plans come with free roaming in the EU. This means you can travel in countries like France, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc., and use your UK minutes, texts and data without extra charges. This EU roaming is included on all plans and used to be up to 35GB on the top unlimited plan. It’s a big plus: many networks reinstated roaming charges after Brexit, but Lycamobile kept it. So if you often travel in Europe, Lyca’s plans are very convenient.
Other Europe (Lycamobile in EU countries): Besides UK roaming, Lycamobile as a brand operates in many European countries. For example, Lycamobile SIMs exist in Ireland, Italy, France, Spain, and more. Each country’s Lycamobile is a separate service, but it shows Lyca has a broad European footprint. If you live abroad, you might use a local Lycamobile in that country. But for a UK user travelling Europe, the key point is the free EU roaming we mentioned.
Global calling: A hallmark of Lycamobile plans is international calling. Many Lyca plans include dozens to hundreds of free minutes to landlines or mobiles in other countries. This covers places like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia, North America and beyond. In fact, Lycamobile includes calling to over 100 countries on some plans, which is unusually generous. If you have family overseas or make regular international calls, this makes Lyca stand out. (By comparison, outside Lyca or Lebara, free international minutes are rare in UK networks.)
Conclusion on Europe: In short, Lycamobile is good for Europe and international use. EU roaming is included (so it’s good in Europe for UK customers), and calling abroad is very affordable or free. Just remember the 5G caveat: if you have an iPhone, you won’t get 5G anywhere yet; only 4G.
Customer reviews: Trustpilot, Reddit and complaints
What do actual customers say? Feedback on Lycamobile is mixed. Many reviews praise the coverage and price, but a surprisingly large number complain about the service quality and customer support.
On Trustpilot, Lycamobile UK has an average rating of about 3.0 out of 5 (from almost 24,000 reviews). The overall summary of Trustpilot reviews notes that “most reviewers were somewhat happy” with Lyca, but there is little consensus. Common praise includes politeness of some staff and good price. However, a “strong consensus” emerges in complaints about billing and support. For example, many reviewers report unexpected charges, problems cancelling, and difficulty getting refunds. A recurring theme is that customer service is hard to reach. One Trustpilot summary notes: “The inability to easily reach customer service through various channels is a recurring complaint”. In fact, one reviewer said that dealing with Lyca felt like dealing with “the organizational skills of Barbary apes, probably worse” (paraphrased) because agents would simply drop off chats.
A snippet from Trustpilot illustrates these issues: “I received my SIM card in 2 days so that was good, then they sent me 2 more and took 3 payments from my bank account… Trying to get this sorted… is a nightmare…”. In short, a number of customers have faced billing errors or unwanted charges, and then struggled to get them fixed. It’s clear that while Lycamobile’s network is praised, many users say the service and billing side needs work.
Online forums and social media echo this. On Reddit and ISP review threads, Lycamobile generates strong opinions. Some users love the cheap plans, but many are very frustrated. For instance, one long-time user in Ireland wrote that they had “no issues with coverage… and customer service addressed my questions quickly”. But others say the opposite. One redditor blasted Lyca as “a straight scammer and dishonest”, describing how promotional rates were quietly changed and service cancelled without notice. Another said, “I switched to Lyca a couple of weeks ago. Really terrible experience so far. Avoid if possible…”, then detailed problems with porting a number, no SMS reception, and chat lines that hold forever then drop.
Some comments are even more severe. On an ISP review, a user called Lyca “the worst network I’ve ever been on”, complaining of late text messages, dropped calls, failed direct debits and non‑existent customer support, concluding “avoid at all costs”. That same thread also revealed that Lycamobile suffered a cyberattack and data breach in 2023. After the breach, users reported unauthorized credit card transactions on accounts they had used only for Lycamobile and struggled to port out of the network. In fact, Lycamobile admitted that the breach affected millions of customers (but not in the US, Australia, etc.) and even temporarily disrupted number porting. This has understandably scared some customers and added to the complaint pile.
On Reddit’s UK mobile forums, opinions vary. Some praise the rock-bottom price: “Excellent value for money,” noted a Which? customer comment. Others mainly complain about support: “I hope they employ staff that can handle customers better”. In summary, Lycamobile UK reviews suggest a trade-off: users love the cheap plans and EE-powered coverage, but many warn that getting help when things go wrong can be a huge headache.
Lycamobile pros and cons
Putting it all together, here are the main strengths and weaknesses of Lycamobile as reported by customers and experts:
- Pros: Affordable plans (some of the cheapest in UK); generous international minutes included; free EU roaming on all plans; runs on EE’s network so excellent coverage; uncapped data speeds (no speed limits); eSIM support and short-term rolling plans.
- Cons: Customer service issues – support is mostly online/chat and often slow or unhelpful; frequent billing glitches and porting problems reported (especially after the 2023 breach); no family plans or data rollover; phone contracts are very basic (no subsidised handsets); currently no 5G on iPhones and some customers report 5G quirks.
A quick bullet summary of Lycamobile Pros and Cons might look like:
- Pros: Wide choice of very cheap plans; free EU roaming; lots of international calling minutes; unlimited data options; uses EE network (strong UK coverage); eSIM available; flexibility (no long contracts).
- Cons: No family/group plans; no data rollover; poor user support and slow customer service; occasional billing/porting problems; no Wi-Fi calling; iPhone 5G not supported; limited extras (no rewards or freebies).
These cons align with the complaints seen online. Ultimately, Lycamobile’s value is in what you do get (cost and coverage) more than any added perks.
So, is Lycamobile any good?
Lycamobile scores highly on price and network coverage, but more poorly on customer experience. For many UK users on a tight budget who value data and international calls, Lycamobile is a good choice in terms of pure service – you get EE’s backbone and plenty of data/minutes for your money. Its 5G/4G speeds have been noted as very fast in cities, and the plans can include unusual perks like 100+ international calling minutes.
However, if you worry about customer service and support, Lycamobile may be frustrating. The Trustpilot score (3.0/5) and numerous forum posts highlight that customer support is a weak point. Issues like difficulty porting your number or getting unexpected charges resolved can be a problem, as sadly reflected in many reviews.
In the UK context, Lycamobile is good where it counts – coverage and cost. For British users asking “Is Lycamobile good in the UK?”, the answer is generally yes for service and network, but caution on support. For EU travel, Lyca is also strong (free EU roaming is a clear plus). In Europe, local Lycamobile networks exist too, but for a UK plan roaming in Europe, it works well.
In conclusion, Lycamobile reviews paint a picture of a no-nonsense budget provider. It excels at giving you lots of value (data, minutes, roaming) cheaply, but it will not pamper you. If you can tolerate self-service and occasional service hiccups, Lycamobile could save you a lot on your mobile bill. Otherwise, be prepared for some DIY troubleshooting.
Pros and Cons
- Pros: Cheapest plans; free EU roaming; plenty of included minutes/texts/data; runs on EE network (excellent UK coverage); unlimited data options; international calls included.
- Cons: Poor customer service and support; billing and porting complaints common; no family plan or rollover; iPhones lack 5G; minimal perks.
Overall, Lycamobile often is good enough for many, but only if you value cost and coverage over service niceties. The Lycamobile UK reviews make it clear: for budget-focused users, it’s a winner on paper, but some customers feel left in the cold when problems arise. Use this analysis to weigh the trade-offs and see if Lycamobile fits your needs. In the end, Lycamobile reviews suggest it’s great for saving money with good network performance, but remember the support caveats.