AT&T features and hotspot on Google Pixel

[Maaz Mansori]

I hope to purchase a Google Pixel phone as soon as Google gets more of the 128 GB versions in stock. However, being on AT&T and not wanting to switch carriers at this time, I wanted to verify a few things. My understanding is there is full LTE compatibility but HD Voice and WiFi calling are unsupported, correct? What about mobile hotspot? Has anyone tried it with this phone? This one is important to me. Also, my understanding is that visual voicemail works if you download a separate app; is this correct? Thanks.

 

[Almeuit]

Yes you're correct. AT&T doesn't want to play ball in regards to WiFi calling / VoLTE. Hotspot should work fine as long as you have it on your plan.

 

[anon(826501)]

I hope to purchase a Google Pixel phone as soon as Google gets more of the 128 GB versions in stock. However, being on AT&T and not wanting to switch carriers at this time, I wanted to verify a few things. My understanding is there is full LTE compatibility but HD Voice and WiFi calling are unsupported, correct? What about mobile hotspot? Has anyone tried it with this phone? This one is important to me. Also, my understanding is that visual voicemail works if you download a separate app; is this correct? Thanks.

Hello, my mobile carrier for the last ten years is AT& T. I got Volte and Hot Spots at my Samsun Galaxy S6 bought at AT& T May 2015. When my Pixel XL arrived directly from Google I just put on it the Nano Sim Card that was inside my Galaxy S6. No Volte, no Hot Spot. If I'm not wrong you must go to an official AT& T store and paid an extra to enable Hot Spot connectivity. There's no way to Volte. I repeat, if I'm not wrong. So go to an AT& T store and ask about this. Good luck and I hope that you can find an agreement with AT& T .

 

[Erik Read]

No VoLTE, no WifFi calling but the hotspot works great. You might need to restart your phone but I took the SIM out of my iPhone and slapped it in my Pixel XL.

 

[cert15z]

I hope to purchase a Google Pixel phone as soon as Google gets more of the 128 GB versions in stock. However, being on AT&T and not wanting to switch carriers at this time, I wanted to verify a few things. My understanding is there is full LTE compatibility but HD Voice and WiFi calling are unsupported, correct? What about mobile hotspot? Has anyone tried it with this phone? This one is important to me. Also, my understanding is that visual voicemail works if you download a separate app; is this correct? Thanks.

I just order a 128gb pixel 30 mins ago from the Google store. They have the Very Silver in stock.

 

[Impulses]

They now seem to be shipping out quicker, past orders (labeled with 3-4 weeks ETAs) would take at the very least 2 weeks to ship out, whereas my order placed on the 14th (128GB Silver Pixel) has now entered the 'processing' stage... So even accounting for the weekend it seems it'll be shipping out within a week of being placed.

Hotspot is simply dependant on your plan, the AT&T visual voicemail app is on the Play store.

 

[Maaz Mansori]

Thank you everyone! I see that 128 GB is once again available in both black and silver so I placed my order. While the loss of VoLTE and WiFi calling on AT&T is slightly disappointing, my voice usage is minimal anyway and I'll have the option of switching carriers in the future should I decide to do so. I currently have a Windows device (Microsoft Lumia 950) and its hotspot works fine on my AT&T plan so there is a good chance
it will work fine on the Pixel as well with the same SIM. If not, I will request a new SIM.

 

[Brandwin]

Didn't want to start a new thread. I just switched my Nexus 6P sim to Pixel. Should I have gotten a new sim from AT&T?

 

[Lilybell2]

Hello, my mobile carrier for the last ten years is AT& T. I got Volte and Hot Spots at my Samsun Galaxy S6 bought at AT& T May 2015. When my Pixel XL arrived directly from Google I just put on it the Nano Sim Card that was inside my Galaxy S6. No Volte, no Hot Spot. If I'm not wrong you must go to an official AT& T store and paid an extra to enable Hot Spot connectivity. There's no way to Volte. I repeat, if I'm not wrong. So go to an AT& T store and ask about this. Good luck and I hope that you can find an agreement with AT& T .

You can't just pay extra and get a hot spot from AT&T, either your plan permits it or it doesn't. For example, the unlimited plan does NOT permit hot spot/tethering.

 

[anon(826501)]

You can't just pay extra and get a hot spot from AT&T, either your plan permits it or it doesn't. For example, the unlimited plan does NOT permit hot spot/tethering.

Thanks, I'm good got Wifi at home and at the office. I just tried to answer the guy that began this conversation regarding AT& T and Google Pixel. I own a Samsung Galaxy S6 bought at AT& T that got all , Wifi call, Volte, Hot Spot. I took the Nano Sim Card from the S6 and put it inside my Pixel XL. No Wifi call, no Volte , no Hot Spot. Some one here said that the Hot Spot works at his Pixel, not on mine. To old and lazy to take out the Otter Box Defender, and the Nano Sim and then take out the Otter from the S6 put the Nano in took a screenshot just to prove a point. Google phone's are different from Samsung, HTC, LG and when you move a sim card from AT& T, from a phone bought at AT& T to a Pixel bought directly from Google there are things that work perfectly on the AT& T phone but are a no no no at the Pixel. Before my S6 I got a Nexus 5 , so I'm not so lost regarding Android phones and the way they work at my many years carrier AT& T.

 

[Maaz Mansori]

Thanks, I'm good got Wifi at home and at the office. I just tried to answer the guy that began this conversation regarding AT& T and Google Pixel. I own a Samsung Galaxy S6 bought at AT& T that got all , Wifi call, Volte, Hot Spot. I took the Nano Sim Card from the S6 and put it inside my Pixel XL. No Wifi call, no Volte , no Hot Spot. Some one here said that the Hot Spot works at his Pixel, not on mine. To old and lazy to take out the Otter Box Defender, and the Nano Sim and then take out the Otter from the S6 put the Nano in took a screenshot just to prove a point. Google phone's are different from Samsung, HTC, LG and when you move a sim card from AT& T, from a phone bought at AT& T to a Pixel bought directly from Google there are things that work perfectly on the AT& T phone but are a no no no at the Pixel. Before my S6 I got a Nexus 5 , so I'm not so lost regarding Android phones and the way they work at my many years carrier AT& T.

Interesting that hot spot works for others but not you. I guess I'll just have to wait and see now once I get the phone. It's still encouraging that it is technically possible though so if it doesn't work at first I'll figure out what needs to be done to make it work. I primarily use WiFi but I like to have the hot spot option available just in case I'm somewhere that does not have WiFi so that I could use it with my WiFi only tablet and laptop when need be.

 

[anon(826501)]

Re: AT&T features and hotspot on Google Pixel

Interesting that hot spot works for others but not you. I guess I'll just have to wait and see now once I get the phone. It's still encouraging that it is technically possible though so if it doesn't work at first I'll figure out what needs to be done to make it work. I primarily use WiFi but I like to have the hot spot option available just in case I'm somewhere that does not have WiFi so that I could use it with my WiFi only tablet and laptop when need be.

Hello, I think that my arguments are not so clear. I got Hot Spot at my Galaxy S6 automatically but at my Pixel it seems that some kind of procedure is required ( check out the screenshot ). I never used Hot Spot, not even at my S6. I left home and got Wifi via a paid router and a monthly payment to a data supplier, the same at home. So, as said before, you will have Hot Spot at your Pixel calling AT& T costumer service. Maybe in the near future Wifi calling is enable too.

 

[Lilybell2]

Thanks, I'm good got Wifi at home and at the office. I just tried to answer the guy that began this conversation regarding AT& T and Google Pixel. I own a Samsung Galaxy S6 bought at AT& T that got all , Wifi call, Volte, Hot Spot. I took the Nano Sim Card from the S6 and put it inside my Pixel XL. No Wifi call, no Volte , no Hot Spot. Some one here said that the Hot Spot works at his Pixel, not on mine. To old and lazy to take out the Otter Box Defender, and the Nano Sim and then take out the Otter from the S6 put the Nano in took a screenshot just to prove a point. Google phone's are different from Samsung, HTC, LG and when you move a sim card from AT& T, from a phone bought at AT& T to a Pixel bought directly from Google there are things that work perfectly on the AT& T phone but are a no no no at the Pixel. Before my S6 I got a Nexus 5 , so I'm not so lost regarding Android phones and the way they work at my many years carrier AT& T.

I have been an AT&T customer for many years, but not with my Pixel XL, it's with Project Fi. It doesn't matter if you move your AT&T SIM card from an AT&T branded phone to a Pixel, or if you get a new nano SIM card from AT&T for your Pixel, the results will be the same. You will have brought your own phone to AT&T, and that's fine with AT&T, but the rule is that the phone you bring to AT&T will not be permitted to have certain features enabled, such as WiFi Calling and HD Voice. It's called leverage... a carrot dangled to encourage potential customers and/or current customers to opt for an AT&T branded phone and remain with AT&T long-term, rather than using an unlocked phone and maybe moving on, etc.

If you are using an AT&T branded Samsung phone, and the phone is paid off, you can certainly get the phone SIM unlocked and move it to another carrier... however, the only way that phone will ever be updated is OTA, via the AT&T network, with an active AT&T SIM card installed. So, when you move that AT&T branded phone to another carrier, you can most likely kiss any future updates goodbye. More leverage.

 

[anon(826501)]

I have been an AT&T customer for many years, but not with my Pixel XL, it's with Project Fi. It doesn't matter if you move your AT&T SIM card from an AT&T branded phone to a Pixel, or if you get a new nano SIM card from AT&T for your Pixel, the results will be the same. You will have brought your own phone to AT&T, and that's fine with AT&T, but the rule is that the phone you bring to AT&T will not be permitted to have certain features enabled, such as WiFi Calling and HD Voice. It's called leverage... a carrot dangled to encourage potential customers and/or current customers to opt for an AT&T branded phone and remain with AT&T long-term, rather than using an unlocked phone and maybe moving on, etc.

If you are using an AT&T branded Samsung phone, and the phone is paid off, you can certainly get the phone SIM unlocked and move it to another carrier... however, the only way that phone will ever be updated is OTA, via the AT&T network, with an active AT&T SIM card installed. So, when you move that AT&T branded phone to another carrier, you can most likely kiss any future updates goodbye. More leverage.

Leverage is , you're correct. I'm not moving to another carrier cause here in Puerto Rico regarding good signal, no drop calls etc. no other company can compete with AT& T. No matter if it is the most expensive, you want to be good you must be with AT& T. Sprint and T Mobile not good here and no Verizon at the island. I paid full, up front , no next or jumps plans don't like them. Don't root, I'm save from the I root, I flash, I brick situation. Just cool old way, not problems at all.

 

[Lilybell2]

Leverage is , you're correct. I'm not moving to another carrier cause here in Puerto Rico regarding good signal, no drop calls etc. no other company can compete with AT& T. No matter if it is the most expensive, you want to be good you must be with AT& T. Sprint and T Mobile not good here and no Verizon at the island. I paid full, up front , no next or jumps plans don't like them. Don't root, I'm save from the I root, I flash, I brick situation. Just cool old way, not problems at all.

In your situation, you're smart to stay with AT&T. It's just a shame that you don't have a better choice. I hope that one day AT&T will stop disallowing features in non-AT&T branded phones, and allow them to function as intended. Other carriers have done this, so maybe that will bring pressure on AT&T to follow suit.

I agree with you about the Next and/or Jump plans. They're just another form of leverage. Like you, I stay away from them.

 

[rickms80]

In your situation, you're smart to stay with AT&T. It's just a shame that you don't have a better choice. I hope that one day AT&T will stop disallowing features in non-AT&T branded phones, and allow them to function as intended. Other carriers have done this, so maybe that will bring pressure on AT&T to follow suit.

I agree with you about the Next and/or Jump plans. They're just another form of leverage. Like you, I stay away from them.

They actually do sorta. The unlocked HTC A9 and 10, Unlocked iPhone(can't remember which model), and the HP Eliete x3 have been allowed to use VoLTE(HD Voice) on at&t. However, there is no support for Wifi calling(not sure about the iPhone). I'm not sure what HTC or the others did to get that support in their unlocked phones but there is a way apparently. It seems as though it might be more trouble than Google or others companies is willing to put up with exception of a few.

 

[Lilybell2]

iPhones are the outstanding exception that proves the rule. AT&T doesn't mess with Apple. Apple controls updates and features. They've got the clout and they exercise it.

 

[anon(826501)]

iPhones are the outstanding exception that proves the rule. AT&T doesn't mess with Apple. Apple controls updates and features. They've got the clout and they exercise it.

Ha ha ha, you're correct again. That's the reason my wife, who is by years far unlimited data plan at AT& T, always use I Phone.

 

[Lilybell2]

Ha ha ha, you're correct again. That's the reason my wife, who is by years far unlimited data plan at AT& T, always use I Phone.

Well, she's right. In fact the iPhone was the first phone that AT&T cleared for WiFi calling.

 

[Impulses]

Leverage is , you're correct. I'm not moving to another carrier cause here in Puerto Rico regarding good signal, no drop calls etc. no other company can compete with AT& T. No matter if it is the most expensive, you want to be good you must be with AT& T. Sprint and T Mobile not good here and no Verizon at the island. I paid full, up front , no next or jumps plans don't like them. Don't root, I'm save from the I root, I flash, I brick situation. Just cool old way, not problems at all.

Switched from AT&T to Sprint like six years ago when the former wasn't carrying any decent Android phones, family stayed on AT&T... Can't say I've regretted it at all.

It may very well be different outside the PR metro area, but over here signal doesn't differ much... In a scant few cases AT&T has better building penetration, in other cases AT&T towers are over saturated and I actually get better speed tests with Sprint, overall it's a wash.

I'm actually thinking of joining Fi or going back to AT&T, but that has more to do with the particular plans/offers than anything (the option of rejoining the family plan for $15 is the only reason I'd go back to AT&T), perfectly happy with Sprint coverage in and around the metro area.

Inside my home near the Buchanan base both carriers have a weak signal, probably because of typography (right up against a hill and in a hole, Tintillo)... Sprint offered a free Airave, AT&T doesn't seem to provide their microcells on the island.