WiFi calling - with non BT phone & poor mobile reception

[david230757]

I've just moved from 3 PAYG to BT and having problems getting WiFi calling to work. The mobile reception here is poor and I keep the phone (S20e) on flight mode to avoid draining the battery boosting the mobile signal. With wifi switched back on to handle calls and texts via the router that's worked fine with 3.

The same setup doesn't seem to work with BT and after reading that their wifi calling only works with phones purchased from BT I just gave them a call to see if there's anything they can do. The guy I spoke to said:

- wifi calling should work with any capable phone. He's never heard of it only working with BT phones.

- I just need to keep the phone off flight mode and it'll route calls and texts via the router

- if the battery usage is unacceptable or calls & texts don't work there's nothing else they can do and I have the 30 day window to cancel.

Can anyone confirm if this is correct as I wasn't really convinced he knew what he was talking about?

The reason for moving from 3 was they jacked up their PAYG charges hugely. I would have moved to 1p mobile but they don't offer wifi calling. But that might be a better option if BT don't do it either. I'm a light user and don't need a new phone (actually it would be 2 phones as the same applies for my wife)

[Les-Gibson]

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@david230757wrote:

I've just moved from 3 PAYG to BT and having problems getting WiFi calling to work. The mobile reception here is poor and I keep the phone (S20e) on flight mode to avoid draining the battery boosting the mobile signal. With wifi switched back on to handle calls and texts via the router that's worked fine with 3.

The same setup doesn't seem to work with BT and after reading that their wifi calling only works with phones purchased from BT I just gave them a call to see if there's anything they can do. The guy I spoke to said:

- wifi calling should work with any capable phone. He's never heard of it only working with BT phones. 
True; I bought my phone from Argos and Wi-Fi calling works fine (BT SIM installed)

- I just need to keep the phone off flight mode and it'll route calls and texts via the router
False; the way to test if Wi-Fi calling works is as you described, put the phone in flight mode and then re-enable Wi-Fi

- if the battery usage is unacceptable or calls & texts don't work there's nothing else they can do and I have the 30 day window to cancel.
I can't imagine it draining the battery but could you not leave it connected to a charger in the unlikely event that it does?

Can anyone confirm if this is correct as I wasn't really convinced he knew what he was talking about?
What, BT customer service reps giving wrong advice on products they clearly have no or poor knowledge of? Shock, Horror 🤣  

The reason for moving from 3 was they jacked up their PAYG charges hugely. I would have moved to 1p mobile but they don't offer wifi calling. But that might be a better option if BT don't do it either. I'm a light user and don't need a new phone (actually it would be 2 phones as the same applies for my wife)

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[sallyann]

I have been with BT mobile for a couple of years now .We have no mobile phone signal at home so rely on WIFI calling . I swapped phones with my husband as mine didn't have WIFI calling and until last week it was working fine . But suddenly it has stopped connecting to wi-fi calling . I have tried re-setting the router reinserting the sim and many other ways to get it to work . I see the new advert for BT mobile says it works if you buy you phone from them . I didn't buy my phone from BT either . What good is a sim if you can't use it . Bt only sell expensive phones and I don't have that sort of money .

[Les-Gibson]

@sallyann 

I suspect that your phone is faulty or one of the settings has somehow changed.

My wifes phone was originally supplied by Vodafone under contract, we simply had it unlocked and put a BT SIM in and Wi-Fi calling works fine

[david230757]

I think I've got this working now, wifi calling setting just needed to be reenabled in the settings, duh. I guess it had been switched off in the transition from 3 to BT.

I also read that BT say wifi calling only works on phones purchased from them because that's what they can guarantee but it does actually work on many others. I wish they'd made that clearer on their help pages as it sent me barking up the wrong tree.

I've also saw the wifi calling setting has an option to prefer calls over mobile or over wifi. I'm going to check the battery usage both ways with flight mode switched off.

[Les-Gibson]

@david230757 

I have the wi-fi calling preferred setting permanently enabled on my phone and it makes no noticeable difference to battery life