Two of the leading telecom operators in India — Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have announced the launch of Wi-Fi Calling service. While Airtel was the first to launch the service in limited circles last month, Jio announced it a few days ago.
Now, both the companies have confirmed that the service is available pan-India and everyone with a compatible smartphone can use it. If you are unaware about this Wi-Fi Calling service, here’s everything you need to know about it.
Wi-Fi Calling and its benefits
Wi-Fi Calling is claimed to be using cutting edge technology to enhance the indoor voice calling experience for the network’s smartphone customers. It uses Wi-Fi networks to create a dedicated channel for voice calls and allows customers to make high-quality calls to any network.
There is no extra charge for calls made over Wi-Fi Calling and the application consumes minimal data. Customers can get started with Wi-Fi calling on their smartphone without the need for any additional calling app or SIM card.
Also, the service no longer needs any specific company’s broadband service. Both the companies have confirmed that Wi-Fi Calling will now work directly using any Wi-Fi network or a broadband service.
While the STD calls on Wi-Fi calling are going to be free, just like regular calls, ISD calls will be charged the same price that Jio or Airtel charge for them if they are made using VoLTE or regular networks, even if the calls are made using Wi-Fi.
How does it work?
If you have enabled the feature by going into the phone’s cellular settings (steps explained in a guide below), Wi-Fi calling feature will work automatically. Thus, when you make or receive a call, and when you are connected to a good Wi-Fi network, your call will be made using the Wi-Fi connection.
You don’t have to do anything. It all happens automatically. If your Wi-Fi connection drops, the call will start using the 4G or GSM network in your phone. Again, do note that the switch will happen automatically and you don’t have to do anything.
Airtel Wi-Fi Calling Compatible Smartphones
- Apple: iPhone XR, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro
- OnePlus: OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro
- Xiaomi: POCO F1, Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro
- Samsung: Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy M20, Samsung Galaxy J6, Samsung Galaxy On 6, Samsung Galaxy M30s, Samsung Galaxy A10s
Jio Wi-Fi Calling Supported Devices
- Apple: All iPhones that support iOS 13 are supported
- Coolpad: CoolPlay 6, Mega 5C, Mega 5
- Google: Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3A and Pixel 3A XL
- Infinix: Infinix Hot 7 Pro, Infinix Smart 3 Plus, Infinix Hot 6 Pro, Infinix S4
- iTel S42
- Lava: Lava Z61, Lava Z92, Lava Z60s, Lava Z81
- Mobiistar: Mobiistar C1, C1 Shine, C2, Mobiistar Enjoy More X1 Selfie X1 Notch
- Motorola: Moto G6
- Tecno: Tecno Camon i4, Tecno Camon iSKY 3, Tecno Camon iTwin
- Xiaomi: Poco F1, Xiaomi Redmi K20, Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro
- Vivo: Vivo V11, Vivo V11 Pro, Vivo V15, Vivo V15 Pro, Vivo V9, Vivo V9 Pro, Vivo 1904, Vivo Y81, Vivo Y81i, Vivo Y91, Vivo Y91i, Vivo Y93, Vivo Y95, Vivo Y15, Vivo Y17, Vivo Y91, Vivo Z1 Pro
- Samsung: Samsung has almost all phones that the company has released in the last two-three years.
How to activate Wi-Fi Calling
- Make sure you have one of the Wi-Fi Calling Capable Handset and Airtel 4G
- In Apple, go to Settings > Mobile Data > Wifi Calling
- In Samsung, enable Wi-Fi Calling from the Quick settings menu
- In Xiaomi phones, go to Settings > SIM Cards & Mobile Networks > Airtel > Make Calls using Wi-Fi
- In OnePlus go to Settings > Mobile Network > SIM1/2 > Wifi Calling
- After enabling, restart the phone
- You should not get VoWi-Fi symbol in the status bar
