MSE News: Vodafone to bring back mobile roaming charges in Europe from January

dazzaofdagenham

jnm21 said:

Just tested WiFi calling with VPN & flight mode on - connected to a UK server it worked... connected to a Spain server... it also worked!

I strongly suspect that the are you roaming detection relies on the mobile network connection!

Can you detail how you did that…..I’m in Mexico in a few weeks and hope to call back to the UK with minimal cost 

jnm21

dazzaofdagenham said:

Can you detail how you did that…..I’m in Mexico in a few weeks and hope to call back to the UK with minimal cost 

I will help, sure, but please remember that this is experimental!

Point 1 is to turn on airplane mode before take off & it us more likely to work so long as you keep it on (turning off the phone & back on is fine, just keep airplane mode on - the idea is to stop it contacting a roaming network).  Also turn on WiFi calling & WiFi (turning on airplane mode cancels WiFi, but you can turn it back on with airplane mode on).

I don't think you need a VPN (I think any 'roaming detection which disables WiFi calling' is based on the mobile network alone.

Do report back please.  Also consider trying it on a Smarty SIM - pay & go, so limited risk if it does not work (if they do detect it).  That said Vodafone do not define roaming in the T&Cs, so Oxford dictionary definition backs my thinking that it only occurs when you connect to another network, generally (but not exclusively) abroad!  By that definition no mobile connection = not roaming!

Another backup option is tesco international calling - may even be free to UK landlines.

dazzaofdagenham

I’m not a techie person so I gave it a go

im currently in the UK
Turned on airplane mode and then activated Wi-fi.

connected to Wi-fi in local Starbucks and made a call and it worked…quite impressed of the call quality.

Will this be the same way it works abroad….and how would I use a VPN if needed 

jnm21

dazzaofdagenham said:

I’m not a techie person so I gave it a go

im currently in the UK
Turned on airplane mode and then activated Wi-fi.

connected to Wi-fi in local Starbucks and made a call and it worked…quite impressed of the call quality.

Will this be the same way it works abroad….and how would I use a VPN if needed 

Yes, should work identically!

For a VPN, you would download an app & activate the VPN as & when you need to make or receive a call, selecting a UK server.

I have used Windscribe (free version) & NordVPN. The latter is paid for, but often offer very significant cashback via TCB or Quidco. 

dazzaofdagenham

So I downloaded a free VPN ( free for 7 days )

think I’ve got it working..
did notice that when the VPN is active and making a call…the receiving handset just shows the call as a unknown number and no caller ID 

jnm21

Strange!  I don't think that happened for me. My setup was VF WiFi calling Lebara.

Nope, I have 3 items in my call log, likely representing no VPN, UK VPN & Spain VPN.

My VPN was Nord. 

dazzaofdagenham

Suppose the truth will be told when I am actually abroad.

will report back next month 

jnm21

Just hope your trip is safe - Ryanair just cancelled my flights (had decided not to go anyhow).