T-Mobile wi-fi calling this weekend?? (Update: Official Announcement)

[sictheangel]

By the way, this is working excellent for me, and I'm on MetroPCS. So it's not limited to only T-Mobile sims. Tested it by enabling Airplane Mode, which blocks off cell data, and it still works!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[Blacknight30]

Thought airplane mode shutoff all radios...

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[sictheangel]

Thought airplane mode shutoff all radios...

Posted via the Android Central App

It does, but you can turn on WiFi while in airplane mode

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[mikepas]

Just sideloaded the OTA and wifi calling is perfect. Awesome stuff.

Did you have to wipe and factory reset your phone do do the sideload thing or is there a way to just download it manually and have it install? I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to this sort of thing.

 

[sictheangel]

Did you have to wipe and factory reset your phone do do the sideload thing or is there a way to just download it manually and have it install? I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to this sort of thing.

I installed mine via sideload and didn't have to wipe anything.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[mykwinters]

Working great!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[NastyNeil]

Did you have to wipe and factory reset your phone do do the sideload thing or is there a way to just download it manually and have it install? I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to this sort of thing.

No, just sideloaded. I did a cache partition wipe after because I always do, and it's running great.

 

[AlexMadarasz]

Just sideloaded the OTA and wifi calling is perfect. Awesome stuff.

So, for those who have T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling working on your Nexus 6, who did you buy your phone from?

[ I already have a Motorola Credit account, and I'm already on a T-Mobile Simple Choice plan with a Moto X 2014, so I have options as far as buying, but keeping all my Moto phone purchases under Moto financing might simplify thigs for me .... ]

-- Alex

 

[zerrisk]

Did you have to wipe and factory reset your phone do do the sideload thing or is there a way to just download it manually and have it install? I'm a bit of a noob when it comes to this sort of thing.

I just downloaded it, and sideloaded it.
If you're confused you can use Wugfresh's Toolkit to do so, I just personally read up on how to do it manually so if something went wrong, I'd know what to do.

 

[anon(9072051)]

I just downloaded it, and sideloaded it.
If you're confused you can use Wugfresh's Toolkit to do so, I just personally read up on how to do it manually so if something went wrong, I'd know what to do.

I've been doing some reading, too, but I've still got to ask:
When you folks say "sideload," what sort of sideloading are we looking at?

Were you following steps like those on this AC site (which don't strike me as "idiotproof") that start with installing Android SDK on a PC, turning on USB debugging & enabling OEM unlock on the N6, and transferring the file from PC to N6 via USB? Or is there a simpler method?

This is my first Nexus, and I've only ever sideloaded by dropping files from Chrome into a Downloads folder and rebooting one way or another.
(And don't you need to be rooted to use Wugfresh?)

 

[sictheangel]

I've been doing some reading, too, but I've still got to ask:
When you folks say "sideload," what sort of sideloading are we looking at?

Were you following steps like those on this AC site (which don't strike me as "idiotproof") that start with installing Android SDK on a PC, turning on USB debugging & enabling OEM unlock on the N6, and transferring the file from PC to N6 via USB? Or is there a simpler method?

This is my first Nexus, and I've only ever sideloaded by dropping files from Chrome into a Downloads folder and rebooting one way or another.
(And don't you need to be rooted to use Wugfresh?)

WugFresh has a Sideload OTA option in it. So what I do, (or did in this case) is download the official OTA update via the grabbed OTA link, go into WugFresh, click on Launch Utilities and then Sideload OTA. WugFresh does everything else.

I'm on stock with no root and locked bootloader, and this still worked flawlessly.

So, for those who have T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling working on your Nexus 6, who did you buy your phone from?

I got mine thru Motorola, and have it activated on MetroPCS. WiFi Calling works without an issue at all

Sent from my Nexus 6 on MetroPCS using Tapatalk

 

[shamelin73]

I want to get the newest update but think I will wait for the non T-Mobile update for now.

In general how is 5.1.1 compared to 5.1…

 

[anon(9072051)]

WugFresh has a Sideload OTA option in it. So what I do, (or did in this case) is download the official OTA update via the grabbed OTA link, go into WugFresh, click on Launch Utilities and then Sideload OTA. WugFresh does everything else.

I'm on stock with no root and locked bootloader, and this still worked flawlessly.

Sent from my Nexus 6 on MetroPCS using Tapatalk

WugFresh can also drive you up a friggin wall! I went through the driver test 6 different times and got a "Success!" after each attempt. Nevertheless, when I tried to sideload the OTA, my Nexus 6 ("Android device" in Windows 8.1 Device Manager-speak) disappeared, and I could not configure it for adb sideloading. Infuriating!!

After about 2 hours of witless trial-and-error attempts, I stumbled on to a WF forum response, in which WF tells someone to unplug and re-plug his device (i.e., Nexus 6) from his PC's usb port (and to try different usb ports as another option) while in sideload mode. I don't know how many times I unplugged and replugged that ******* or how many different usb ports I tried, but Windows finally recognized the Nexus (yet again) and it re-appeared in Device Manager so that I could right-click it and update drivers.

Final note to anyone else dumb enough to try Wugfresh for the first time: If you get an error message about having to update drivers via Device Manager and you fail, just sit tight. The process will time out, and you will get booted back to "reboot now" in the recovery menu.

All griping aside, the WF NTK ultimately got the job done, and my Nexus is set for "Wi-Fi Preferred." Just like my sweet old M8 used to be.

 

[Blacknight30]

I found a forum for WF about Windows 8.1, had to reboot PC into debug mode, disable signed dinner check, then install universal adb drivers, then update driver after entering recovery. PITA with 8.1 but it works.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[LeoRex]

I sideloaded the update....

First... unlike the Wifi Calling on my wife's LG G3, the phone radio stays active. This is a bit of a disappointment since I was hoping to leverage Wifi Calling to save some power (one less radio up and running). I can toggle airplane mode and Wifi to accomplish the same goal, but its not as elegant.

Second, for those that like to fiddle with their phones a bit, T-Mobile's implementation is very temperamental. Kernel needs to remain stock for Wi-Fi calling to work. Several custom ROMs, even the ones that say "based on stock" often come with customized kernels.

 

[sictheangel]

So, I've been doing some testing. WiFi Calling keeping the cell radio active may not be such a bad thing: I was in a long call last night with a friend, and for most of it I was within range of my router, so the call was over WiFi. Then time came to take out my dog, so I leave WiFi range, and at this point I expected the call to drop, as has happened in the past with my other phone-- but, nope. Soon as WiFi Calling broke and my phone switched back to LTE, the call still continued on flawlessly. My friend didn't even notice the difference. When I got back home, I was still in the same call, so when I was within WiFi range again, the phone reconnected and switched to WiFi Calling right in the middle of our conversation (it even showed "WiFi Call" in the call)-- and again, it was flawless. Not a break in it at all.

It's like Project Fi seamless, yet I'm not on Project Fi

Sent from my Nexus 6 on MetroPCS using Tapatalk

 

[LeoRex]

So, I've been doing some testing. WiFi Calling keeping the cell radio active may not be such a bad thing: ... Soon as WiFi Calling broke and my phone switched back to LTE, the call still continued on flawlessly....

It's like Project Fi seamless, yet I'm not on Project Fi

Actually, you are pretty much on Project Fi. Its just that you are excluding Sprint from the equation and getting billed from T-Mobile.

But I guess I can see the point... T-Mobile and Google are looking to extend the network, not extend my battery. I'll allow it.