HEADS UP: No WiFi calling with BYOD even if your plan includes it...

[peacefulberry]

I recently asked how to turn on wifi calling on an unlocked phone used with the BYOD program as my plan has free wifi calling. The Tmo rep informed me that I couldn't because it wasn't a tmo specific phone. So, bottom line is even if your plan and phone supports wifi calling, if it's not a Tmobile phone, you're out of luck with wifi calling.

 

[raino]

Right. It's a limitation of Android phones. TMO requires you to have a branded device. The only platform this doesn't apply to that I know of is BB10/BBOS.

 

[boogas8]

I recently asked how to turn on wifi calling on an unlocked phone used with the BYOD program as my plan has free wifi calling. The Tmo rep informed me that I couldn't because it wasn't a tmo specific phone. So, bottoman line is even if your plan and phone supports wifi calling, if it's not a Tmobile phone, you're out of luck with wifi calling.

Well yeah. That is because T-Mobile has their software installed on all their phones to work with their WiFi calling.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 using Tapatalk

 

[npaladin-2000]

Yeah, something about having to be able to access the SIM in a way that apps can't, so they have to embed the code into the OS rather than using an installable app. Unfortunately that also means no GPE editions and no replacement ROMs will support it unless they're based off of another T-Mobile ROM.

 

[raino]

no replacement ROMs will support it unless they're based off of another T-Mobile ROM.

Are you aware of any?

 

[peacefulberry]

Yeah, something about having to be able to access the SIM in a way that apps can't, so they have to embed the code into the OS rather than using an installable app. Unfortunately that also means no GPE editions and no replacement ROMs will support it unless they're based off of another T-Mobile ROM.

Wow...I didn't even think of that. So if someone did have a tmo branded device but rooted it and installed a custom rom, they still wouldn't be able to have wifi calling?

 

[npaladin-2000]

Wow...I didn't even think of that. So if someone did have a tmo branded device but rooted it and installed a custom rom, they still wouldn't be able to have wifi calling?

Rooted phones should work, unless they detect it and disable WiFi calling (no idea if they do that). Custom ROMS won't have the WiFi calling code in them, at least I'm not aware of any ROMS that have successfully preserved or ported the code.

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[zorak950]

I still think it's crap that they can't make WiFi calling work in app form. If they cared to try, I'm sure they could figure it out. They just don't want to go out of their way to deliver a perk to non-carrier devices when it can be an incentive to get people to buy their phone from T-Mobile.

 

[peacefulberry]

I still think it's crap that they can't make WiFi calling work in app form. If they cared to try, I'm sure they could figure it out. They just don't want to go out of their way to deliver a perk to non-carrier devices when it can be an incentive to get people to buy their phone from T-Mobile.

Right...but it's not enough to sway me to buy a phone from them. LOL.

 

[Almeuit]

I recently asked how to turn on wifi calling on an unlocked phone used with the BYOD program as my plan has free wifi calling. The Tmo rep informed me that I couldn't because it wasn't a tmo specific phone. So, bottoman line is even if your plan and phone supports wifi calling, if it's not a Tmobile phone, you're out of luck with wifi calling.

Right. It's a limitation of Android phones. TMO requires you to have a branded device. The only platform this doesn't apply to that I know of is BB10/BBOS.

This. If it's not a T-Mobile branded phone you won't have the wifi calling since they put it in on their with their ROMs.

Rooted phones should work, unless they detect it and disable WiFi calling (no idea if they do that). Custom ROMS won't have the WiFi calling code in them, at least I'm not aware of any ROMS that have successfully preserved or ported the code.

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They do not disable it due to root. My Note 3 is rooted and it works. Another ROM though could cause an issue.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[UDPGuy]

This. If it's not a T-Mobile branded phone you won't have the wifi calling since they put it in on their with their ROMs.




They do not disable it due to root. My Note 3 is rooted and it works. Another ROM though could cause an issue.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

What if I took my Verizon s5 and put the tmobile ROM on it...?

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[Almeuit]

What if I took my Verizon s5 and put the tmobile ROM on it...?

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If the ROM has it baked in it should work fine. WiFi calling is basically a software driven thing without any need for special hardware.. It's just T-Mobile usually only bakes it into their ROM a.k.a their branded phones.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[npaladin-2000]

If the ROM has it baked in it should work fine. WiFi calling is basically a software driven thing without any need for special hardware.. It's just T-Mobile usually only bakes it into their ROM a.k.a their branded phones.

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

It doesn't require special hardware, but it DOES require low-level access to the SIM, which you can't get unless you're baked deeply into the OS and ROM.

 

[Almeuit]

It doesn't require special hardware, but it DOES require low-level access to the SIM, which you can't get unless you're baked deeply into the OS and ROM.

Yeah that's why I said if the ROM has it you're good .

Sent from my T-Mobile Note 3 using AC Forums.

 

[raptir]

I still think it's crap that they can't make WiFi calling work in app form. If they cared to try, I'm sure they could figure it out. They just don't want to go out of their way to deliver a perk to non-carrier devices when it can be an incentive to get people to buy their phone from T-Mobile.

It's not really that simple. The way that they build WiFi calling and texting into their branded phones sets it up so that your SMS still go to your messaging app, calls all still work through the phone app, etc... T-Mobile's call and SMS routing servers also don't need to be aware of the state of the device. Turning it into an app would require them to convert everything to VoIP and have the associated servers setup.

I'm using a Nexus 5 and wish that I had WiFi Calling, but I understand that it's really not possible for them to do it using their current method without having access to the system updates.

 

[MM48]

If you're in that situation, just install Groove IP and setup a VOIP #. Then do a conditional forwarding on your cell # to forward to VOIP if call isn't answered. So when you're in WIFI only areas, you launch the Groove IP app, and all your calls will forward to it, it works great.

The only thing I havent been able to do with a verizon phone on tmobile, is getting texting over wifi to work. Hangouts works, BUT ONLY with your google voice #. You can configure it for SMS, but it won't SMS over wifi.

I used to use Verizon Messaging in which SMS worked over any connection, but as of yet, have yet to find an SMS that will do the same thing when using tmobile.

 

[diesteldorf]

It doesn't require special hardware, but it DOES require low-level access to the SIM, which you can't get unless you're baked deeply into the OS and ROM.

How do I bake it into my phone? Do I need to use a toaster oven or Bunsen burner? Should I also be baked before attempting the install?

 

[tonyr6]

No big deal I just use Google Voice for WiFi calling. Now that I got the 4G LTE Signal Booster my calls are much clearer no so I don't use WiFi calling much unless I call Canada which I don't because I know no one from there.

 

[droidfan2014]

On my galaxy s4 WiFi calling works great, except my phone is not a branded tmobile phone

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[Paletta2]

Right. It's a limitation of Android phones. TMO requires you to have a branded device. The only platform this doesn't apply to that I know of is BB10/BBOS.

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy S4, from Metropcs, it's unlocked and WiFi calling workes perfect, maybe because T-Mobile and Metro are on the same GSM band I guess.... I'm using the GS 4 on T-Mobile.