WiFi Calling on 30 day SIM? iPhone 7

[AMc]

I'm happy with my iPhone 7 so I switched my out of contract Vodafone SIM (£25pm) for a £6pm Plusnet SIM.
My number has just ported - the iPhone has a "WiFi calling" setting to enable for EE but it doesn't work - apparently Plusnet are too cheap to let you use it
EE coverage (Plusnet's provider) is non existent at home so I need WiFi calling urgently.

I want a rolling 30 day contract so I can pick up a new phone when I feel like it.

I've seen ID mobile mentioned and various other networks I've never heard of for around a tenner.

Any one using a cheap 30 day SIM they'd recommend with about 5GB of data a month - it MUST support WiFi Calling on an iPhone7

 

[severe dainjah]

I’m currently on 30 day sim with VOXI (Vodafone) and WiFi calling works fine on my iPhone 12

 

[AMc]

I’m currently on 30 day sim with VOXI (Vodafone) and WiFi calling works fine on my iPhone 12

That's cool - for some reason it won't let me order any of the SIM only plans.
I can if I add a reconditioned phone...

 

[BM08]

For some reason you say?

The reason is above in red text? Due to high demand, that’s why?

Sorry for pointing out the obvious, but you sound as if you didn’t know why!

I’m sure you can find another deal on the web

 

[AMc]

You can get the deal if you buy a phone but not if you don’t. That’s odd and a cynic if would suggest nothing to do with demand.

 

[BM08]

I don’t know, but it doesn’t really matter what the reason is, you’re not going to get what you want on that website.

Just have a Google, and see what else you can see.

Apologies for not helping!

 

[AMc]

It looks like it may be possible to order a free Voxi SIM and then activate a plan when it arrives.
Perhaps that's how it always works, never come across them before.
As the SIM is free I've ordered one - annoyingly it looks like I could have simply moved from Vodafone directly without changing my SIM at all if I'd know about Voxi!
Shame I didn't know and had this silly detour via PlusNot

In the opening post I asked:
"Any one using a cheap 30 day SIM they'd recommend with about 5GB of data a month - it MUST support WiFi Calling on an iPhone7?"

Does anyone have another suggestion they would recommend?

 

[severe dainjah]

Prob worth ordering a VOXI sim to see if you can activate a plan once you have the sim. Seems high demand is affecting all of their plans currently.

Other networks to consider are SMARTY or ID - both appear to include WiFi calling

 

[AMc]

Cheers - I've done that and got a dispatch email just now
I'll see if it works - then order a plan - then port my number once I've made a WiFi call

I looked at ID and Smarty but they both use the [edit] EE Three network - who's coverage checker says no signal at all at mine.[edit]
As my Plusnot SIM is on EE I can tell there's no signal at all in my house, I had to go in the garden to get my PAC processed.
Back on Voda even with WiFi calling, I had to use their data network to get SMS codes from the bank.
It seems to be a bit of a grey area - some sites are suggesting you can get SMS over WiFi too but that never worked for me on O2 or Vodafone in the past (only iMessages) so a patchy signal for SMS is a fall back I would like for comfort as I get nagged by the bank and credit cards at the least useful moments!

 

[melmorc]

Hi there.

My husband, son & I all use ID Mobile and purchased our own phones from other sources. All run wifi calling with no problems - we have an iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 11 and Samsung Note Lite.

All of us on 30 day rolling Sim only plans.

BTW ID Mobile use the 3 network, not EE.

 

[AMc]

My husband, son & I all use ID Mobile and purchased our own phones from other sources.

Cheers for that - I got my Three and EE mixed up.
My notes were correct, my post was not - I've edited to not confuse anyone in future searches.
The Three network checker suggests no signal even outside which could prove to be a problem.

Still waiting for the Voxi SIM but if that doesn't work out I'll look at ID again - cheers for posting.

 

[Dave X]

It seems to be a bit of a grey area - some sites are suggesting you can get SMS over WiFi too but that never worked for me on O2 or Vodafone

EE and Three have always allowed calls and SMS over WiFiCalling.

Vodafone have recently also enabled it for SMS so only o2 are left with WiFiCalling only supporting calls, they did announce it would be offered by the end of the year but in true o2 fashion seem to have failed to do it.

 

[AMc]

Vodafone have recently also enabled it for SMS

Interesting. I’ve been on voda for two and a bit years and sms didn’t work for me. If it will with a voxi sim that will be really useful. Just need the thing to turn up.
Tempted to see if my old voda sim can be reactivated. The site takes the sim number but I’m not desperate yet.

 

[jole26]

EE and Three have always allowed calls and SMS over WiFiCalling.

Vodafone have recently also enabled it for SMS so only o2 are left with WiFiCalling only supporting calls, they did announce it would be offered by the end of the year but in true o2 fashion seem to have failed to do it.

I can send SMS using O2 wifi calling. Fairly sure it's worked for a long time.

 

[Dave X]

I can send SMS using O2 wifi calling. Fairly sure it's worked for a long time.

It must be using mobile signal and you're just presuming it's going via wificalling.

O2 UK to Start Roll Out of SMS for WiFi Calling by End of 2021 UPDATE

Mobile operator O2 (VMO2) has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that, after a long wait, they intend to finally start rolling out SMS (text messaging) support for Wi

www.ispreview.co.uk

Mobile operator O2 (VMO2) has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that, after a long wait, they intend to finally start rolling out SMS (text messaging) support for Wi-Fi Calling “before the end of the year“, but this will be a gradual phased process that looks set to continue more widely during Q1 2022.

SMS on wifi calling

Why can't I receive sms messages on wifi calling?

community.o2.co.uk

Why can't I receive sms messages on wifi calling?

O2 don't support that yet.

 

[AMc]

Very odd. My partner is on O2 and that’s a major irritation. We can both do iMessages but not sms.

 

[Dave X]

Interesting. I’ve been on voda for two and a bit years and sms didn’t work for me. If it will with a voxi sim that will be really useful. Just need the thing to turn up.
Tempted to see if my old voda sim can be reactivated. The site takes the sim number but I’m not desperate yet.

It's been a gradual rollout this year depending on handset.

Vodafone UK Finally Starts to Add SMS Support to WiFi Calling

It's been a long.. time coming, but Vodafone has now confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that they've finally started to add the ability to send and receive text (SMS)

www.ispreview.co.uk

A Spokesperson for Vodafone told ISPreview.co.uk:

“I can confirm, we do now support SMS over Wi-Fi. Since December, it has been enabled on Apple devices supporting iOS 14 (iPhone 6S and above), on Google Pixel 3 (and above), and is being delivered to Samsung devices supporting Android 11 (with the feature being added as part of the Android update).

We will be working with other manufacturers to bring the feature to additional devices where support is available as we proceed through the year.”

 

[Dave X]

Very odd. My partner is on O2 and that’s a major irritation.

Hopefully o2 should sort it in the next 3-6 months.

Interestingly, Sky Mobile which is an o2 MVNO already offer SMS over VoWiFi, and have done since they launched WiFiCalling, they are responsible for their own network core and don't rely on o2 for it.

We can both do iMessages but not sms.

iMessage is actually processed via Apple servers so is completely independent of the networks IMS systems.

 

[jole26]

It must be using mobile signal and you're just presuming it's going via wificalling.

Nope. Mobile network switched off. Can send SMS using wifi calling.

 

[Dave X]

Nope. Mobile network switched off. Can send SMS using wifi calling.

SMS or iMessage/RCS message?

 

[Dave X]

Nope. Mobile network switched off. Can send SMS using wifi calling.

O2 UK to Start Roll Out of SMS for WiFi Calling by End of 2021 UPDATE

Mobile operator O2 (VMO2) has confirmed to ISPreview.co.uk that, after a long wait, they intend to finally start rolling out SMS (text messaging) support for Wi

www.ispreview.co.uk

 

[jole26]

SMS or iMessage/RCS message?

SMS. Sent to a non iphone so cannot be imessge. The text shows in a green box for SMS (not blue for imessge).

 

[Dave X]

SMS. Sent to a non iphone so cannot be imessge. The text shows in a green box for SMS (not blue for imessge).

Congratulations, you're supposedly doing something that even o2 say is impossible.

Wifi and 4G Calling | Help & Support | O2

Want to know if your phone supports Wifi and 4G Calling? Not sure what it is or how it works? What about how to set it up? We’re here to help.

www.o2.co.uk

 

[jole26]

Congratulations, you're supposedly doing something that even o2 say is impossible.

View attachment 1623448

Wifi and 4G Calling | Help & Support | O2

Want to know if your phone supports Wifi and 4G Calling? Not sure what it is or how it works? What about how to set it up? We’re here to help.

www.o2.co.uk

Out of interest, have you ever received an SMS whilst on Wi-Fi only?

It's not possible their website is out of date, that is impossible?

Maybe they're trialling it on some tariffs. I don't know or really care as I almost never use SMS.

Or maybe you think I'm lying or don't know what I'm doing. I don't much care about that either.

 

[AMc]

To round this out - I ordered a Voxi SIM which was quite slow to arrive.
I then left it over the holidays so I wouldn't be lost with no customer service if anything went wrong.

A couple of days ago I successfully registered my new Voxi SIM with a £10 a month plan.
I managed to goof the password thanks to some pop up blocking and password remembering in Firefox. Voxi through webchat were able to unblock the account, get me set up and registered - very impressive service, better than I've had with full price providers.

Finally I used their portal to set up my number port which has happened this morning.



So a few points...

When I set up my Plusnet SIM I got no mobile data despite seeing 3G and 4G indicators.
Plusnet help was useless, but I found on an EE forum you need to delete the old Vodafone data settings on the phone - which worked.

You can order a Voxi SIM and then set up a plan after the fact - so I need not have worried it wouldn't do that at ordering.

Voxi definitely support WiFi Calling and Visual Voicemail.

Time will tell if I'm getting SMS over WiFi too.
I've just received an SMS from the bank with an authorisation code. That used to be a massive pain in the neck so I'm delighted it won't be in the future

When setting up my Voxi SIM I got a text telling me to set up settings>mobile data> mobile data network with pp.vodafone.co.uk for the APN, Mobile data, LTE, MMS and personal hotspot
My phone originally supplied on Voda had wap.vodafone.co.uk in all these fields.
Might explain the no SMS over WiFi I had with my old Voda contract.