How to Set Up Wi-Fi Calling on Your iPhone and Adjust Calling on Other Devices

T-Mobile was the first company to push Wi-Fi Calling, a way to connect calls from a cell phone on a Wi-Fi network to their calling system. The company offered unlimited national calling with an add-on service and eventually rolled it into its general plans. It was a practical and competitive decision: T-Mobile had yet to build a robust nationwide network, yet it is now often ranked among the best in testing.

Calls on Other Devices lets you relay calls to your iPhone that are made over the cellular network.

But Wi-Fi calling persisted and spread to other carriers. It is offered by most US and Canadian wireless carriers and many more around the world. While on most carriers there’s no financial benefit, like reduced fees or avoidance of add-ons, you just get a higher quality call in indoor locations with weak cell service and a good network. Wireless.

You can enable Wi-Fi Calling via Settings > Call > Wi-Fi calling. The option only appears if your operator offers it for your account.

However, you may notice that there is a switch at the bottom of Wi-Fi Calling: Add Wi-Fi Calling for Other Devices. This lets you use FaceTime on all other devices signed into your iCloud account — iPads, Macs, and even other iPhones that don’t have an active Calling Plan.

If this switch is not on, you may also notice that you may not be able to press it to turn it on. It might even taunt you, seeming to turn on and then suddenly turn off. It torments people because it’s not obvious what to do next. Here’s what to do:

1. Go to Settings > Call > Calls on other devices.
2. Enable Allow calls on other devices.
3. Enable calls for specific devices or for all devices with the switches under Allow calls enabled.
4. Now go back to Wi-Fi calling and activate Add Wi-Fi Calling for Other Devices.
5. On each of your iCloud-connected devices, you’ll see a notification letting you know Wi-Fi Calling is now available. You can tap or click the prompt to agree to activate it.

Wi-Fi Calling is a separate feature that lets you make calls on an iPhone or other devices over a Wi-Fi network.

If you don’t tap or click in step 5, you can enable Wi-Fi Calling:

• In iOS/iPadOS, go to Settings > FaceTime > Calls from iPhone.
• In the FaceTime app on macOS, go to FaceTime > Preferences > Settingswhere you check Calls from iPhone.

Calling on other devices and Wi-Fi calling differ as follows:

• Calls on Other Devices allows other linked devices to relay calls through the iPhone to the telephone network. The iPhone must be nearby, turned on, and connected to Wi-Fi, just like other devices making calls through the iPhone.
• Wi-Fi Calling requires Calling on Other Devices to be enabled, but then it allows your iPhone or other devices to make a call directly over a Wi-Fi network to the phone network. Your iPhone doesn’t need to be nearby or turned on.

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