Wi-Fi Calling with Android smartphone.

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bat999
bat999 Posts: 1,926 Forumite
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Hi
I have been reading on the www about how to enable Wi-Fi Calling on an Android smartphone.
:cool:

It says...
Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi Preferences > Advanced
Then "Go ahead and tap the Wi-Fi Calling option to jump into its section of the menu".

But on my phone there is no Wi-Fi Calling option there.
:(

The Advanced options listed are...
Install certificates
Network rating provider (greyed-out)
Wi-Fi Direct
WPS Push Button
WPS Pin Entry
MAC address
IP address

There isn't an option listed for Wi-Fi Calling.
:mad:

I realize that Wi-Fi Calling is dependent on the network provider to allow it.
(Mine is Three network)

But is it also dependent on the phone?
Does it need the OEM to have included Wi-Fi Calling in their version of Android that is installed during manufacture?

My operating system is Android-go version 8.1.0, the phone is Xiaomi-redmi-go.


There is information about Three Wi-Fi Calling at
http://www.three.co.uk/discover/Three_inTouch/android-wifi-calling
«134

Comments

  • alanjones60
    alanjones60 Posts: 432 Forumite
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    Im on pay as you go on three. Iv got a samsung s7 unlocked from 02,and wifi calling is enabled on it on three. If i put my 02 sim in the s7,no wifi calling. On the three sim,wifi calling suddenly appeared. Think three must just switch it on.
  • JJ_Egan
    JJ_Egan Posts: 20,281 Forumite
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    Answers are yes and yes.


    <Does it need the OEM to have included Wi-Fi Calling in their version of Android that is installed during manufacture?>


    yes via firmware and the CSC , custom services setup .
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,623 Forumite
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    bat999 wrote: »
    Hi
    I have been reading on the www about how to enable Wi-Fi Calling on an Android smartphone.
    :cool:


    There isn't an option listed for Wi-Fi Calling.
    :mad:

    I realize that Wi-Fi Calling is dependent on the network provider to allow it.
    (Mine is Three network)

    But is it also dependent on the phone?
    Does it need the OEM to have included Wi-Fi Calling in their version of Android that is installed during manufacture?

    My operating system is Android-go version 8.1.0, the phone is Xiaomi-redmi-go.


    There is information about Three Wi-Fi Calling at
    http://www.three.co.uk/discover/Three_inTouch/android-wifi-calling

    Having a quick look at the specifications and your phone is not WiFi Calling capable, though on the plus side your phone should be 4G Calling compatible so you'll get to use the extended frequency that Three refer to as SuperVoice.
    ====
  • bat999
    bat999 Posts: 1,926 Forumite
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    JJ_Egan wrote: »
    ...yes via firmware...
    OK, thanks.:)
    If there is a big demand for this feature then maybe Xiaomi will enable it in a future System Update.
    :cool:
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,623 Forumite
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    bat999 wrote: »
    OK, thanks.:)
    If there is a big demand for this feature then maybe Xiaomi will enable it in a future System Update.
    :cool:

    It's not going to happen on what is one of the cheapest phones Xiaomi sell.
    ====
  • mrochester
    mrochester Posts: 1,505 Forumite
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    For some reason there isn't a standard way to do wifi calling on android which means it will only work on selected phones and selected networks (usually phones which have been customised by the network).
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,623 Forumite
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    mrochester wrote: »
    For some reason there isn't a standard way to do wifi calling on android which means it will only work on selected phones and selected networks (usually phones which have been customised by the network).

    Huawei somehow got it almost right with a universal set of settings (for all but their really budget phones), even an unbranded simfree handset would do WiFi Calling and VoLTE on all networks (except o2 who apparently artificially restricted it).

    Even some of the budget Honor devices (like the Honor 10 Lite) bought from Argos will work on Three, EE and Vodafone for both VoLTE and VoWiFi.
    ====
  • mrochester
    mrochester Posts: 1,505 Forumite
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    I wonder why they do such a crap job of making wifi calling work?
  • d123
    d123 Posts: 8,623 Forumite
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    mrochester wrote: »
    I wonder why they do such a crap job of making wifi calling work?

    When the 4G standards were originally set out voice wasn't included for some strange reason, so now it's a confused mess on Android (Apple got it right by simply dictating that networks needed to add the correct settings to their call profiles if they want to sell the iPhone).

    Every Android manufacturer wants to set the standard (so it's not a standard) and networks want to use VoWifi as a selling point (which is why Voda, EE and o2 all add restrictions like only offering it on certain tariffs or contracts).

    It's another failure of the Trump vendetta against Huawei, they are the closest to offering universal settings and perhaps if they continued to gain market share their system could have become more like a standard (looking unlikely as things stand now).
    ====
  • bat999
    bat999 Posts: 1,926 Forumite
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    Hi
    Thanks for your comments.

    I thought that Three might be using Wi-Fi Calling as a way to flog phones.
    "Either buy one from us or do without Wi-Fi Calling".

    But that's my cynical outlook.
    I am old and bitter and twisted and I'm probably wrong.
    :p

    I think it's like this...

    Three are saying if you buy an Android phone from us then Wi-Fi Calling will just work. That's because we have negotiated with those phone makers and they have agreed to install the appropriate firmware (otherwise we won't sell their phones!).

    And if you buy your Android phone from somewhere else that's OK too, you are welcome to use Three's Wi-Fi Calling. But if it doesn't work then it's up to you to pester the phone maker to get them to provide a patch for their firmware (good luck with that one!).

    This seems fair enough.
    We can't expect Three to chase up the hundreds of phone makers with their thousands of models and variants, only the ones that they sell themselves.

    I'm surprised that the networks don't advertise Wi-Fi Calling more.
    I think that with Wi-Fi Calling we are effectively making mobile phone calls down a landline.
    This will free up capacity on the towers.

    Probably many people don't even know about it.
    They might be pacing back and forth in their gardens trying to get a signal when they could be sat inside on the settee with their router only a few feet away.
    ;)
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