← Glossary · Calling, messaging & Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi calling
Place and receive cellular calls over a Wi-Fi network instead of a cell tower. Useful at home with weak signal, or for international travel without roaming charges.
Wi-Fi calling lets your phone place and receive regular voice calls and texts over a Wi-Fi network instead of a cell tower. The calls go through your carrier's normal phone system; the only difference is the radio link to your phone is Wi-Fi instead of cellular.
When it's useful
- Bad signal at home or work. If you have a weak cellular signal but good Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi calling gives you crystal-clear calls instead of dropouts.
- International travel. If you have hotel Wi-Fi or an airport hotspot, Wi-Fi calling lets you make calls back home as if you were in the US — usually for free or at your domestic plan rates.
- Basements, elevators, dense buildings. Anywhere cellular doesn't penetrate but Wi-Fi does.
How to enable it
- iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Wi-Fi Calling → toggle on.
- Android (Samsung, Pixel): Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Calling → enable.
- Some carriers require an emergency address on file (E911 routing) before they'll enable Wi-Fi calling on your line.
Carrier support
All major US carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T) support Wi-Fi calling. Most large MVNOs do too (Visible, Cricket, Mint, Google Fi, Metro). A few smaller MVNOs lag — check the carrier's support page if you depend on it.