What is wi-fi calling and how do I use it?

Making phone calls over wi-fi has been possible for years but you may only recently have become aware of wi-fi calling on your mobile as more networks have started offering it. 

It means that as long as you’re connected to wi-fi – whether that’s at home or out and about – you’ll be able to make phone calls, even if the mobile signal is poor or non-existent. Read on to find out how it works.

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What is wi-fi calling? 

Wi-fi calling lets you make calls whenever you’re connected to wi-fi as long as your mobile provider offers it and your phone supports it. 

If your phone can’t make calls using your network’s mobile phone signal it will automatically switch to using wi-fi instead. This could happen if you’re in an area your mobile provider doesn’t cover, there are network problems or you’re near physical features that are affecting the signal, for example. 

Your phone automatically switches between wi-fi calling and using the mobile signal depending on what’s available where you are at the time. This happens even when you’re already on a call. You might see the words ‘WiFi Call’, or a handset and wi-fi icon symbol where the signal strength is usually shown if a poor signal means your calls will be made over wi-fi instead.

You can also send and receive text messages with wi-fi calling. However, you can already send messages between iPhones and other Apple devices using wi-fi – or mobile data – through iMessage.

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Which providers offer wi-fi calling? 

Almost all providers now offer wi-fi calling, including the ‘big four’ – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. 

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Which mobile phones allow wi-fi calling?

Most newer handsets allow wi-fi calling. On iPhones, it’s available on models going as far back as the iPhone 6, which was released in 2014. This means that any iPhone from the iPhone 6 onwards supports it – as long as your handset’s software is up to date. 

You can get wi-fi calling on a wide range of Android phones, including from Google, Honor, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia, Oppo, OnePlus, Samsung and Xiaomi. 

Models include the Google Pixel 6 and onwards running Android 13 or later, some Samsung S7 and S7 Edge handsets and the Samsung S8 and onwards. If you’re not sure whether your phone supports wi-fi calling, you can check on many mobile providers’ websites or in the phone’s specs. 

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How do I enable wi-fi calling on my mobile phone?

If wi-fi calling isn’t already enabled on your phone, you can turn it on in your settings. Exactly how you do this depends on which phone you have. 

How to set up wi-fi calling on iPhones

Enabling wi-fi on iPhones is the same for all models:

1. Go to Settings then Phone.
2. Select Wi-Fi Calling and tap the button to turn it on.

 You can also access the Wi-Fi Calling screen from your Mobile Data settings. 

How to set up wi-fi calling on Android phones

How you enable wi-fi calling on your Android phone may vary depending on which model you have or you may be able to do it in other ways too. On Samsung Galaxy phones, for example, you can also activate it from the Quick settings panel. You access this by swiping down twice from the top of the screen. This is the process on many Android phones:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three dots on the top right of the screen to access Settings.
3. Tap the button next to Wi-Fi Calling to activate it. If you can’t see it you may need to select Calls first.

How much does wi-fi calling cost?

Calls and texts made through wi-fi calling come out of your monthly allowance or are charged at the standard rate in the same way as when you’re using the mobile signal. International calls are also billed in the normal way so you still pay for these if they’re not already included. 

You won’t pay extra if the wi-fi you’re accessing is free or you’ve already paid for unlimited access – at home, for example. Wi-fi calling won’t use up any of your mobile data allowance either.  

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