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If you’ve had trouble with spotty cell service in your office or apartment, there’s a simple solution called “Wi-Fi calling.” Wi-Fi calling is exactly what it sounds like: using your internet connection instead of your cell phone service to make calls and send messages. But you will need how To Use Wi-Fi Calling on your iPhone or Android device first.
AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile are all major carriers that offer Wi-Fi calling, but the cost to you depends on your plan. Wi-Fi calling is not a sneaky way to save money or minutes; the same rates and monthly limits apply. Once Wi-Fi calling is turned on, you don’t have to do anything else to use it. It just happens. Visit their official website for more information.
Steps to use Wi-Fi Calling On iPhone and iPad
- On your iPhone, go to Settings, Phone, and tap on Wi-Fi Calling.
- Toggle on Add Wi-Fi Calling for Other Devices.
- Go to Settings, Phone, and tap on Calls on Other Devices.
- Toggle on Allow Calls on Other Devices and then toggle on any listed device below that you want to make Wi-Fi calls on.
- If it’s an iPad or iPod Touch you connected, go to Settings, FaceTime on that device, and toggle on Calls From iPhone.
- If it’s a Mac, open the FaceTime app and click FaceTime, Preferences, and toggle on Calls from iPhone.
How to Use Wi-Fi Calling On Android
- Go to Settings, Network and Internet, and SIMS.
- Look for a option, tap on it, then toggle on Use Wi-Fi Calling.
- When it is available, you will see Wi-Fi Calling next to your carrier’s name in the expanded notification shade on your phone.
On Samsung Phone
- Open the Phone app, tap the triple-dot icon at the top right, and tap Settings.
- If you see an option for Wi-Fi Calling, tap it and toggle it on.
- If you don’t see the Wi-Fi Calling option in Settings, look for Calls or Accounts and then tap on your SIM card (your carrier name will be next to it).
- When it is available, you will see call next to your carrier’s name in the expanded notification shade on your phone.
What are the Benefits of Wi-Fi Calling?
Keep in Touch in more places
With Wi-Fi Calling, you can make and take calls, send and receive texts, and make and take calls anywhere you have Wi-Fi. You’ll be able to make calls from places where cell service is hard to find, like a corner in the back office or a subway station deep underground.
You can go from one thing to another without dropping calls or missing texts
Wi-Fi Calling will start automatically when you move from a place with good cell service to a place with no cell service. You don’t have to worry about dropping calls when you move around your home, office, or public transportation. Even if you don’t have any bars, text messages will still go through.
When you call 911, emergency services can still find you
When you first set up Calling, you will be asked to enter an e911 address. This is a street address that a 911 dispatcher will use as your default primary location when you call for help over Wi-Fi. So that emergency services can help you, you need to know where you are. If your phone keeps moving around, you must change your e911 address so that you can be found.
How does Wi-Fi calling work?
On VoLTE, your phone turns your voice into data packets and sends them upstream using LTE. The same thing happens on Wi-Fi with your phone. The data packets go through different streams, but they all end up at the core data network, which sends the information back to the recipient. (This oversimplification doesn’t take into account all the little details and great technologies like IMS that make this kind of interoperability possible.)