‘What is Wi-Fi calling?’: How to make calls from your smartphone even if you have no cell signal

You may have heard a word or two about Wi-Fi calling. However, if you are not a big tech person, you may be a little confused by this.

It’s quite simple: Wi-Fi calling occurs when you make a phone call over a Wi-Fi connection instead of using the cell phone carrier’s cellular network.

What you need to think about Wi-Fi calling, including how to set it up on your phone.

Wi-Fi calling explained

As mentioned, a Wi-Fi call is a call made using a Wi-Fi Internet connection instead of a cell connection.

Wi-Fi calling has many advantages over standard voice calling. First of all, because it uses something called High Definition (HD) voice services, calls to Wi-Fi are often clearer and easier. However, this will rely upon the speed of your web association.

If you’re in an area where cellular service is tainted, Wi-Fi calls can help prevent you from dropping calls.

Also, on most major phone carriers, Wi-Fi calling services are free, as long as calls are made to US numbers.

As long as you have a compatible cell phone, you have access to Wi-Fi calling. Don’t worry- it’s the same phone on the market today. So as long as you don’t have a very old smartphone – for example, older than the iPhone 6 – you can use Wi-Fi calling.

You should also note that in order to make a Wi-Fi call, you’ll need to provide your address. Emergency services can contact you on the off chance that you call 911.

If you want to know how to activate this capability, here it is.

How to enable Wi-Fi calling

The right way to turn on Wi-Fi calls on your phone will depend on what kind of phone you have. But in general:

On iPhone:

  1. Open your phone’s settings app.
  2. Tap the “Cellular” alternative to open your Cellular Network menu.
  3. Discover the Wi-Fi calling option and tap it.
  4. Toggle the Wi-Fi calling switch on the left, so it turns green.
  5. When you enable Wi-Fi calling, a pop-up will appear with more details about the information you send to your mobile phone carrier. Read on to make sure you’re okay with the terms, then tap “Enable”.
  6. Another popup will show up, requesting that you check your location so as to agree to your 911 government guidelines. The appearance of this popup may vary slightly depending on your cellular carrier. Confirm your address, then tap “Next”.
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions from your carrier to set up Wi-Fi calling on your device.

If you’re using an Android phone:

  1. Open your phone’s dialer – the screen where you type the phone number – and tap the three dots in the upper right corner.
  2. Select “Settings”.

In the menu that appears, tap “Wi-Fi Calling” and then tap the accompanying switch to turn it to the right.

You will be asked to confirm that you want to enable Wi-Fi calls, and then enter your address. Once you’re both done, Wi-Fi calling will be enabled.

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