Wifi calling is a feature in iPhones that lets you call and receive calls even when the cellular network is not available. So if you are just curious and want to learn how to perform this action or your iPhone does not support sim cards and you still want to be able to make calls with it, then stay glued to this guide as in today’s article I’ll be showing how to enable iPhone Wifi calling on your device.
Wifi calling which is also called voice over Wifi is a technology that enables users to be able to make and receive calls via a local Wifi hotspot rather than through your network’s operator cellular radio connection. In the case of Wifi calling (iPhone Wifi calling), voice calls are carried out over the internet instead of a cell tower and this implies that iPhone Wifi calling relies on VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).
Wifi calling gives the operators more control and is only possible if the operator supports it and secondly if the user’s phone has the feature and can also enable it. iPhone Wifi calling is an important feature that is only available for iPhone 5c or later devices that support it because it can be used in situations where you have a poor cellular network signal to make and receive calls, with this feature you can also send texts and receive texts likewise.
Additionally, when placing a call with iPhone Wifi calling, it’s just like placing a regular call without using an app and this is true because the authentication, call connection, and call routing all work as a regular call, and the technology used is similar.
How Wifi Calling (iPhone Wifi Calling) Works
On your regular call, your phone encapsulates the voice and turns it into data packets after which it uses LTE or 3G to send the information upstream whereas on the other hand, with iPhone Wifi calling your phone does the same thing but this time the data packets go through different streams but they all end up at the core data network and from there the information can be rerouted back to the receiver or recipient.
Advantages of Using Wifi Calling (iPhone Wifi Calling)
Written below is a list of benefits you stand to gain if you use iPhone Wifi calling over your voLTE (voice over LTE) calling.
- With iPhone Wifi calling, you have extended indoor coverage as you can easily make calls or send texts while underground or at a rooftop or other extreme cases where it’s difficult to get cellular signals.
- You can use iPhone Wifi calling exactly the same way you use your regular or cellular calls as you can make both voice and video calls using your phone number and the calls made with WiFi calling still appears on your regular phone dialer and history.
Disadvantages of Using Wifi Calling (iPhone Wifi Calling)
Well as the saying goes, everything that has an advantage equally has a disadvantage. This is true because no system is perfect and the perfect systems you will find are always ideal. So there written below are the disadvantages of using iPhone Wifi calling over your regular cellular calls.
- The first disadvantage is the problem that comes with insufficient bandwidth on Wifi, as Wifi tends to lag in hotels, stadiums, markets, and other crowded venues because of the number of people using the same network.
- Secondly, we have the problem that stems from “not all devices supporting Wifi calling”. As earlier stated iPhone Wifi calling is only available for iPhone 5c and later devices and this, in turn, puts other lower-end iPhone users in a tough spot.
How to Enable Wifi Calling on Your iPhone
In order to use iPhone Wifi calling, ensure you own an iPhone 5c device or newer models and you run on iOS 11.2 or newer models. If the above criteria are met, then to enable Wifi calling on your iPhone follow the steps below:
- On your iPhone Home Screen, Proceed to Settings.
- In your iPhone’s settings, go to Cellular.
- Tap on Wifi Calling.
- Next, toggle on the “Wifi calling” switch.
- On the pop-up, tap on Enable.
- Finally, follow the instructions to register your emergency address and also accept the terms and conditions.
Once the above steps are properly followed through, you should now be able to use iPhone Wifi calling in situations where the cellular network is not available.
How to make a WiFi call
Once you activate the Wifi calling feature on your iPhone, placing a wifi call is as easy as dialing or texting as usual. The routing of your call or text is handled automatically in the background.
Add a device
Just as you can make wifi calls using your iPhone, it is likewise possible to make Wifi calls using other devices including your iPad or iPod touch, and Mac. However, you will have to ensure you turn on the Allow Calls on Other Devices from your iPhone. Also, you must ensure the device you want to add has the latest version of software. Once your device meets that minimum requirement, you should then follow the simple steps below:
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling.
- Turn on Add Wi-Fi Calling For Other Devices.
- Go back to the previous screen, then tap Calls on Other Devices.
- Turn on Allow Calls on Other Devices if it’s not on. A list of your eligible devices appears under Allow Calls On.
- Turn on each device that you want to use with Wi-Fi Calling.
Now, it is time to ensure your other devices are enabled to accept calls from your iPhone. To do this on your iPad;
- Open your iPad/iPod touch Settings > FaceTime, and tap to enable turn on Calls from iPhone.
- While on your Mac, tap to open the FaceTime app, then FaceTime > Preferences >turn on Calls from iPhone.
- For Apple Watch, Wifi calling is enabled by default when you turn on Allow Calls on Other Devices on your iPhone.