How to Use Wi-Fi for Calls and Texts

If you live in a rural area or have spotty reception in your home, then setting up Wi-Fi texting and calling could be a game-changer. It’s easy to do on most phones and cellular plans. Just follow the simple steps outlined in the sections below.

But before we jump into the details, there are a couple of things you should know:

• You need to have an active account with a cell phone carrier before you can enable Wi-Fi calling. (Though there are other ways to make voice calls over the internet using apps like Google Voice).
• All three major carriers—Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile—support Wi-Fi calling, but some smaller MVNO carriers may not. Check with your phone company if you’re having issues setting up Wi-Fi calling.

Enabling Wi-Fi calling on an iPhone is very easy. Just follow these steps:

• Go to Settings
• Select Cellular
• Click on Wi-Fi calling. If you don’t see this option, then your carrier might not support Wi-Fi calling.
• Toggle the Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone button to the on position.

• You may be prompted to enter your home address for emergency services. This allows 911 operators to see your location if you’re calling from your cell phone using Wi-Fi.

That’s all! You should be ready to make calls using your Wi-Fi network, even when your phone is out of network range.

Turning on Wi-Fi calling and texts is also relatively simple on Android devices, though it depends on what phone you’re using.

Usually, you can turn on Wi-Fi calling on an Android phone with the following steps:

• Go to Settings.
• Select Network & Internet.
• Click on Mobile network and then select Advanced.
• Toggle Wi-Fi calling to the on position.

If you’re having difficulty finding these settings, then just search for “Wi-Fi calling” in the setting’s search bar.