How do I set up WiFi Calling on Android?

It’s fair to say that the London Underground isn’t the friendliest place on Earth: with the notable exception of Friday and Saturday nights, it’s a world of hushed newspaper reading, no eye contact and the occasional passive-aggressive “excuse me, please”.

However, the technology now exists to break the all-consuming silence with your own voice. With WiFi Calling, you can while away your tedious Northern line commute by calling your granny, complaining to TfL or ordering a pre-emptive lunchtime takeaway. The future is now.

In short, WiFi Calling allows you to use WiFi to send texts and make calls when you don’t have a normal phone signal. Here’s how to enable WiFi Calling on your Android phone.

WiFi Calling on Android: who supports it, who doesn’t

As always, there are a few caveats to get out of the way before we begin. First, not all mobile networks support the handy function, with BT Mobile (if you also have a BT landline), EE, FreedomPop (which sounds like a soft drink invented by Donald Trump), iD Mobile, O2, Three and Vodafone leading the way.

Second, as WiFi Calling is a new innovation, it’s not available on older handsets. This means you will have to go to your mobile provider’s website and peruse the list of supported devices. That said, if your Android phone is under two years old, you can almost certainly use WiFi Calling – if you’ve installed all of the latest updates.

Annoyingly, the process varies from phone to phone, but here’s how to enable the tool with some of the big-name manufacturers.

Note we haven’t been able to test all phones on all networks; if it doesn’t work for you, let us know in the comments below (especially if you manage to solve the problems through other means!).

Google

• Connect to the WiFi
• Swipe up from the bottom of the homescreen
• Tap Settings | More | WiFi Calling
• Switch the WiFi Calling option on

HTC

• Connect to the WiFi
• Tap the Phone icon on the homescreen
• Select the Menu icon
• Turn on the WiFi Calling switch

Huawei

• Connect to the WiFi
• Tap Settings on the homescreen
• Tap More |Wi-Fi calling
• Switch on the Wi-Fi calling option

Samsung

• Connect to the WiFi
• Tap the Phone icon on the homescreen
• Select Menu icon
• Tap Settings
• Scroll down to the Wi-Fi calling option and switch it on

LG

• Connect to the WiFi
• Tp the Apps icon on the homescreen
• Tap Settings
• Under the Networks tab, select Call
• Switch on the WiFi Calling option

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