Spotty cellular connections are still a thing, especially if you live in more rural areas or are inside a large building.
Wifi calling provides a solution to that problem, allowing you to maintain a strong connection and good call quality. It works by connecting to your cellular carrier over the internet.
Wifi calling is a feature on Android devices allowing you to make cellular calls over Wifi networks.
To use Wifi calling, simply enable it in your settings. Your phone will automatically place calls over Wifi when you dial a number, as long as you are connected to Wifi.
Read on to learn more about how Wifi calling works, how to use it, and the benefits of using Wifi calling over using your regular cellular connection.
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What Is Wifi Calling?
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Wifi calling allows you to place cellular calls over the internet, using your home or office’s Wifi connection instead of the cellular networks.
That’s important to note – while the calls are placed over the internet, you’ll typically use your Wifi connection instead of using up your cellular data.
If you enable Wifi calling, your phone will automatically place calls over your Wifi network instead of using the cellular towers to route your calls. You don’t have to do anything else.
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How Does Wifi Calling Work?
When you place a voice call, you transmit packets of data that are transformed into audio once they reach the recipient. Your voice can’t actually travel that far – it’s simply transformed into data packets.
These packets of information are then routed over various networks until they reach the recipient and then translated back into an audio format. Modern technology has moved a long way since the original landline phone networks, which converted sound waves into electrical energy and back into sound waves once they reached the recipient.
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Nowadays, we use cellular towers to route data – we don’t need physical cables. Phones communicate with cellular towers over RF waves.
However, instead of using that technology, you can simply use the internet to route the data packets of your voice calls to your cellular networks. Exactly how data is transmitted over the internet is a topic that requires an article of its own.
However, at the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is this: The data packets have to be routed in one way or another, and Wifi calling simply provides an alternative way to do that than traditional cellular calls.
Not all carriers support Wifi calling, but all major carriers in the US, such as Verizon and T-Mobile, do. To them, it doesn’t really matter how they get those data packets from you – as long as they get them, whether through your Wifi router or a cellular call, they can forward them to the recipient.
Most modern Android phones support Wifi calling, but it’s not enabled by default.
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Does Wifi Calling Use Minutes?
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Whether Wifi calling uses minutes from your phone plan depends on your carrier.
For example, T-Mobile states, “If you have a plan without unlimited, calls and messages count against your plan limits.” In other words, it does count against your minutes – you can’t get around using up the minutes you bought by using Wifi calling.
However, Sprint states, ”No, Wi-Fi calling does not count against a cellular minute plan when calling a U.S., U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico number. International rates still apply for international numbers.”
Therefore, it’s important to check your carrier’s website or call them beforehand to verify whether you’ll use up your minutes when using Wifi calling.
Typically, though, Wifi calling will not use up your cellular data because you’re using Wifi and not your cellular data.
What about international calls? Even carriers who allow free domestic Wifi calling may charge you for international calls.
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Wifi Calling vs VoIP
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VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. Apps like Google Voice allow you to place calls over the internet, so how is Wifi calling different?
It’s actually not that much different, as it uses similar underlying technology. The difference is mostly in how it’s presented.
An app like Google Voice operates independently of any cellular carrier. You don’t need a sim card to use Google Voice to place calls – but you do need a sim card to use Wifi calling, as it’s a feature that’s supposed to work with your cellular provider.
Furthermore, an app like Google Voice doesn’t come built into your phone. However, Wifi calling is built into most new Android phones – all you need to do is activate it.
Finally, apps like Google Voice are often free, especially if you only call domestically. However, Wifi calling requires you to pay for a cellular plan.
Wifi Calling vs VoLTE Calling
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On some phones, Wifi calling is called VoWifi. However, it differs from VoLTE.
VoLTE uses cellular 4G LTE networks, not your Wifi connection to transmit data. Wifi calling, also known as VoWifi, uses your home or office’s Wifi network to transmit data.
Nevertheless, if your phone has VoLTE and you enable it, your cellular provider may only count it towards your minutes and not your data plan, even though you’re transmitting the data packets over the LTE networks. For example, Mint Mobile states that it won’t count as data but as minutes, but check with your provider to verify.
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Wifi Calling vs eSIM
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One common area of confusion is the difference between Wifi calling and eSIMs. While both are built into your phone, the difference ends there.
Some modern phones come with eSIMs, which are like sim cards embedded directly into your phone (it’s software installed on a eUICC chip that can replace physical sim cards). They work with major carriers and allow you to switch carriers easily, even when traveling internationally.
Wifi calling has nothing to do with that. It’s a different technology that doesn’t require an eSIM to work – you can use it with a physical sim card as well.
What Can You Do With Wifi Calling?
Is Wifi calling only for phone calls? What about calling 911 or sending SMS messages?
In this section, I will cover those topics and more.
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Can You Call 911 Using Wifi Calling?
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Yes, you can call 911 using Wifi calling. However, since it’s not using the cellular towers, emergency providers may not be able to trace your call like they usually would be able to, so they may ask you to provide your address.
Therefore, be prepared to provide your address and other information.
However, when you enable Wifi calling on your phone, you’ll typically be asked to register an emergency address. This address will be used when 911 calls are placed over Wifi to properly route the call to the right response center.
Finally, note that when you call 911, it will automatically be placed over the cellular networks if a cellular network is available, even if you enabled Wifi calling. Wifi calling will only be used if no cell network is available.
Can You Send Text Messages Over Wifi Calling?
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Yes. Just like you can place calls over the internet, you can send SMS messages over Wifi instead of sending them over cellular networks.
Remember, SMS messages, like voice calls, are simply data packets transmitted over networks. You can transfer them over one network or another, but that doesn’t change them.
The same applies to MMS (picture and video messages).
Often, sending MMS messages over Wifi is a lot faster than sending them through traditional networks.
However, that does depend on your phone and carrier. For example, some carriers may support SMS but not MMS over Wifi calling, while others might only support MMS when using specific apps or if you have a particular device.
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Can You Make Wifi Calls When You’re Abroad?
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Yes. One of the main benefits of using Wifi calling is that you can make them when traveling abroad.
That allows you to save a lot of money. If you make a traditional call, you might get charged high roaming fees, even when calling someone back home.
However, with Wifi calling, you may be able to call someone back home at no extra cost.
Again, it depends on your carrier. For example, while calling a US number when abroad, using Wifi calling, might be free, calling a non-US number might be subject to regular roaming rates.
Which US Carriers Support Wifi calling?
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Most major US carriers support Wifi calling. Those include AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, which comprise close to 99% of the US cellular market (T-Mobile now owns Sprint, so it really boils down to three major providers).
Note, however, that in the United States, many of the smaller budget prepaid phone companies simply roam on the networks of one of the three major providers, as they don’t have the resources to build their own cellular networks. Boost Mobile, for example, makes use of T-Mobile and AT&T towers.
That doesn’t necessarily mean they support Wifi calling, but they might. US Mobile, for example, a growing budget prepaid provider, supports Wifi calling, according to its website.
Boost Mobile, meanwhile, supports Wifi calling on its Nationwide Network but not on its Expanded Data Network. However, it also supports VoLTE, which I discussed earlier – see more on this page.
The best way to find out if your carrier supports Wifi calling is to simply call them or visit their website. Often, a simple Google search will help – simply type in the name of your carrier + “Wifi calling” (for example, “T-Mobile wifi calling”) and try to find results from the official website.
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How to Use Wifi Calling?
If your device supports Wifi calling, you will find the option to enable it in your settings. It might be under Wifi, Connections, Mobile Networks, or a similar option, depending on the brand and model.
You can usually search your settings, so simply type in “Wi-Fi calling.” You might have to use that dash (“Wi-Fi” vs “Wifi”)!
Once you find the option, enable it. You will likely have to register an emergency address to be used in case you call 911, for reasons I explained above.
You can disable Wifi calling at any time in your settings.
Pros and Cons of Wifi Calling
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Let’s go over some reasons you might choose to use Wifi calling as well as some reasons you might want to avoid it.
The Benefits of Wifi Calling
Wifi calling has several benefits. Typically, people enable Wifi calling when they have strong Wifi connections at home or work but poor cellular reception.
It could be a good option when you have Wifi installed in your basement office, for example, but you don’t get good reception there.
If you keep breaking up, consider activating Wifi calling so that call quality is improved.
If it’s the other way around – you have a slow Wifi connection but good cellular reception – it doesn’t make much sense to use Wifi calling.
Another possible benefit of Wifi calling is saving on minutes. If you buy 500 minutes per month, for example, and you don’t want to use them up, you may be able to use Wifi calling to avoid using them.
Ultimately, though, that depends on your cellular provider, as some cellular providers do count Wifi calling towards your minutes.
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Drawbacks to Wifi Calling
There are some potential drawbacks of Wifi calling, though. If your connection is not strong, you will find your call breaking up and may experience lags, disruptions, and interference.
Wifi calling might work wonderfully when you are at home or in your office. However, when you are connected to public Wifi and you have Wifi calling enabled, you might experience a lower call quality.
That’s especially true in settings in which many people use the same WIfi and are using up the bandwidth. Examples may include airports, coffee shops, or hotels.
If you rarely use public Wifi, that might not be a problem. However, if you do, you might find yourself constantly enabling and disabling Wifi calling in your settings, which can be pretty inconvenient.
Another potential issue is when you are moving around. Let’s say you are in a coffee shop, such as Starbucks, and place a call while connected to the free Starbucks Wifi.
You then exit the coffee shop while still on the call, only to lose Wifi connectivity. Some phones can automatically switch to your cellular network, but even if your phone is one of them, you will likely still experience some sort of disruption while that happens.
Another potential disadvantage is if your phone switches from VoWifi to VoLTE automatically when you lose Wifi connectivity, which may cause you to use up your data, depending on your provider.
Alternatives to Wifi Calling
Unfortunately, if you don’t have a cellular plan, Wifi calling won’t be available. If you don’t have a sim card, it just won’t work.
The same applies if your device doesn’t support Wifi calling or your cellular carrier doesn’t.
However, there are alternatives. You can still place calls over the internet.
My favorite alternative is Google Voice. It’s free to use in the United States and allows you to place calls over the internet using the Google Voice app on your phone, even if you don’t have a sim card.
You will need an active internet connection, though. If you are using your mobile data to place those calls on Google Voice instead of your home’s Wifi network, it will use up data on your plan.
One of the reasons I like Google Voice so much is that you can place calls to real phone numbers. In other words, the person you’re communicating with doesn’t need to have Google Voice – if they are using Verizon, for example, or any other cellular network, you can call them.
You can also send and receive text messages using Google Voice. Not only that, but international calling is available as well, with rates varying depending on the country you’re calling (international SMS messaging is not available).
That sets Google Voice apart from other alternatives, such as WhatsApp. Sure, WhatsApp can be a great alternative, but the other person will need to have WhatsApp as well for you to call them.
However, WhatsApp has its own advantages, such as video calling – including group video calling. It also allows you to post status updates so people can stay up to date on your daily life.
Both WhatsApp and Google Voice, however, allow you to make free calls from abroad, so they can be a great alternative to Wifi calling when you want to save on roaming costs.
Even if you are in Canada, Mexico, Europe, or anywhere else in the world, you can use Google Voice to call US numbers for free. Where you are doesn’t matter – what matters is which number you are calling (international numbers still cost extra on Google Voice but not on WhatsApp).
You can also use WhatsApp to make free voice and video calls over Wifi or send free text messages. WhatsApp also supports stickers, GIFs, and other multimedia.
If you simply want to make free domestic calls, there are other alternatives as well. TextNow, for example, has a free domestic network that is supported by ads – calls are free, and data is available at reasonable rates.
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The sim card will cost you around $5, and you can order that here. With this, you will be able to make free calls on the regular cellular networks.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, Wifi calling is a fantastic option to make cellular calls using Wifi, especially if you frequently experience choppy cellular service.
I would recommend using it while at home or in the office. However, be aware that it might be unreliable when connected to public Wifi.
To use Wifi calling, simply enable it in your settings. You can disable it at any time.
