In brevi, VoWiFi or WiFi-based VoIP technology should result in superior Indoor coverage and better call quality in congested urban areas. The inception was in Delhi NCR and eventually followed by a nation-wide roll-out. ALSO READ: 10+ Best 5G Phones to Buy
What is VoWiFi?
Simply put, VoWiFi uses the internet as the mode of transmission for calls, SMS, and MMS. It stands for voice over WiFi. It works with the existing Airtel/Jio SIM, through the default phone dialer and messaging app without any need for 3rd party app or log in. You can make WiFi calls to the other person regardless of their phone supporting WiFi Calling or not. The recipient can be on any network, be it 2G/3G/4G/VoLTE/WiFi. You may be already familiar with VoLTE, which is short for voice over LTE ( a 4G standard). While it uses a data network, the VoWiFi depends on WiFi mesh your device is connected to. In principle, both VoWiFi and VoLTE can work in tandem. If WiFi gets disconnected, the call will take place over your mobile data. Just like VoLTE, VoWiFi also displays an indicator in the phone’s status bar. If you’re wondering, yes, it does work whilst you’re on roaming. With that said, let’s see its value proposition to you.
Benefits of VoWiFi/ Wi-Fi Calling
The Wi-Fi calling has the following perks for the customers –
Use your prevailing phone number. No need for separate Airtel/Jio pack, 3rd party app or logins.Calls without any mobile signal.If you’re in a strong Wi-Fi radius, you would get better indoor coverage and faster connectivityThis results in clear conversations
From the companies’ standpoint, this is a nice bait for luring more customers and gaining revenue. It will have an upper hand over the competition until they introduce their own service. Further, this enables operators like Jio/Airtel to sideline Instant Messaging or OTT (Over The Top) apps like Whatsapp, Hike, and Viber, which uses VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol). This is not operator dependent and hence a SIM card is not required. If you’re connected to the internet via Wi-Fi or mobile data, then you can make the call. But, it comes with caveats –
Foremost, WiFi calling is not free as you may mistake it to be. It is underlined that ‘A Wi-Fi call will be treated exactly the same as a regular call.’ So, calls and texts will reflect in your Airtel/Jio master balance.WiFi Calling doesn’t support international calls or roaming calls from a foreign country to India. However, the operators are not at fault here as this is mandated by Law Enforcement Agencies.Calls made using either Jio/Airtel’s WiFi Calling Services to any other network or number not having Wi-Fi Calling Services would be possible and will be charged for at the existing prices/ plans as applicable to other networks for the duration of the call.It doesn’t work if the Airplane mode is turned on.You may find more terms and conditions here- for Airtel and Jio.
ALSO READ: Benefits of Dual WiFi Now that you have a fair idea about what is it and why it matters, let’s get down to the actual setup process.
Steps to activate WiFi Calling on Android and ioS (Airtel/Jio)
Depending upon the brand of your phone, this might differ a little (In any case, refer to the above image). It’s really simple. The only perquisites are compatible phones with the latest software and an Airtel/Jio 4G SIM.
If you have a Samsung phone, head over to Quick Settings Panel and turn on the WiFi calling option.Xiaomi users can find the option within the device Settings > SIM cards and Mobile Networks > Airtel > Make Calls using WiFiSimilarly, OnePlus users will get the option within Settings > Mobile Network > SIM 1 or SIM 2 > WiFi CallingLastly, if you’re an iPhone user, go to Settings > Mobile Data > WiFi CallingEnsure both VoLTE and VoWiFi enabled for an enhanced experience.
Note: For a better experience, you should enable both VoLTE and VoWiFi. Likewise, the number of supported devices is also limited at the moment. However, the list should grow in time. For now, check out if yours is in the list down below:
List of best VoWiFi-supported phones:
Note: VoWifi the service is universal and operator agnostic – it’s not tied to any one operator, but can be used by anyone with a supported device with WiFi access. Speaking of which, here are the best VoWiFi supported phones —
Compatible iPhones
iPhone SEiPhone 6siPhone 6s PlusiPhone 7iPhone 7 PlusiPhone 8iPhone 8 PlusiPhone XiPhone XSiPhone XS MaxiPhone XRiPhone 11iPhone 11 ProiPhone 11 Pro Max
Compatible Samsung phones
Samsung Galaxy J6Samsung Galaxy On6Samsung Galaxy M30sSamsung Galaxy A10sSamsung Galaxy A50sSamsung Galaxy A71Samsung Galaxy A53 5GSamsung A33 5GSamsung Galaxy S21 FESamsung Galaxy S22 UltraSamsung Galaxy M33Samsung Flip4Samsung Galaxy S22Samsung Galaxy S22+Samsung Fold4Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Samsung Galaxy S21 Samsung Galaxy S21plus Samsung Galaxy S21ultra Samsung Galaxy Z fold 2 Samsung E426B (F42) Samsung A528B (A52s)Samsung M526B (M52) Samsung Flip3 Samsung Fold3 Samsung A22 5G Samsung S20FE 5G Samsung M32 5G Samsung F23Samsung A73Samsung M42Samsung M53 Samsung M13
Compatible Realme phones
Realme C1Realme 2 ProRealme X2Realme 5iRealme 3Realme 3iRealme 3 ProRealme XTRealme 8s 5GRealme X7 Max 5GRealme Narzo 30pro 5GRealme X7 5GRealme X7pro 5GRealme 8 5GRealme X50 ProRealme GT 5GRealme GT MERealme GT NEO2Realme 9 5GRealme 9 ProRealme 9 Pro PlusRealme Narzo 30 5GRealme 9 SERealme GT2Realme GT 2 proRealme GT NEO3Realme Narzo 50 5GRealme Narzo 50 pro
Compatible OnePlus phones
OnePlus 7OnePlus 7 ProOnePlus 7TOnePlus 7T ProOnePlus NordOnePlus 9OnePlus 9proOnePlus Nord CEOnePlus Nord CE 2OnePlus 10 PRO 5GOnePlus Nord CE Lite 2OnePlus 10ROnePlus Nord 2TOnePlus 10TOnePlus 8 OnePlus 8T OnePlus 8 ProOnePlus 9RT OnePlus Nord 2 OnePlus 9R
Compatible Xiaomi phones
Poco F1Redmi K20Redmi K20 ProRedmi Note 7Xiaomi Mi 10Xiaomi Mi 10iXiaomi Mi 10TXiaomi Mi 10TproXiaomi Mi 11 Ultra(K1)Xiaomi Mi 11X ProXiaomi Mi 11XXiaomi POCO M3 Pro 5GXiaomi POCO F3 GTXiaomi Mi 11 Lite NE (K9D)Xiaomi K16A Redmi Note 11T 5GXiaomi K3S Xiaomi 11T ProXiaomi K16 Xiaomi 11i HyperChargeXiaomi Redimi Note 10TXiaomi K6S(Redimi Note 11 pro plus)Xiaomi POCO M4 5GXiaomi POCO M4 Pro 5GXiaomi 12 proXIAOMI 11iXiaomi Redimi 11 prime + 5G(L19)Xiaomi Poco F4 5GXiaomi Poco X4 proXiaomi Redmi K50i
Compatible Google Pixel phones
Google Pixel 3Google Pixel 3aGoogle Pixel 3a XLGoogle Pixel 4aGoogle Pixel 7 Google Pixel 7 Pro
Compatible Vivo phones
Vivo V11Vivo V11 ProVivo V15Vivo V15 ProVivo V9Vivo V9 ProVivo Y81Vivo Y81iVivo Y91Vivo Y91iVivo Y93Vivo Y95Vivo Y15Vivo Y17Vivo Y91Vivo Z1 ProVivo X50 ProVivo V20 ProVivo X60 Pro+Vivo X60Vivo X60 ProVivo V21 5GVivo V21eVivo X70 ProVivo X70 Pro+Vivo IQOO Z5 5GVivo Y72 5GVivo V23 5GVivo V23 Pro 5GVivo V23e 5GVivo T1 5GVivo Y75 5GVivo T1 PROVivo X80Vivo X80 proVivo V25Vivo V25 ProVivo Y55 5GVivo Y55s 5G
Other Compatible phones
Motorola Moto G6Infinix Hot 7 ProInfinix Smart 3 PlusInfinix Hot 6 ProInfinix S4Lava Z62Lava Z92Lava Z60sLava Z81Mobistar C1Mobistar C1 ShineMobistar C2Mobistar X1 SelfieMobistar X1 NotchTecno Camon i4Tecno Camon I SkyTecno Camon iTwin
We will populate the list as and when more devices receive the VoWiFi feature. So, you may as well bookmark this page for future reference.
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