May 2023 Update: Starlink has discontinued the Portability add-on for Standard (Residential) plans. Customers who already had it enabled will continue to have access to it, but other customers won't be able to turn on Portability. People wanting to use Starlink as a portable internet solution should look at Starlink Mobile. I'm leaving the original article below as a reference for those who still have Portability enabled.
Starlink launched the Portability add-on in May of 2022. Portability mode allows customers to use their Starlink Residential dish outside of the registered service address. Portability was a highly requested feature for people with RV’s or vacation homes. The ability to take your dish with you, and have internet anywhere, is a huge benefit with the Starlink internet service.
In this article, we explain exactly what Starlink Portability mode is. We will cover the features, limitations, availability, and cost. After reading this guide, you’ll know if the add-on feature for Starlink is right for you.
What Is The Portability Add-On?
Portability is an extra add-on for Starlink Residential customers. When Portability is turned on, your Residential service will double as the Roam (previously RV) service. That means you can take the dish and use it anywhere away from your home. It is meant for travelers, campers, or anyone who might need portable internet every once and a while.
How Much Does Starlink Portability Cost?
Portability costs an extra $25 per month, in addition to the normal Residential service price. When you enable Portability, you are charged on your next billing cycle. The extra fee cannot be pro-rated, meaning you can’t just pay for part of a month. The extra $25 per month will continue until you turn off Portability on your account.
See also: Starlink Prices – Up Front and Monthly Costs
Restrictions
Unfortunately, Portability is no longer an available add-on for US customers as of March 2023. US customers wishing to travel with Starlink will need to purchase the Starlink Roam plan.
For other markets, it is important to note that you can only use Portability within your own continent. For example, if I live in the Canada, I could travel to the US and Mexico with my dish, but not to Europe.
Finally, if you stay in a secondary location for longer than two months at a time, Starlink might require you to update your service address to the new country.
Performance
Performance is similar to Starlink Roam, with download speeds of 5-50 mbps. Upload speeds range from 2-10 mbps. Customers using Portability outside of their home service address will be deprioritized on the Starlink network. That means your speeds may be slower during heavy network congestion, especially in areas where Starlink capacity is limited.
If you use Portability in an area with a lot of Starlink users, you may see your speeds and performance drop significantly. It’s important to understand that Portability is a best effort service, and will not be as fast or reliable as the normal Residential service at your primary address.
How To Enable Portability Mode
Step 1: Log in to your account on Starlink.com. Portability cannot be enabled in the Starlink app
Step 2: Under the Your Starlinks section, click on Manage
Step 3: Click on Add Portability in the left hand menu
Step 4: A message pops up that explains the $25 monthly fee. Click Add Portability to finish the process
How To Turn Off Starlink Portability
Most people will only need to travel with Starlink for a short amount of time. For example, you may need internet service at your remote cabin in the summer. Follow the steps below to turn off Portability and end the $25 per month fee.
Step 1: Log in to your account on Starlink.com. Portability cannot be disabled in the Starlink app
Step 2: Under the Your Starlinks section, click on Manage
Step 3: Click on Remove Portability
Step 4: A message pops to confirm your decision. It also tells you how many more days you can use Portability. Click Remove Portability to finish the process
FAQ
Can I use Starlink anywhere?
Yes, as long as Starlink service is active at the location. You will need either the Portability feature on your account, or the Starlink Roam plan to use Starlink anywhere. You can find a coverage map that shows availability on the Starlink website.
How long does it take for Portability to take effect?
Portability can be used immediately after enabling it on your account.
What is the difference between Starlink Roam and Portability?
Portability is a feature add-on for regular Residential Starlink accounts. Starlink Roam is a different type of account, with a lower priority on the network. Both Portability and Starlink Roam customers can travel anywhere with Starlink service, within the home continent. The major difference is that the Starlink Roam plan can be paused/un-paused as needed. With Residential, you pay monthly until you cancel. Only the Portability add-on can be turned on and off.
See also: Everything You Need To Know About Starlink Global Roaming
Can I pause my Starlink service?
With the Residential service plan and Portability, you cannot pause your Starlink bill. If you are using Starlink seasonally, we recommend the Starlink Roam plan instead.
What if I have multiple Starlink locations?
Portability must be purchased and enabled for each dish/location.
Does Portability mode work internationally?
Yes. Customers can move within the same continent as the registered service address.
Does Portability work while in-motion?
No, you cannot use a Standard Residential Starlink dish on a moving vehicle. Since Residential plans only offer the Standard or High Performance hardware, you won’t be able to use Portability in-motion. The only hardware approved for in-motion use is the Flat High Performance dish, available on the Starlink Roam plan.
if i get starlink portability for my cabin will it continue to work at my home address and the cabin at the same time.. i have teenagers that would stay home while we go to the cabin on weekends..
No, the service is tied to the dish itself. So you would have to take the dish back and forth, you don’t get two units. What I would recommend is keeping the Residential unit at your home, and then purchasing an additional Roam unit and plan for use at the cabin. The Roam billing can be paused when not in use.
This information is very misleading. I have been a StarLink customer for over a year. I enabled portability before I left my home state to travel for 6 months. I have a brand new dish that has never been connected because my original StarLink was having service issues so StarLink shipped me a new one. Rather than get it dirty then travel with it I just kept the bad one working for a couple of weeks then hit the road with the clean one still in the box. StarLink disabled my OLD dish and my new dish is in the system as active. HOWEVER, even though I’ve added portability IT WILL NOT CONNECT. I’ve had a dozen conversations via their sorry support ticket system and the general information they are giving me is that you MUST connect your StarLink dish at the original location BEFORE it can be portable. It will download upgraded software. Without that initial connection and update the dish WILL NEVER WORK at any other location. You don’t mention this at all and StarLink says NOTHING about this on their web site either. I asked if I could purchase a dish that already had the upgraded software and they said NO the factory only ships them out with the other software that is outdated when you get your dish. In addition to this, I know several people who have NEVER been to their home location, purchased a StarLink dish and it WORKED for them traveling on the road. So what StarLink says is NOT what I know others personally have experienced. Yet, my dish refuses to connect. You might want to get better information from StarLink. You are telling people that as soon as they turn portability on it will work and that IS NOT TRUE at all.
They have recently changed a lot of their policies regarding roaming. Like you said, I’ve heard reports from people who have never been to their service address on their account, yet the dish still works in roaming mode. This must have been before the recent changes. Thanks for the information, I will add in a section with a disclaimer.
Susan: You are trying to use internet from the same device you’re trying to enable service on, similar to surfing to a cell plan on the phone you plan to enable once there. To fix SL, just change your service address temporarily to where you actually are, and if your account is good it should work within a couple hours. Let it upgrade software, enable portability/RV mode, and then set your address back to home.
I love my starlink, as I haven’t even had dialup at my house for 15 years. It’s a godsend for those with no other options.
1) Roaming / Portability is a dynamically evolving Best Effort service. Meaning that in the near term you should not expect portability in higher density areas where cellular data coverage is available. You should also not expect portability to work where the starlink website shows “Unavailable / Waiting List” even if there is no cellular coverage at your location. Your best bet for portability will be in available cells >100 from metropolitan areas.
2) Portability availability will change with time but Starlinks emphisis will be on maximizing its customer base which means some places that worked the last time you were there may no longer support portability even though your in a cellular dead zone. Or i should say especially if your in a cellular dead zone where there is a rapidly growing population of fixed Starlink customers.
3) Based on the above dont make Stalink portability your “if all else fails” Emergency Communications. Zolleo Irridium based SMS devices and much more expensive Sat Phones will remain coverage reliability leaders for those without an Amature Radio License in the <$150/mo price point. Zoleo cost just $50/mo/user or less on a family account.
Be safe,
Stay connected!
To whom it may concern:
We live in an RV in Canada for 6 months in the summer time each year as we are retired. Is it possible to put
your service on vacation for the 6 months through the winter time and not have to pay the total $140/month
when it’s not being used. If not is there possibly a reduced rate while it’s not in use in order to keep the service affordable.
I don’t believe they have any type of vacation mode. The best thing to do would be to create a ticket with Starlink through the app or website and see what their recommendation is.
Yes, RV service can be turned on and off on a monthly basis. So that will work for you!