October 28, 2017
As I explore Europe more and more from Switzerland, I find that I am quickly crossing country borders and losing my network service. If you are like me, you don’t like to be separated from your phone and the outside world it connects to for too long! This isn’t usually an issue at home, when you have your home cellular network and data connection; but what do you do when you want to make a call or send a text during your European travels?
Wifi calling isn’t a new feature, but it isn’t that well-known yet (my friends hadn’t heard of it before anyway. This great feature can be found on many phones nowadays but not every phone yet. Wifi calling will only appear on your phone if your phone and cellular network works with it (see helpful hint #1)
Wifi calling allows you to use any Wifi network you can connect on, to call or text anyone you like; as if you were calling them from home! This feature can also be used at home if you are having problems getting a cellular signal. So, the next time you are in a basement bar or café where you can’t get a good cell signal you can simply connect to their Wifi network and place a regular call or send text messages!
Wifi calling will be disabled by default, so you will need to go into your phone’s settings to turn it on (if your phone, and your phone carrier support this feature).
How to turn on Wifi calling on your Android phone
Android phones aren’t all built the same and there may be differences between phones as well as the operating system you have installed, but basically this is the process:
- Go to settings, click on “more” or “more settings” under Wireless & Network
- You should see a Wifi calling option here that you can turn on to activate
- If this method doesn’t work, its best to search for “Wifi calling + your phone model” for detailed instructions
How to turn on Wifi calling on your iPhone
Apple users have a bit more of a streamlined process, as all iPhones will have the same method to turn on the Wifi calling feature. iPhone users need iOS 10.3 or later
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap Phone
- Under Calls, tap “Wifi Calling” to activate
Now, you should have Wifi Calling is setup! You are ready to make and receive calls and texts from anywhere in the world when you have a Wifi connection. In many cases there are no long-distance fees or roaming charges to deal with but this isn’t always the case (see helpful hint #2).
While there are phone apps that you can also use Wifi for calling and texting (Skype and WhatsApp come to mind) Wifi calling allows you to use your regular phone number and you don’t have to download yet another app on your phone. Furthermore, it can allow for a seamless transition between using your home cell network to Wifi if your cell phone network is interrupted.
Helpful Hints
- Wifi Calling only works on certain phones, certain operating systems and on certain network carriers. For example, you typically will need top model phones from the bigger cell phone companies, such as but not limited to:
- iPhone 5c or newer
- Samsung S6 and newer
- Some other phones such as Sony, Huawei and HTC etc. but it depends on your network provider
- Some cellular providers may still charge you for long-distance calling – some do and some don’t so be sure to check!
- Use our tables below to see if your network carrier offers Wifi calling support and if your phone is compatible as well!
| Number of trips by country / Europe of destination | |
| UK | 1. 3 Payment: Billed according to your subscription but UK only Compatible phones: iPhone SE, 5S, 5c, 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7+ Samsung S6, S6 edge, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+ LG G5, G6 2. Vodafone Payment: Billed according to your subscription but UK only Compatible phones: iPhone SE, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7+ Samsung A3 & A5 (2016, 2017), S6, S6 edge, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+, Note 4, Xcover 4 O2 Payment: Billed according to your subscription but UK only, no texting Compatible phones: iPhone SE, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7+ Android Samsung s7, s7 edge Sony Experia XZ premium) 3. EE Payment: Billed according to your subscription but UK only Compatible phones: iPhone SE, 5S, 5c, 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7+ Samsung A3, A5 & J5 (2017 only), S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+ Nexus 5X, 6P Nokia 3, 5 Lumia 650, 950, 950XL HTC 10, 11 Blackberry Priv, Dtek 50, Dtek 60, KEYone Google Pixel, Pixel XL Huawei P10, p10 lite, p10 + |
| Germany | 1. O2 Payment: usage out of monthly allowance billed as if you are in Germany – calls charged international rates if calling a country other than Germany Compatible phones: iPhone SE, 5S, 5c, 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7+ Huawei P10 Samsung S7, S7 edge Sony Xperia X, X compact, XZ, XZ premium, XA1 2. Telekom Payment: usage out of monthly allowance billed as if you are in Germany – calls charged international rates if calling a country other than Germany iPhone SE, 6, 6s, 6+, 6S+, 7, 7+ Samsung A3 & A5 (2017), S6, S6 edge, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+ Huawei P10 Sony Xperia XZ 3. Vodafone Payment: usage out of monthly, Germany only Compatible phones: iPhone SE, 5c, 5s, 6, 6+, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7 + Samsung J3 & J5 (2017), A3 & A5 (2016 or 2017), S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+, Xcover 4 Sony Xperia X, X compact, XZ, XZ premium, XA1, Vodafone smart turbo 7, platinum 7 Huawei P8 lite 2017, P9, P9 +, P9 lite, P10, P10 +, P10 lite, Nova HTC U11 LG G5, G6, MH |
| Switzerland | 1. Salt Payment: Billed according to your subscription - no extra roaming charges Compatible phones iPhone: SE, 5c, 5s, 6, 6+, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7 + Samsung A3 & A5 (2017), S5, S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+ Sony Xperia XZ & XZ compact 2. Swisscom Payment: Must have following Mobile subscription: inOne mobile (excl. inOne mobile light), NATEL® infinity, NATEL® infinity + and NATEL® infinity 2.0 (incl. xtra infinity) or NATEL® entry Compatible phones: iPhone SE, 6s, 6s +, 7, 7 + Huawei P10, p10 lite Samsung A3 & A5 (2017), S7, S7 edge, S8 S8+, Note8, Xcover 4, Sony Xperia XZ, XZ premium, HTC U11 3. Sunrise Payment: Billed according to your subscription but Switzerland only Compatible phones: iPhone: iOS 10.3 and up with 5c, 5s, 6, 6s, 6 +, 6s +, 7,7 +, SE / Samsung: Android 7.0 and up with S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+ |
| France | 1. Orange – can’t find details 2. Bouygues – can’t find details |
| Italy | N/A |
| Spain | 1. Orange Payment: Billed according to your subscription, no extra costs Compatible phones: iPhone 6, 6 +, SE, 6s, 6s +, 7 and 7+ Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge Sony Xperia X and XZ |
| Netherlands |
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| Poland | 1. Orange – can’t find details 2. PLAY – can’t find details 3. T-Mobile Payment: Billed according to your subscription Compatible phones: Samsung S6, S6 edge (at roll-out, can’t find any new info) |
| Belgium |
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| Austria |
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| Sweden |
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| Finland | N/A |
| Czech Republic | 1. T-mobile Payment: Billed according to your subscription, Czech Republic only Compatible phones: -Apple iPhone 5c, 5s, 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, SE, 7, 7 + -Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+, A3 (2017), A5 (2017) 2. Vodafone Payment: Billed according to your subscription, Czech Republic only Compatible phones: -iPhone 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, SE, 7, 7+ -LG G5, G6, K4 (2017), K10 (2017), Q6 -Samsung A3 & A5 (2016 & 2017), J3 & J5 (2017), S6, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+, Xcover 4, -Vodafone Smart E8, Smart N8, Smart Prime 7, Smart Turbo 7, Smart ultra 7, platinum 7, smart V8 -ZTE Blade A512 |
| Denmark | 1. 3 Payment: Billed according to your subscription, Denmark only Compatible phones: -iPhone 5c, 5s, 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, SE, 7, 7 + -Samsung A3, A5, S6, S6 edge+, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+, Note 7, Xcover 4 -Sony Xperia XZ, X, X compact 2. TDC Payment: Billed according to your subscription, Denmark only Compatible phones: iPhone 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, SE, 7, 7+ Samsung A3 & A5 (2017), S6, S6 edge, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+ Huawei P10 3. Telenor Payment: Billed according to your subscription, Denmark only Compatible phones: iPhone 6, 6 +, 6s, 6s +, SE, 7, 7 + Samsung A3 & A5 (2016, 2017), Note 4, Xcover 4, S5, S5neo, S6, S6 edge, S7, S7 edge, S8, S8+ Huawei P10 |
| Romania |
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| Hungary | N/A |
| Portugal | N/A |
| Ireland |
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