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10 Fixes for Wi-Fi Calling Not Working on Android

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Writer, Smart Home

For years technology has been a big part of Gardy's life. He's an Android guy with a secret love for Apple products. When not at work, you can usually catch him drawing with a pencil. He is a writer at Gotechtor covering streaming media, TVs, and everything smart-home related. 

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Making cellular calls is easily the most common vocal method of communication, but not all cellular services work with an overly reliable network.

However, with a strong Wi-Fi connection, you can make clear and strong phone calls over the Wi-Fi connection from your Android device. The calls are secured by the Wi-Fi network improving not only their quality but lower the chance of the call being dropped.

That sounds like an excellent alternative, and it is, but it is not itself always foolproof. There are known issues with android smartphones and the use of Wi-Fi calling.

If the signal at your home or your workplace is weak, Wi-Fi calling can be an excellent alternative, but if Wi-Fi calling fails to work, you might be stuck in a situation where you cannot make a fully functional phone call when you need to do so.

Before you give up on Wi-Fi calling at the first sign of malfunction, please consider that there are several strategies to get your android device to use Wi-Fi calling.

Some of these fixes are quite simple, considering you know what to do. We’re going to walk you through ten troubleshooting tips for fixing Wi-Fi calling for your smartphone device.

Check this out: How to take a screenshot that isn’t allowed by the app

Fixes for Wi-Fi Calling Not Working on Android

Before we get started with the fixes, it’s important to understand what Wi-Fi calling is and how it works. Here are all the tips you’ll learn about in this guide:

  1. Check Device and Network Support
  2. Restart Phone and Router
  3. Remove and Reinsert SIM Card
  4. Enable/Disable Wi-Fi Calling
  5. Check Wi-Fi Is On and Working
  6. Connect to Different Wi-Fi Network
  7. Turn On and Off Airplane Mode
  8. Check for Software Update
  9. Reset Network Settings
  10. Reset App Preferences

1. Check Device and Network Support

You may not be able to use Wi-Fi calling if your device does not offer the option, which is the case for certain Android devices (Pixel 2 XL for instance).

Figuring out what is supported can be as simple as Googling Wi-Fi-compatible devices by name listing.

If your Android phone doesn’t support Wi-Fi calling, there’s nothing you can do. If your phone has the Wi-Fi Calling feature, let’s move on to the fixes.

2. Restart Phone and Router

The most basic solution for most electronic devices when something is malfunctioning is to restart it.

If Wi-Fi calling is normally functional but stops working, it could be related to an issue with the device your using or router. In either case, this simple solution involves restraining your device or rebooting the router.

To restart a device you can simply hold the power button down until a menu of options presents itself, and one of those options will be “Restart.”

If you still experience problems with using Wi-Fi calling, unplug your router for about 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Most routers take a couple of minutes to get back up and running, so give it a bit of time and then try the Wi-Fi calling feature again.

3. Remove and Reinsert SIM Card

removing sim card

If restarting both the router and phone did not the “Wi-Fi calling not working” problem, one other potential solution is to eject the SIM card from the device.

Using a microfiber cloth, gently wipe it down and reinsert it back into the device. This may prompt certain configuration settings that you should accept. Once this is done, give the Wi-Fi calling option another shot.

4. Enable/Disable Wi-Fi Calling

If you’re using Wi-Fi calling for the first time, it’s possible that the feature has not been enabled. Because the feature is dependent on the carrier and the device, it’s possible that your smartphone does not have Wi-Fi calling enabled by default.

In fact, few devices have this turned on. It’s also possible that certain smart device updates can also disable the WiFi calling feature entirely.

You can check if Wi-Fi calling is enabled by entering the Settings menu and using the Search bar to search for Wi-Fi Calling (the name may vary slightly based on the device in question).

You can also find Wi-Fi Calling by going to the Network & Internet section and looking under Mobile Network.

Once you select the network you would like to leverage for these calls, check if the Wi-Fi calling feature is enabled. If not, turn it on. Most devices should indicate their operation with a new icon at the top right corner of the screen.

5. Check Wi-Fi Is On and Working

It goes without saying that you can’t operate the Wi-Fi calling functionality if your Wi-Fi connection is disabled, you are not connected to it, or are out of its range.

Sometimes a Wi-Fi feature can be turned off for a variety of reasons. Powering it back on is as easy as entering the Quick Settings menu and taking the Wi-Fi icon until it is lit up.

If you like longer ways to turn it on you can enter Settings and go over to Network & Internet, then Wi-Fi and connect to your network for choice.

Testing whether the Wi-Fi works once the connection has been established can be done by trying to navigate to a website of the device’s browser or playing a YouTube video.

If the network is not responding, you will need to take some troubleshooting steps to figure out what the problem with the Wi-Fi is.

6. Connect to Different Wi-Fi Network

The issue might be with the particular Wi-Fi network you are connected to. If Wi-Fi Calling is not working on one network, see if you can connect to another Wi-Fi network instead, then check the feature.

If it works from a different Wi-Fi network, then there is an issue with the original one you tried, and you can look into troubleshooting steps for that one. The likely culprit is your router, so you can look into its settings or address the problem with your Wi-Fi provider.

7. Turn On and Off Airplane Mode

Even if the Wi-Fi calling functionality is enabled on a device, when the mobile network’s signal is strong, calls switch to being routed through the network by default. If you still want to use the Wi-Fi calling feature, you need to temporarily turn off your mobile network connection.

To do so, you can simply toggle the Airplane mode feature on your phone. When you do so, the connection to your mobile network is disabled.

Once it has been toggled on, enable the WiFi from the Quick Settings menu, and the only connection you will have to make phone calls will be your Wi-Fi connection.

After you have made your call, don’t forget to toggle the airplane mode off to re-establish your connection to your mobile network.

8. Check for Software Update

Sometimes Wi-Fi calling stops working due to a bug in the firmware of the device. While restarting the device can be an effective fix, if the bug is still there, it could happen again.

Here’s how to check for software updates on your Android device:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down and tap on System ((older devices have this called About Phone).
  3. Tap the Advanced menu to look for any available updates
  4. Tap on System update, then Check for update.

You will be informed if there are any new updates to install, then prompted to begin the installation.

9. Reset Network Settings

There is another method by which you can reset things for the network without actually rebooting your phone to do so.

Under the Settings menu, under the System umbrella, there is a list of Reset options. You can navigate here and use Reset Network Settings to reset Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other connectivity settings.

If the issue was due to a change or malfunction with one of the network settings, this could clear up the issue. This reset does not affect any data storage, so you will not lose anything important in the process.

10. Reset App Preferences

If the issue is with a particular app you use for Wi-Fi calling, you can try resetting the settings for the app in particular.

It’s likely that very little has been changed to its default settings, but you can still reset the settings to the original state to see if this fixes the issue.

You can also navigate to Settings, go under the System Menu, and enter the Reset section, then choose Reset App or Reset Settings choices to do so.

Writer, Smart Home

For years technology has been a big part of Gardy's life. He's an Android guy with a secret love for Apple products. When not at work, you can usually catch him drawing with a pencil. He is a writer at Gotechtor covering streaming media, TVs, and everything smart-home related. 

Gardy Philogene

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