WiFi Calling: What It Is, How to Activate It, and Costs of Wi-Fi Calls
Traditionally, making a phone call could become challenging in areas with poor mobile reception, such as certain rooms at home, specific shops, or remote mountain locations. In such cases, Wi-Fi Calling technology comes to the rescue, allowing voice calls to be made through the home internet connection, namely via Wi-Fi.
Explore in this guide what Wi-Fi Calling entails, how to make calls via Wi-Fi, which devices are compatible, and the telecommunications providers offering this service along with associated costs.
If you still don't have ultra-fast Wi-Fi at home, you can compare home internet offers in Switzerland by clicking the following button!
What is Wi-Fi Calling?
Wi-Fi Calling is a technology that enables calling through the home Wi-Fi network. Also known as Voice Over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi), activating this technology allows utilizing the wireless internet connection to make voice calls without the need to download any applications. Most Android and iOS devices are equipped to make this type of call.
How to Make a WiFi Call?
To make a call via Wi-Fi, you must adhere to four conditions:
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Connect to an internet router via Wi-Fi.
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Use a compatible, latest-generation device.
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Possess a mobile subscription with a provider that has made this service available.
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Activate the Wi-Fi Calling option in your smartphone settings.
When all these conditions are met, in the absence of a mobile network signal or poor coverage, the call will be automatically handled over the connected Wi-Fi network. An icon of a handset with Wi-Fi waves will appear at the top of the screen. This symbol is usually recorded in the call log to track Wi-Fi network calls.
Devices Compatible with Wi-Fi Calling
An increasing number of smartphones are compatible with Wi-Fi Calling. Currently, all the latest models from Samsung, Xiaomi, Motorola, Honor, Huawei, Oppo, and iPhone can make Wi-Fi calls. The prerequisite is to activate this option in your phone's settings.
Making Wi-Fi Calls with iPhone
To activate Wi-Fi Calling on an iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calls. Once activated, if the Wi-Fi Calling option is available, the word "Wi-Fi" will appear in the status bar while the Control Center is displayed.
When available, emergency calls may also be made via Wi-Fi. This could facilitate device location in emergencies even if GPS location services are not enabled.
For iOS devices, iOS version 10.3 or later is required to use Wi-Fi Calling.
WiFi Calling with Android
For Android devices, you can use your operator's Wi-Fi Calling feature by following these steps:
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Open the Phone app.
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Tap More near the three dots and then Settings.
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Tap Calls.
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Click on Account for calls.
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Select the primary SIM.
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Tap Wi-Fi Calls.
If this last option is not available, it simply means your operator has not enabled Wi-Fi Calling for your number.
For Android smartphones, Android version 7.0 or later must be installed on your device to make Wi-Fi calls.
Which Operators Have WiFi Calling?
Since the end of 2022, more and more operators have started including Wi-Fi Calling among their offered services. This is a true lifesaver when the network signal is weak. However, it's essential to carefully evaluate the convenience of this type of call, as it may vary from provider to provider.
In case your operator does not offer Wi-Fi calls, you can always use a Voice Over IP service (i.e., calls over the internet protocol).
If you want to compare the best mobile subscriptions in Switzerland, you can access the comparison on internet-offer.ch by clicking the following button.
Swisscom Wifi calling
Swisscom allows you to use WiFi Calling at the same price as a regular call. Swisscom customers with unlimited calls will not incur any additional costs for WiFi calls.
WiFi Calling from Swisscom is not available abroad.
Sunrise Wifi Calling
Sunrise offers the possibility to activate WiFi Calling for free and use it to send SMS, MMS, and make WiFi calls at the same rates defined in your Sunrise subscription.
WiFi Calling from Sunrise is not available abroad.
Salt Wifi Calling
With Salt Mobile, you can activate WiFi Calling for free and use it to take advantage of your mobile telephony services included in your subscription at no additional cost. Among the three major operators, Salt's WiFi Calling stands out because it allows usage abroad.
The only exception Salt customers need to be aware of is WiFi calls from abroad to Switzerland (using Swiss Area code). In this case, charges may apply if international calls are not included in your subscription.
Key Advantages of Wi-Fi Calling
Wi-Fi Calling is a highly useful tool to remain reachable on your mobile in the absence of a mobile signal. However, beyond this, it is a technology that offers several additional advantages:
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Automatic call optimization: Your voice signal seamlessly switches between the mobile network and Wi-Fi signal as soon as your smartphone identifies an opportunity to improve audio quality.
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No application installation required: When using Wi-Fi Calling, there is no need to install any additional apps that could occupy your phone's memory, as it is directly integrated with the Android and iOS operating systems.
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No data consumption: The signal passed through the Wi-Fi network to which you are connected does not consume any megabytes from your subscription, unlike VoIP or VoLTE calls.
Wi-Fi Calling Abroad
With some operators, it is also possible to use Wi-Fi Calling while abroad. In these cases, Wi-Calling eliminates roaming costs for incoming and outgoing calls and SMS, consuming the services included in your subscription as if you were in Switzerland. This way, you save on purchasing a roaming tariff.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wi-Fi Calling
How does Wi-Fi Calling work?
Wi-Fi Calling is activated when the SIM card inside a compatible smartphone, with the Wi-Fi Calling option enabled, connects to a Wi-Fi network and automatically transmits the voice signal to the Internet router instead of the mobile network repeater.
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Can I use Wi-Fi Calling with my mobile phone?
Yes, Wi-Fi Calling is a highly useful technology to use with your mobile phone when in a building, room, or public place with poor mobile coverage, ensuring you can continue to receive or make calls.
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Which providers offer Wi-Fi Calling in Switzerland?
The following Swiss mobile providers have already activated the Wi-Fi Calling service: Sunrise, Salt, yallo, Coop Mobile, Wingo, Swisscom, Post Mobile, and UPC.
New providers join this list every year, so we recommend checking your provider's updated conditions in your customer area for the latest information.
What is the cost of Wi-Fi Calling?
Activation of the Wi-Fi Calling feature is free, and calls made using Voice over Wi-Fi technology have the same charges as calls made via the mobile network.
In flatrate subscriptions with unlimited minutes, Wi-Fi calls are entirely free.
Stay Informed and Save with Wi-Fi Calling on internet-offer.ch
Now that you're informed about using Wi-Fi Calling, you may want to consider activating a new contract or prepaid SIM card that already includes this feature. In this case, you can compare offers on our portal:
If you still have doubts, we recommend reading all the guides on internet-offer.ch.
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Author: Lapo Zarina
First Publication: March 2024
Sources: Wikipedia page on Wi-Fi Calling and official websites of mentioned mobile providers and smartphone manufacturers | Images from WIX