Wi‑Fi Calling lets your phone place and recieve calls over Wi-Fi network while keeping your usual mobile number. For most users, calls made over Wi-Fi are billed the same way as regular cellular calls, according to your plan. However, international travelers should be cautious: enabling Wi-Fi Calling abroad may still result in roaming or international charges, depending on your carrier’s policy.
Read further to understand how Wi-Fi Calling works, how much it costs and steps to enable it on your iPhone or Android phone.
What is Wi‑Fi Calling?
Wi‑Fi Calling, also known as Voice over Wi‑Fi or VoWiFi, lets you make and receive voice calls over available Wi-Fi network rather than using cellular network. Yet, calls made via Wi-Fi use the same phone number and plan as your cellular calls.
Most modern iOS and Android devices support it, provided your mobile operator suports Wi-Fi Calling feature.
How does Wi‑Fi Calling work?
When Wi‑Fi Calling feature is turned on and your phone is connected to Wi‑Fi, your phone turns your voice into data that travels over the Wi‑Fi and the internet to your carrier through a seure pathway. Then, it routes the call to the other person’s phone, keeping your original number.
If Wi‑Fi connection degrades mid‑call, capable phones can switch to mobile data or to standard cellular voice to avoid dropping, and that is the point where your data plan and roaming policy may start to apply.
Advantages and disadvantages of Wi‑Fi Calling
Wi‑Fi Calling securely routes voice calls over the internet so you can stay reachable where cellular signal is weak, often indoors or in remote areas. Wi-Fi Calling feature also keeps your original number and doesn’t require downloading additional apps.
The main downsides come from Wi‑Fi quality variations, possible handovers to mobile data mid‑call, and differing support by device, carrier, and country.
Emergency services and 911 calls with Wi-Fi Calling
Emergency services and 911 calls can be made using Wi-Fi Calling when cellular signal is weak, but Wi-Fi connection is strong.
To assist first responders, your location is determined using your registered emergency address (if required), your device’s GPS or location services, nearby Wi-Fi access points, and cell-tower data. However, location accuracy may vary and responders may still ask you to provide your exact address and nearby landmarks.
How much does Wi‑Fi Calling cost?
Whether you make or receive calls over Wi-Fi or cellular network, same rules apply in both situations. If your cellular plan includes unlimited calls, Wi-Fi calling will not cost you anything. If you have a capped plan, a call made over Wi-Fi will use your normal per-minute rate.
When travelling abroad, charges depend directly on your roaming plan and country. To avoid roaming fees, check your carrier’s rules beforehand. For alternative options that don’t break the bank, read our article about how to make free international calls.
Should Wi‑Fi Calling be on or off when traveling abroad?
Wi-Fi calling was not designed to help you avoid roaming fees, and many carriers will charge you for international calls the same way they would on a regular cellular network. To avoid roaming surcharges, we generally advise to keep Wi‑Fi Calling disabled while traveling.
Check our guide on how to stay connected while traveling.
Choose Orange Travel eSIM to avoid roaming charges abroad
Traveling soon? Choose a travel eSIM with prepaid plans from Orange Travel to avoid roaming fees abroad. Choose between data-only or data/calls/sms plans, select data volume you need and duration. And if you need more data, you can easily top-up your plan on the go.
All our travel eSIM plans, including eSIM Europe, support tethering (hotspotting) with multiple devices and have no speed limits.
For guidance on choosing the right plan, we recommend reading our article about how much data you need for travel.
Enabling Wi‑Fi Calling on your iPhone
To enable Wi-Fi Calling feature on your iPhone:
- Go to Settings
- Select Cellular (or Mobile Network), then choose a line if you have more than more than one SIM
- Open Wi‑Fi Calling to enable “Wi‑Fi Calling on This iPhone”
Confirm emergency address if prompted
Enabling Wi‑Fi Calling on your Android phone
The steps to enabling Wi-Fi Calling feature on your Android phone may vary depending on the model. Here are some common steps to activate it:
- Go to Settings
- Select Networks and Internet. On some devices, Wi-Fi Calling feature is located under Call Settings or Connections.
- Open Mobile network
- Choose Advanced and turn on “Wi‑Fi Calling“
Ensure carrier features like HD Voice are enabled and keep a reliable wireless network available for stable calls.
FAQ
Can I do Wi‑Fi Calling without data?
Yes, you can place Wi‑Fi calls without a mobile data plan if you have access to Wi‑Fi internet because the call rides on that connection instead of your cellular data allowance. Without any internet connection, neither Wi‑Fi Calling nor third‑party VoIP apps can function, so at least Wi‑Fi or mobile data is required to place calls this way.
Does Wi‑Fi Calling use cellular data?
While you are connected to Wi‑Fi, Wi‑Fi Calling does not consume your cellular data allowance because it uses the Wi‑Fi network’s internet bandwidth. However, if the call switches to mobile data mid-call because Wi‑Fi becomes unstable, your call traffic will start consuming cellular data.
What is the difference between Wi‑Fi Calling, cellular calling, and VoIP apps?
Cellular calling runs entirely on your operator’s network, so it needs cellular coverage and does not depend on the internet connection.
Wi‑Fi Calling is carrier‑integrated calling that travels over the internet when Wi‑Fi connection is available, but it behaves like normal telephony to the person you call and does not require any apps.
VoIP apps, such as WhatsApp or Zoom, work over the internet too, but they are over‑the‑top services tied to app accounts rather than your mobile number. And usually, both sides must use the same app for calling.
Is Wi-Fi calling secure?
Yes. For security purposes, your carrier encrypts your calls made using Wi-Fi connection, even on public networks. The encryption protocols are often comparable to those when you make or receive a call using cellular network. However, we do always recommend using a trusted Wi-Fi connection.
Conclusion
Wi-Fi Calling is a convenient way to stay connected when cellular coverage is weak or unavailable, letting you use your regular phone number over a Wi-Fi network. However, before enabling Wi-Fi Calling abroad, always check your provider’s policies to avoid unexpected roaming charges.
For a complete understanding of roaming policies and how to avoid unexpected charges, read the guide on what data roaming is and how it works.
