WIFI calling -What is it and does prepaid T-MO have it

[gtt1]

Clueless about this feature so maybe someone can give me the "Dummies" version of it.

Can you use the feature with say the $30.00 5gb data plan and could you just use it getting wifi at say a restaurant?

 

[HawaiiD]

Wifi calling is being able to place phone calls over a wifi network.
I. E . Connect to a wifi network, enable wifi calling on your phone(your phones needs to have this feature btw). Once connected to wifi? Simply place a call.
If you have a phone plan that has
allotted minutes? Wifi calling will use your allowed minutes? If you have an unlimited talk plan?then wifi calling would be unlimited too.

Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

 

[Almeuit]

Like Hawaii says it is basically calls over wifi.

Think of it this way.. You're in a house (like mine) that kills cell signal. You turn on wifi calling while on my wifi and my wifi acts as your cell tower to tmobile.

Sent from my Sprint HTC One using AC forums.

 

[mobilebsmith]

Check with a t-mobile store on if it uses your minutes. On my value plan (1000 min) it does not use minutes. So if I am on wifi I have unlimited minutes.

Wifi calling is being able to place phone calls over a wifi network.
I. E . Connect to a wifi network, enable wifi calling on your phone(your phones needs to have this feature btw). Once connected to wifi? Simply place a call.
If you have a phone plan that has
allotted minutes? Wifi calling will use your allowed minutes? If you have an unlimited talk plan?then wifi calling would be unlimited too.

Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

 

[gtt1]

Thanks for the info everyone.
I use a T-Mo prepaid for seasonal use but current phone doesn't have WiFi (Old, really old) but am looking at picking up a new phone. Will contact T-Mo and ask whether it costs minutes, I am guessing it will. I was hoping not as I intend to use the $30 plan with only 100 minutes and 5gb data and the option of just using wifi to make a free call was appealing if needed do to low minutes left.
Does Google Voice use your carriers minutes?

 

[Mellimel22]

Thanks for the info everyone.
I use a T-Mo prepaid for seasonal use but current phone doesn't have WiFi (Old, really old) but am looking at picking up a new phone. Will contact T-Mo and ask whether it costs minutes, I am guessing it will. I was hoping not as I intend to use the $30 plan with only 100 minutes and 5gb data and the option of just using wifi to make a free call was appealing if needed do to low minutes left.
Does Google Voice use your carriers minutes?

Google voice doesn't use minutes. Its a voip service kind of.

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

 

[gone down south]

Google voice doesn't use minutes. Its a voip service kind of.

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

Incorrect! G Voice just routes calls through s different number, is not a VoIP service.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Mellimel22]

Oh my bad it's Google voice + groove ip.

Sent from my T-Mobile LG Escape using Tapatalk 2

 

[21stNow]

Thanks for the info everyone.
I use a T-Mo prepaid for seasonal use but current phone doesn't have WiFi (Old, really old) but am looking at picking up a new phone. Will contact T-Mo and ask whether it costs minutes, I am guessing it will. I was hoping not as I intend to use the $30 plan with only 100 minutes and 5gb data and the option of just using wifi to make a free call was appealing if needed do to low minutes left.
Does Google Voice use your carriers minutes?

If you are a prepaid customer, T-Mobile Wi-fi calling uses your plan's allotted minutes. Some postpaid customers can use T-Mobile Wi-fi calling and it does not use the plan's allotted minutes.

 

[patruns]

A little clarification here. If you are truly calling over wifi it does not use any of your minutes as you are not using T-Mobile's networks. In fact, you could pull your SIM card and it would still work fine. I installed Google Voice and GrooVe IP Lite last year after Hurricane Sandy because I had a working wifi connection at home and cell service was spotty. I am on a 30 day prepaid plan. T-Mobile never even knew a thing because I was not using their network. Some T-Mobile phones come with a wifi calling app already installed. I have no experience with that app and it may very well still route you through their network.

 

[Almeuit]

A little clarification here. If you are truly calling over wifi it does not use any of your minutes as you are not using T-Mobile's networks. In fact, you could pull your SIM card and it would still work fine. I installed Google Voice and GrooVe IP Lite last year after Hurricane Sandy because I had a working wifi connection at home and cell service was spotty. I am on a 30 day prepaid plan. T-Mobile never even knew a thing because I was not using their network. Some T-Mobile phones come with a wifi calling app already installed. I have no experience with that app and it may very well still route you through their network.

You used a VoIP service is why. If you use the actual T-Mobile built in Wi-Fi calling it will use your minutes if you are prepaid. If you have unlimited minutes and are postpaid it just.. Keeps using the unlimited. It is still using their network but just using your wifi to reach it versus through a cell tower. I have wifi calling on now since I'm home (see below) and as you can see it turns the cell radio off and shows the blue icon at the top left.. Routing everything through my Wi-Fi to T-Mobile.

Your situation is just different since you did Google Voice with Groove IP... So you used a VoIP service and not the T-Mobile network.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[HawaiiD]

Taken from the T-Mobile support page.

There is no additional monthly charge to use the Wi-Fi Calling feature on your handset. Wi-Fi Calling uses monthly plan minutes for the following:
Calls made from the US to international numbers (subject to international rates)
Calls made from outside the US to US numbers (not charged roaming)
Calls made from outside the US to international numbers (subject to international rates, but not charged roaming)

Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

 

[gone down south]

A little clarification here. If you are truly calling over wifi it does not use any of your minutes as you are not using T-Mobile's networks. In fact, you could pull your SIM card and it would still work fine. I installed Google Voice and GrooVe IP Lite last year after Hurricane Sandy because I had a working wifi connection at home and cell service was spotty. I am on a 30 day prepaid plan. T-Mobile never even knew a thing because I was not using their network. Some T-Mobile phones come with a wifi calling app already installed. I have no experience with that app and it may very well still route you through their network.

We're not talking about VOIP, we're talking about the T-Mobile branded "WiFi Calliing" app that's built into their phones.
That option lets you seamlessly use the phone both on wireless and wifi, using your regular phone number and drawing from your pool of available minutes.

 

[oldpot]

ok i am after a Nokia Lumia 521 from hsn for $99 , i hope to go with the $30/ 100 minutes plan , now my question is , if i go over the 100 minutes , is there any apps on windows phones that will be able to make free over the internet(VoIP) calls like goove ip vonage etc i use now on virgin mobile .i know the wifi calling uses minutes , its not i am after .

 

[patruns]

We're not talking about VOIP, we're talking about the T-Mobile branded "WiFi Calliing" app that's built into their phones.
That option lets you seamlessly use the phone both on wireless and wifi, using your regular phone number and drawing from your pool of available minutes.

The original poster simply asked about wifi calling on prepaid T-Mobile. He/she did not ask about any particular apps. Various other posters then made assumptions. I am merely correcting the comments that say wifi calling uses minutes. Wifi calling in and of itself does not use any minutes nor does it use the T-Mobile network. VOIP calling may or may not use wifi. (You can have a VOIP phone in your home that simply goes over your network connection wifi or wired.) A more accurate statement (that no one else until you and Almeuit said) is that the T-Mobile wifi app built into their phones may use minutes, and I think I already commented on that. Use Google Voice along with a VOIP app and you will not use those minutes.

 

[21stNow]

The original poster simply asked about wifi calling on prepaid T-Mobile. He/she did not ask about any particular apps. Various other posters then made assumptions. I am merely correcting the comments that say wifi calling uses minutes. Wifi calling in and of itself does not use any minutes nor does it use the T-Mobile network. VOIP calling may or may not use wifi. (You can have a VOIP phone in your home that simply goes over your network connection wifi or wired.) A more accurate statement (that no one else until you and Almeuit said) is that the T-Mobile wifi app built into their phones may use minutes, and I think I already commented on that. Use Google Voice along with a VOIP app and you will not use those minutes.

Your comment would still be confusing to the original poster, as VOIP could be calling either over a Wi-Fi network or a cellular data network. It is understood that if someone is asking about Wi-Fi calling on a T-Mobile sub-forum, the poster is probably asking about T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling.

 

[patruns]

Your comment would still be confusing to the original poster, as VOIP could be calling either over a Wi-Fi network or a cellular data network. It is understood that if someone is asking about Wi-Fi calling on a T-Mobile sub-forum, the poster is probably asking about T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling.

Well, since I am on T-Mobile with my own Google Galaxy Nexus and using VOIP over wifi I beg to differ. You are making assumptions. I thoroughly explained so the posters may gleen what they wish out of it.

 

[Almeuit]

Well, since I am on T-Mobile with my own Google Galaxy Nexus and using VOIP over wifi I beg to differ. You are making assumptions. I thoroughly explained so the posters may gleen what they wish out of it.

He isn't assuming.. WiFi calling is indeed a thing at t-mobile.. If you read the title of the thread it is pretty obvious.

" WIFI calling -What is it and does prepaid T-MO have it"

Asking what the service is for T-mobile and asking does prepaid have it.. Easily points to that service T-mobile offers.

Let's not try and nit pick down to what wifi calling could be.. If this was the Sprint forum I could see that but since T-mobile has something called wifi calling.. Yeah..

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.

 

[21stNow]

Well, since I am on T-Mobile with my own Google Galaxy Nexus and using VOIP over wifi I beg to differ. You are making assumptions. I thoroughly explained so the posters may gleen what they wish out of it.

What assumptions am I making? I never said that you weren't using VOIP over Wi-Fi.

 

[Almeuit]

What assumptions am I making? I never said that you weren't using VOIP over Wi-Fi.

Ask Pat he was the one who said you were.

Sent from my T-Mobile HTC One using AC Forums.