WiFi Calling not supported

Skype will let you make calls to phone numbers. You'll need to load up some credit to do it - but might worth it if you're otherwise stuck.

Whatsapp will wi-fi call too. It's not a problem with your phone - it's O2 - they been very slow to bring wi-fi calling to lots of phones.

Change your provider if you like your phone 🙂

Thanks - would skype or whatsapp allow me to receive incoming calls though (from a standard landline ie GP surgery)? I didnt think that part would work although im quite likely wrong.

Have a look at obtaining a local number from a SIP provider like SIPgate and then using a SIP app (Google to find the best rated one).

So essentially you're committing to renting a voip number with a call plan for a monthly fee.  When someone phones that local number it will ring on the app on your phone whether you are. You can, if you can be bothered, also buy a Voip phone to connect to your router so that you have a "land-line". We had this for my mother in law who wouldn't have been able to get the idea of her land-line ringng on her mobile

Is it Tesco or O2?

i had WiFi calling on o2, moved to giffgaff who use o2 and they didn’t support it, so moved onto three as they did. Got fed up of taking calls in the garden.

A lot of the smaller piggy-back providers don't support wifi calling (at least not on many phones). Wifi calling is the only option here so I have done a load of research. I am betting if you had an O2 contract your phone would work fine over wifi. Just that Tesco haven't done all the bits they need to do to allow it via there access agreement. See also, ASDA, GiffGaff etc.

Saying all that, I am with ID Mobile who do seem to support wifi calling on most phones.

We have o2, my samsung is apparently not compatible , mrs zips xiaomi is.

Neither work.

My mobile is Tesco and I’ve enabled wifi calling that appears to work, not that I’ve been able to 100% test it does as we do get a scrap of signal in the house anyway

Three and EE WiFi calling seems to be much better and more reliable than O2 and Vodafone.

I've just got a Lebara SIM which runs on Vodafone. The WiFi calling works, but it doesn't often switch on. The EE WiFi calling was almost always active when connected to a network. Maybe that's because the Vodafone signal is better, but who knows. A cheap way to get EE WiFi calling (which seems to be the best) is the 1p network.

Have a look here. Gives some clues on which networks have the best handset availability too.

https://www.simsherpa.com/networks/best-wifi-calling

A year ago I swapped from Giffgaff to Smarty because Giffgaff didn’t offer WiFi calling. Now I have it with Smarty it works perfectly, and I pay almost exactly the same per month.

I’m with BT as, at the time, they were the only provider I could find who did both WiFi calling and SMS over WiFi. It was and is really important that I get sms at home and have no signal in the house

Both services work well.

Op basically you are screwed in the short term. If Tesco are saying that they don’t support wifi calling but just not on your handset your only option is to get a handset that they do support

1p mobile (EE) and Smarty (Three) are both options to try with decent Wifi calling support, as well as Three themselves.  Worth checking other providers in your area before taking a sledghammer approach of a new phone.

I have a pixel 7 and am with 3 and I can't get it to work. The 3 website and help section is shocking.

not that I’ve been able to 100% test it does as we do get a scrap of signal in the house anyway

Switch to airplane mode then activate Wi-Fi only. I routinely have to do this as I have a scrap of signal and the phone hunts between the 2.

I Had to do this with my previous phone ^^^ (phone is not even listed as supported for wifi calling but it certainly did work fine). New phone is supported and always just works, though sometimes there can be a 12-24 hour lag on getting SMSs. A pain if trying to do on online payment with 2fa. Other times though it works seemlessly

Someone like TTNC will do you a 'landline' voip thats bare bones for £4.50 a month. You even get to choose your number. You'll pay for outbound calls on a credit top up as needed basis, but if like me you rarely need to call outbound, then thats likely not a problem.

But @4.50 a month when you can buy a perfectly good new-ish phone with a warranty for £100? not sure the economics stack up.

1p mobile (EE) and Smarty (Three) are both options to try with decent Wifi calling support, as well as Three themselves.  Worth checking other providers in your area before taking a sledghammer approach of a new phone.

Is it a pain in the arse though to transfer your number on networks these days? It used to be

Running WiFi calls over smarty network here. Works well and I get SMS over WiFi which was my original aim.

so i just restarted it, and it works now.

I'm on Tesco mobile. A year ago we moved to a house that is a not-spot on all networks. My old Moto phone couldn't get reception nor WiFi calling. I invested £120 in a Moto G31 still on Tesco and now I have some patchy reception and since about a month ago I'm getting faultless WiFi calling, without changing anything else.
I'm on virgin broadband.

Is it a pain in the arse though to transfer your number on networks these days? It used to be

No it's a doddle with no human interaction at all. Your request a pac code from old network via text message or online account then use that code with new provider to transfer number within a day or two (on a day you select ). Old service automatically cancelled. It's a regulated process, all the network providers have to follow it.

so i just restarted it, and it works now.

Using my Pixel 6 (on Tesco) the other day I noticed I was using wifi calling - didn't know it had been enabled as it certainly wasn't a while ago!  Must have switched on after a phone update/restart

Actually, OP, have you attempted to turn WIFI calling on in settings?

Is it a pain in the arse though to transfer your number on networks these days?

Again, it’s been easy for a decade at least. I’ve had the same number since the iPhone 3s.

Just text PAC to 65075 then use that code with your new provider’s number transfer website. https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/guides/porting-your-mobile-phone-number/

Yeah...I'm on Three, partner  is on O2. My WiFi calling is fine at home on an iPhone 8 and has been for a few years now...despite multiple calls to O2 hers still is not fine on an iPhone 11.

I'd move to Smarty/Three.

I’ve had the same number since the iPhone 3s.

I've had the same number since 1996 😳

Is it a pain in the arse though to transfer your number on networks these days? It used to be

It's never been difficult AFAIK. The historical problem with porting numbers was unscrupulous salespeople who get more commission from a new number than a ported one.

Text the shortcode as PGP said. You get something like 28 days to use the code, if you don't then it quietly expires and nothing changes.

I wish you could have the WiFi calling as the default, rather than the mobile network. At our place there's only the slightest whiff of a mobile signal, and usually only at the front of the house, which is why we need the WiFi calling. However if the phone happens to get that whiff it switches to the mobile network, and that will inevitably immediately drop out, and the call is dropped. So in-progress calls just get cut off, if you try to make a call you can't, and people calling you nearly always get bounced to voicemail.

I can't find a "always use WiFi calling if available" setting though (Android).

I can’t find a “always use WiFi calling if available” setting though (Android)

Certain combinations of phone and network provider do allow you to select default to wifi.  E.g OH's Pixel 6a, FIL's Pixel 7a both have the option on o2.  My Pixel 7 on EE has it.

Smarty/Three don't enable that option on any device.

I have an iPhone 13 mini on Smarty. I'm pretty sure I can switch off the cellular signal and force wifi calling.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253021427#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20make%20WiFi,leave%20the%20WiFi%20coverage%20zone.

Hmm, I'm using a RealMe 7 Pro on EE, maybe I'll have more of a play.

switch off the cellular signal and force wifi calling.

can do that on any android too, but it's a bit of a PITA.

can do that on any android too, but it’s a bit of a PITA.

It's 1 swipe and 2 presses on my iPhone.

It’s 1 swipe and 2 presses on my iPhone.

Same on pixel phones, on some androids it's a swipe and a single press.

The process isn't really the issue, it's more the fact you have to do it, need to realise when you need to turn off your mobile service, remember to turn it back in when you leave WiFi etc.

Yes, you can set up routines on Android so for example when it detects a certain WiFi name then it turns off mobile service. It would be far simpler if all the networks just offered the option to default to WiFi calling.

But that would cost them more money in back end hardware that isn't mobile towers and there's general a race to the bottom in cost.

EE thankfully seem to have spent on this and IME it's rock solid. Thankfully EE seem to give full access to EE services to 1p mobile and it works as well without the EE premium cost.  There will still be holes in supported devices but it's a much better set up than Three/Smarty.

can do that on any android too, but it’s a bit of a PITA.

I've just had a dig around in the settings and I can see how to turn off mobile data, but not cellular signal?

but not cellular signal?

The easiest way is to have airline mode as a quick setting when you pull down from the top. Change your airline mode to keep WiFi on.

In fairness these do vary slightly per android manufacturer so you may or may not be able to customise the airline mode.

Alternatively within network settings you can enable or disable the SIM.