In Germany your mobile phone is a Handy, WiFi is WLAN, and the place where your phone suddenly loses all signal has its own word: Funkloch, a "radio hole". You'll find a few on every train journey.
Getting connected after a move takes longer than many people expect. A new internet line can take weeks, and contracts are long. Here are the words for all of it.
Your Mobile Phone
mobile phone
das Handy
smartphone
das Smartphone
SIM card
die SIM-Karte
prepaid card
die Prepaidkarte
phone contract
der Handyvertrag
data allowance
das Datenvolumen
charger
das Ladegerät
charging cable
das Ladekabel
battery
der Akku
screen
das Display
text message
die SMS
voicemail
die Mailbox
signal
der Empfang
dead spot
das Funkloch
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das Handy
Akku or Batterie? A rechargeable battery, like the one in your phone, is an Akku. A Batterie is the kind you throw away. Mein Akku ist leer is "my battery is dead".
Good to know: a prepaid SIM in Germany has to be registered to a person. You verify your ID by video call, in a shop or at the post office before the card works.
Internet at Home
internet connection
der Internetanschluss
WiFi
das WLAN
router
der Router
fibre optic
die Glasfaser
landline
das Festnetz
broadband
das Breitband
provider
der Anbieter
technician
der Techniker
activation
die Freischaltung
flat rate
die Flatrate
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der Internetanschluss
Watch out: order internet as soon as you've signed the rental contract. Between the order, the technician's visit and the Freischaltung, two to six weeks are normal. Many people bridge the gap with a mobile hotspot.
The WiFi password is usually printed on a sticker on the back of the router, labelled WLAN-Schlüssel.
On the Computer
computer
der Computer / der Rechner
mouse
die Maus
file
die Datei
folder
der Ordner
to download
herunterladen
to upload
hochladen
to save
speichern
to delete
löschen
to log in
sich anmelden
password
das Passwort
attachment
der Anhang
screenshot
der Screenshot
update
das Update
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der Computer / der Rechner
Speichern or sparen? Both can mean "save" in English. Speichern is saving a file, sparen is saving money. Hast du die Datei gespeichert?
Anmelden also means registering your address at the Bürgeramt. On a screen, Anmelden is simply "log in", and Abmelden is "log out".
Contracts and Cancelling
contract
der Vertrag
minimum term
die Mindestvertragslaufzeit
notice period
die Kündigungsfrist
to cancel
kündigen
cancellation confirmation
die Kündigungsbestätigung
cancellable monthly
monatlich kündbar
bill
die Rechnung
customer service
der Kundenservice
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der Vertrag
How long you're tied: phone and internet contracts can run for up to 24 months at first. After that they continue, but you can cancel with a month's notice. Websites must have a clearly labelled button to cancel online, usually called Verträge hier kündigen.
Tip: keep the Kündigungsbestätigung. Without it, it's your word against the company's if the bills keep coming.
When Something Doesn't Work
My internet isn't working.
Mein Internet geht nicht.
I have no signal.
Ich habe keinen Empfang.
My battery is dead.
Mein Akku ist leer.
Can you give me the WiFi password?
Kannst du mir das WLAN-Passwort geben?
When is the technician coming?
Wann kommt der Techniker?
The connection keeps dropping.
Die Verbindung bricht ständig ab.
I'd like to cancel my contract.
Ich möchte meinen Vertrag kündigen.
Have you tried restarting it?
Haben Sie es schon mit einem Neustart versucht?
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Mein Internet geht nicht.
Why Germany Can Feel Slow Online
The Funkloch is real. Mobile coverage has improved, but rural areas and trains still have gaps. Germans joke about it, and Ich bin gleich im Funkloch is a common way to end a call on the train.
Fibre is still being built. Many homes still get internet over old telephone copper, and fibre arrives street by street. If a flat listing mentions Glasfaser, that's a real selling point.
The fax machine survives. Some doctors' surgeries, offices and law firms still accept or send documents by Fax. You probably won't need one, but don't be surprised when a form offers a fax number before an email address.