Does this phone support the T-Mobile wifi calling app?

[Double Tap]

I have been told by a T-M CSR that this phone does not support the T-M wifi calling.
Is that true?
If not true how would I enable the feature?

 

[anon(847090)]

I have been told by a T-M CSR that this phone does not support the T-M wifi calling.
Is that true?
If not true how would I enable the feature?

Yes, thats true

 

[Double Tap]

Yes, thats true

I know it's only a $300 phone, but you would think that a phone that can act as a hot spot would allow wifi calling

 

[anon(847090)]

I know it's only a $300 phone, but you would think that a phone that can act as a hot spot would allow wifi calling

since this is a google phone and have no relation with T-Mobile, they didnt include this.
T-mobile calling will be included only on T-Mobile branded phone not on Google branded phones.

but you can download apps in playstore that can do wifi calling. there are a lot of options.

although, i fear that using these apps the receiver might not get your T-mobile number as caller ID.
There might be some app.

 

[Basscase]

since this is a google phone and have no relation with T-Mobile, they didnt include this.
T-mobile calling will be included only on T-Mobile branded phone not on Google branded phones.

but you can download apps in playstore that can do wifi calling. there are a lot of options.

although, i fear that using these apps the receiver might not get your T-mobile number as caller ID.
There might be some app.

This was a bummer for me...but obviously not enough to sway me. The only VoIP apps I could find are paid apps/services. Stupid. If anybody knows of a free one I'd love to know!

 

[zkSharks]

Exactly what still1 said. Two popular applications in the Play Store are GrooVe IP and Sipdroid. GrooVe IP is intended for use with Google Voice. Sipdroid can be used with Google Voice, but in reality is a simple SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) client. Here's the short version of SIP:

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is an IETF-defined signaling protocol widely used for controlling communication sessions such as voice and video calls over Internet Protocol (IP). The protocol can be used for creating, modifying and terminating two-party (unicast) or multiparty (multicast) sessions. Sessions may consist of one or several media streams.

Other SIP applications include video conferencing, streaming multimedia distribution, instant messaging, presence information, file transfer and online games.

You'll have to sign up for an SIP VOIP provider (some offer free functionality, others are paid), but after doing so you can set up Sipdroid (or a similar application, though many in the Play Store are copies of the open-source Sipdroid) to make all non-emergency calls over your data connection.

Here's the Sipdroid site, and the Sipdroid FAQ.

 

[anon(847090)]

This was a bummer for me...but obviously not enough to sway me. The only VoIP apps I could find are paid apps/services. Stupid. If anybody knows of a free one I'd love to know!

sipdroid like mentioned by Lumenii and also try out TalkaTone.

I havent used any of these apps so cant comment.

 

[greydarrah]

I use GrooveIP (having a Google Voice number is required), and it works pretty well. That means that sometimes (60%) it's perfect, sometimes (20%) it's OK (like on a call with 1 bar of signal...a little scratchy, but usable), and sometimes it blows (20%), filled with chatter, stutters and delays. But in the end, it's a free call that let's me have a $30/month plan. That's pretty hard to beat. I leave it on all the time, and when I get one of those bad connections, I turn it off and call the person right back...no big deal. Overall, it's a good plan, but if you're the type that gets frustrated whenever everything is not going perfectly, I wouldn't mess with it.

 

[zkSharks]

I used Sipdroid for a brief period, but I've used other SIP-based applications and services for the past few years on and off (both with and without Google Voice). They worked very well.

If you're using Google Voice, I believe you can now use Sipdroid with a free PBXes account integrated with GV. I can't comment on ease-of-use, but functionality seems to all be there. If you're not using Google Voice, you can still look into SIP-based services, but all the ones I've used have been proprietary solutions (Siemens-, T-Mobile-, or privately-built), so I can't refer any of them to you.

 

[chubb]

I use GrooveIP (having a Google Voice number is required), and it works pretty well. That means that sometimes (60%) it's perfect, sometimes (20%) it's OK (like on a call with 1 bar of signal...a little scratchy, but usable), and sometimes it blows (20%), filled with chatter, stutters and delays. But in the end, it's a free call that let's me have a $30/month plan. That's pretty hard to beat. I leave it on all the time, and when I get one of those bad connections, I turn it off and call the person right back...no big deal. Overall, it's a good plan, but if you're the type that gets frustrated whenever everything is not going perfectly, I wouldn't mess with it.

Just set up GrooveIP. Going to see how well it works for me. Hopefully if all goes well I will switch to the $30 a month plan as well. Only issue I see right now is it's only over WiFi, unless you buy the app.

 

[PWC Realtor]

If signal strength is an issue many including myself force the phone to 2g which usually has better and more consistent strength. It means slower data but WiFi at home compensates.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

 

[Double Tap]

If signal strength is an issue many including myself force the phone to 2g which usually has better and more consistent strength. It means slower data but WiFi at home compensates.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

Signal strength is the problem in my apartment. It fluctuates between 3 bars of 2G and no service. I was hoping that the TM WiFi app would solve the problem.
I had the identical situation while I had Sprint and they sent me an Airrave at no charge to use at home (I now have to sent it back to them or I will be bill about $150). An Airrave is a repeater with a GPS antenna that goes near a window and it boosts the signal to approximately -65bd.

Does T-M have a similar device ?

 

[N4Newbie]

T-Mobile does not offer a femtocell (that is what Sprint's Airave is). It was a decision on their part to skip the costly femtocell route and create their WiFi app instead. It should be noted that calls made with T-Mo's WiFi app are not free anymore than calls made using Sprint's Airave are; both consume plan minutes.

As to the N4 "supporting" T-Mo's WiFi calling app, of course it does. The problem is that T-Mo does not make the app freely available; it is part of the bloatware which comes preloaded on T-Mo branded (and only branded) phones.

 

[swebb]

Signal strength is the problem in my apartment. It fluctuates between 3 bars of 2G and no service. I was hoping that the TM WiFi app would solve the problem.
I had the identical situation while I had Sprint and they sent me an Airrave at no charge to use at home (I now have to sent it back to them or I will be bill about $150). An Airrave is a repeater with a GPS antenna that goes near a window and it boosts the signal to approximately -65bd.

Does T-M have a similar device ?

They do and it's called Cell-Fi. Search Tmob's site for this. They do require 2 things for it; You must be able to get a 3g signal outside your residence (they will go by their coverage maps for this, regardless of what your real life experience is), and you must live in a single family residence. This has to do with 911 services. The Cell-Fi needs to be registered to a single address where no other neighbors would be able to access it. The second condition will disqualify you.

Another option would be a generic signal booster. A company named Wilson sells these on Amazon and they have been favorably reviewed. I have also seen it at some B & M's. They run around $200 so this might not be attractive to you. However they work with any carrier (Nextel excepted) so it would be pretty much future proof.

 

[swebb]

As to the N4 "supporting" T-Mo's WiFi calling app, of course it does. The problem is that T-Mo does not make the app freely available; it is part of the bloatware which comes preloaded on T-Mo branded (and only branded) phones.

This is not accurate. TMob's wifi calling is much more than an app. It is deeply buried in the rom. Do a search on XDA. No one has been able to crack the wifi calling in any custom ROMs. If no one in XDA can do it, then it's pretty much impossible. Now there is no denying this was Tmob's decision to bake it into their rom. But the part about the N4 "supporting" this is untrue.

Think about HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz. Or Verizon NFL mobile or Sprint Nascar. No one would call these apps. Tmob as a carrier has chosen to go this route with wifi calling.

 

[N4Newbie]

You are correct; I was playing fast and loose with symantics.