Voom-making phone calls?

[Scottpush]

50 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

You have to make sure when you put your phone in airplane mode to turn on WiFi.

Notice that my WiFi is off now that I have it in airplane mode.

yep I see that!  And See my screen?  This is with Airplane mode on and Wifi on.  See the

'waiting to connect' message after I 'tried' to send a text?  That's because the phone isn't on Call Wifi mode in the settings.  So it won't work.  According to the AT&T rep I'll be charged for that text although I already verified it won't even send until I back out of airplane mode!  My phone is an unlocked Nexus 6P.  Best phone I've ever owned.  But it doesn't have the call wifi option in settings and doesn't have the capability to send text over wifi.  Some phones work some don't.  And you have to have a phone locked to a carrier in the first place.  I think I'm learning too much.

[Scottpush]

Exactly!  haha. 

[John&LaLa]

As long as that little phone icon in upper left is visible, wifi is usable to make calls.

 

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, Scottpush said:

  My phone is an unlocked Nexus 6P.  

There's your problem, WiFi calling not available on that model via AT&T.

[Scottpush]

Not according to this reply.  His phone works and doesn't have the little phone in the upper left corner.  It works because Call Wifi mode is activated in his and your settings.  Because you have a phone that has that functionality.  And you have a phone locked to a carrier.  I have an unlocked phone Plus it doesn't have the Call Wifi funcitonality.  Your little phone is peculiar to your phone or your carrier.  Probably to signify it has Call Wifi activated.

5 hours ago, twangster said:

 

An AT&T phone will display "AT&T Wi-Fi" when wifi calling is enabled and ready to be used in airplane mode.

 

I'm at home in airplane mode connected to home Wi-Fi with Wi-Fi calling enabled.  

 

 

 

[Scottpush]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

There's your problem, WiFi calling not available on that model via AT&T.

Exactly!!!  And another caveat.  As far as I can tell you can only figure this out by traveling to an AT&T store and have the sales person look up your model phone on their PC.  Complex world we live in!  Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do to actually get this to work.  I'm thinking buy the AT&T plan for $50 although I've heard one bad story about that.  Research more I guess.

Edited February 18, 2019 by Scottpush

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

21 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Turned WiFi callig off again and was able to send my son a message through Facebook messenger.  I think I will use this onboard because it seems it won’t need wifi calling and anyone who would need to reach us or that I would need to reach has this set up already.

That should work.  I don't do FB messenger.  But you will still need VOOM and if you're using VOOM then why not just setup WiFi calling?  Every time I cruised and had WiFi calling setup it was transparent and worked just like at home.  No extra app's to log into or going to Facebook or finding my internet browser.   

[Iamcruzin]

21 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

 

 

21 minutes ago, ATSEAMYLIFE said:

That should work.  I don't do FB messenger.  But you will still need VOOM and if you're using VOOM then why not just setup WiFi calling?  Every time I cruised and had WiFi calling setup it was transparent and worked just like at home.  No extra app's to log into or going to Facebook or finding my internet browser.   

I will have Voom. I added it for $10 a day on my drink package. You can audio call or video chat through FB messenger so there is no need for everyone you would want to call to download WhatsApp. The only person who doesn’t have FB is my 86yr old parents so I will have to turn on WiFi calling for them. I just find it interesting that I don’t need it for FB messenger. 

[fredflint]

I have OOMA and the phone app lets me make calls using my home number when we were on the Allure in the middle of the Atlantic the calls were great but this was a few years ago and I think more people are using the internet now.  Of course depending on where you are in the world it could work well during off times.

[SRF]

18 hours ago, Scottpush said:

WiFi calling as in using WhatsApp or something like that?  Or is that something enabled thru the carrier?  I called Royal Caribbean and they said texting does not work when you sign up to VOOM.  They said that is something that has to be set up thru the carrier.  For me AT&T.

 

Through your carrier, and your phone.

 

ATT, Verizon, and T-mobile support it.  And most smart phones.

 

On an iPhone, you go into Settings - Phone - WiFi Calling and turn it On.  But you must be connected to your carrier when you do this.

 

Once enabled, your phone will use WiFi calling whenever there is a wifi signal.

[Biker19]

14 minutes ago, SRF said:

And most smart phones.

I think we figured out that the OP's phone doesn't support WiFi calling.

 

11 hours ago, Scottpush said:

  Research more I guess.

Get used to an app which supports texting via WiFi (like Google Voice), get a VOOM package and use that to text/call. BTW, I think AT&T rep was right on the calls/min charge but wrong on texting - those should only be 50 cents.

[Iamcruzin]

18 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Through your carrier, and your phone.

 

ATT, Verizon, and T-mobile support it.  And most smart phones.

 

On an iPhone, you go into Settings - Phone - WiFi Calling and turn it On.  But you must be connected to your carrier when you do this.

 

Once enabled, your phone will use WiFi calling whenever there is a wifi signal.

Just to add on an iPhone WiFi calling is found in settings under Celular Data.

[SRF]

Just now, Iamcruzin said:

Just to add on an iPhone WiFi calling is found in settings under Celular Data.

 

Actually, at least in iOS 12, it is TWO locations. 😄

 

Under Cellular and under Phone.

 

I actually checked my iPhone before posting before, and what I said was accurate.  And I just checked what you posted, and it is also accurate. 😄

[Iamcruzin]

2 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

Actually, at least in iOS 12, it is TWO locations. 😄

 

Under Cellular and under Phone.

 

I actually checked my iPhone before posting before, and what I said was accurate.  And I just checked what you posted, and it is also accurate. 😄

Good to know. I never scrolled down that far. I didn’t even know phone existed and I have had an iPhone since the 4. 😁 

[twangster]

I've only use unlocked phones.  My AT&T screen shot is from an unlocked iPhone 6S that used to be used with Straighttalk.  

 

On AT&T if you have an old SIM card it may require replacing it so wi-fi calling works.  

 

I still find TMo the easiest carrier to work with using just about any unlocked phone.  

 

I travel with an AT&T and a TMo phone. Wi-Fi calling works better with TMo, in my experience.  

 

AT&T call agents suck.  You are much better going into a store for support.  

[Scottpush]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

I think we figured out that the OP's phone doesn't support WiFi calling.

 

Get used to an app which supports texting via WiFi (like Google Voice), get a VOOM package and use that to text/call. BTW, I think AT&T rep was right on the calls/min charge but wrong on texting - those should only be 50 cents.

Can I use Google Voice to text to people back home who don't have it?

[Scottpush]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

I've only use unlocked phones.  My AT&T screen shot is from an unlocked iPhone 6S that used to be used with Straighttalk.  

 

On AT&T if you have an old SIM card it may require replacing it so wi-fi calling works.  

 

I still find TMo the easiest carrier to work with using just about any unlocked phone.  

 

I travel with an AT&T and a TMo phone. Wi-Fi calling works better with TMo, in my experience.  

 

AT&T call agents suck.  You are much better going into a store for support.  

The AT&T rep said my phone doesn't support Wi-Fi calling.  Google Nexus 6P.  I"m inclined to believe him.  So I"m thinking of buying a new phone or maybe using Google Voice, if that works to text/call those back home who don't use it.  I'll go into a TMo store and ask them

 

[twangster]

Interesting.  My Nexus 5 supported wifi calling but only with project Fi.  

 

Perhaps their implementation is different than AT&Ts.

[Iamcruzin]

2 minutes ago, Scottpush said:

The AT&T rep said my phone doesn't support Wi-Fi calling.  Google Nexus 6P.  I"m inclined to believe him.  So I"m thinking of buying a new phone or maybe using Google Voice, if that works to text/call those back home who don't use it.  I'll go into a TMo store and ask them

 

Try texting someone while you are home through Google voice to see if it works. That’s how I discovered that I could use Facebook messenger to call text or video chat without wifi calling on. My guess is that they would also need a google account.

[Scottpush]

2 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Try texting someone while you are home through Google voice to see if it works. That’s how I discovered that I could use Facebook messenger to call text or video chat without wifi calling on. My guess is that they would also need a google account.

I'll try or Google it.  🙂 

I have tenants and want it to be seamless.  Don't want to have to require them to download and learn an app.  Also, I might have to call a contractor to fix something.  Maybe time to buy an Apple phone.  I've always used Android.

[twangster]

Just now, Scottpush said:

I'll try or Google it.  🙂 

I have tenants and want it to be seamless.  Don't want to have to require them to download and learn an app.  Also, I might have to call a contractor to fix something.  Maybe time to buy an Apple phone.  I've always used Android.

 

Androids support wifi calling too.  Drop by any cellular store and talk it over.  All the big cell companies in the US support wifi calling.

 

There are things I like about iPhones and things I like about Android.  Don't switch platforms just for wifi-calling.  

[Scottpush]

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Androids support wifi calling too.  Drop by any cellular store and talk it over.  All the big cell companies in the US support wifi calling.

 

There are things I like about iPhones and things I like about Android.  Don't switch platforms just for wifi-calling.  

I've never used an iPhone so maybe it would be good to try it.  Then I'll know what all the hoopla is about it that my friends love.  Thinking of iPhone XR.  Around $750.

Edited February 18, 2019 by Scottpush

[Scottpush]

2 hours ago, SRF said:

 

Through your carrier, and your phone.

 

ATT, Verizon, and T-mobile support it.  And most smart phones.

 

On an iPhone, you go into Settings - Phone - WiFi Calling and turn it On.  But you must be connected to your carrier when you do this.

 

Once enabled, your phone will use WiFi calling whenever there is a wifi signal.

Very well described.  I wish I knew all this from the get go!  Wouldn't have wracked my brain so much.  Too bad its not presented to passengers to begin with.  Especially from the cruse ships themselves. 

[Iamcruzin]

23 minutes ago, Scottpush said:

I'll try or Google it.  🙂 

I have tenants and want it to be seamless.  Don't want to have to require them to download and learn an app.  Also, I might have to call a contractor to fix something.  Maybe time to buy an Apple phone.  I've always used Android.

My son who will not be joining us has the Android phone. Apple to Android required me to activate wifi calling unless I went through FB messenger. Don’t switch platforms unless you really want apple. 

[Scottpush]

5 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

My son who will not be joining us has the Android phone. Apple to Android required me to activate wifi calling unless I went through FB messenger. Don’t switch platforms unless you really want apple. 

Wouldn't Apple to Apple require you to activate wifi calling from a ship also?  Seems like Apple to Android or vice versa would also  require activating wifi calling from a ship also.