October 28, 2017
As I explore Europe more and more from Switzerland, I find that I am quickly crossing country borders and losing my network service. If you are like me, you don’t like to be separated from your phone and the outside world it connects to for too long!
This isn’t usually an issue at home, when you have your home cellular network and data connection; but what do you do when you want to make a call or send a text during your European travels?
Wifi calling isn’t a new feature, but it isn’t that well-known yet (my friends hadn’t heard of it before anyway. This great feature can be found on many phones nowadays but not every phone yet. Wifi calling will only appear on your phone if your phone and cellular network works with it (see helpful hint #1)
Wifi calling allows you to use any Wifi network you can connect on, to call or text anyone you like; as if you were calling them from home! This feature can also be used at home if you are having problems getting a cellular signal. So, the next time you are in a basement bar or café where you can’t get a good cell signal you can simply connect to their Wifi network and place a regular call or send text messages!
Wifi calling will be disabled by default, so you will need to go into your phone’s settings to turn it on (if your phone, and your phone carrier support this feature).
How to turn on Wifi calling on your Android phone
Android phones aren’t all built the same and there may be differences between phones as well as the operating system you have installed, but basically, this is the process:
- Go to settings, click on “ more ” or “ more settings ” under Wireless & Network
- You should see a Wifi calling option here that you can turn on to activate
- If this method doesn’t work, its best to search for “ Wifi calling + your phone model ” for detailed instructions
How to turn on Wifi calling on your iPhone
Apple users have a bit more of a streamlined process, as all iPhones will have the same method to turn on the Wifi calling feature. iPhone users need iOS 10.3 or later
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap Phone
- Under Calls, tap “Wifi Calling” to activate
Now, you should have Wifi Calling is setup! You are ready to make and receive calls and texts from anywhere in the world when you have a Wifi connection. In many cases, there are no long-distance fees or roaming charges to deal with but this isn’t always the case (see helpful hint #2).
While there are phone apps that you can also use Wifi for calling and texting (Skype and WhatsApp come to mind) Wifi calling allows you to use your regular phone number and you don’t have to download yet another app on your phone. Furthermore, it can allow for a seamless transition between using your home cell network to Wifi if your cell phone network is interrupted.
Helpful Hints
- Wifi Calling only works on certain phones, certain operating systems and on certain network carriers. For example, you typically will need top model phones from the bigger cell phone companies, such as but not limited to:
- iPhone 5c or newer
- Samsung S6 and newer
- Some other phones such as Sony, LG, Huawei, and HTC etc. but it depends on your network provider
- Some cellular providers may still charge you for long-distance Wifi calling – some do and some don’t so be sure to check!
- Use our tables below to see if your network carrier offers Wifi calling support and if your phone is compatible as well!
| Country | Carriers |
|---|---|
| UK | 3
Vodafone
O2
EE
|
| Germany | O2
Telekom
Vodafone
|
| Switzerland | Salt
Swisscom
Sunrise
|
| France | Orange – can’t find details Bouygues – can’t find details |
| Italy | N/A |
| Spain | Orange
|
| Netherlands | Vodafone
|
| Poland |
Orange – can’t find details
PLAY – can’t find details T-Mobile
|
| Belgium | Telenet – can’t find details |
| Austria | A1
|
| Sweden | 3
|
| Finland | N/A |
| Czech Republic | T-mobile
Vodafone
|
| Denmark | 3
TDC
Telenor
|
| Romania | Orange
|
| Hungary | N/A |
| Portugal | N/A |
| Ireland | Meteor
|