Just because Telstra or Optus are having mobile phone outages does not mean you cannot make or recieve calls.
We show you how to simply use a mobile-phone feature called “Wi-Fi calling” when at home or the office.
The vast majority of Australian’s now have a mobile phone or smart phone, instead of or in addition to, a fixed or landline.
If those same Australian’s also have an NBN or Starlink Internet modem and wifi, then they can still make and recieve mobile phone-calls even if the mobile phone Network is down or suffering and outage.
However, it does mean that the users mobile phone needs to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi and a feature called “Wi-Fi calling” needs to be switched on.
How to tell if my mobile phone is connected to Wi-Fi?
iPhone Mobile Phones (Apple)
Take a look at your iPhone and look for the “Mobile Network” & “Wi-Fi” symbols at the top of the screen
The above indicates that there is moderate Mobile Phone network strength (2 out of 4 bars) and very strong Wi-fi strength (3 out of 3 bars)
In the example above, you cannot see the Wi-Fi symbol as it is either unavailable or Wi-Fi has been switched off. In the above example 5G Mobile Phone Network is available but Wi-fi is not.
How to connect an iPhone to Wi-Fi
On iPhone select the “Settings” app then …. Settings > Wi-Fi
Toggle the Wi-Fi switch to ON (Green) and select a Wi-fi network (you may require a wi-fi password also)
How to turn on “Wi-Fi calling” on an iPhone
On iPhone select the “Settings” app then either search for “Wi-Fi Calling” or goto Settings > Apps > Phone, scroll down to “Calls” and toggle the Wi-fi Calling button to ON (Green)
Android Mobile Phones (Samsung, Oppo, Nokia, Google, Motorolla etc)
How to connect to Wi-fi on an Android phone
You can quickly turn on WLAN (Wi-Fi) on your Android device using the Quick Settings panel or by navigating to your Settings menu.
Method 1: Quick Settings (Fastest)
- Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel.
- Tap the Wi-Fi or Internet icon to toggle it on.
- To connect to a specific network, tap and hold the Wi-Fi icon to open a list of available networks.
Method 2: The Settings App
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Tap on Network & internet (or Connections on Samsung devices).
- Tap Internet or Wi-Fi.
- Toggle the switch to the On position.
- Tap the name of the Wi-Fi network you wish to join and enter the password if required.
How to turn on “Wi-Fi calling” on an Android Phone
The exact steps vary slightly by your phone’s manufacturer:
Google Pixel & Motorola:
Go to Settings > Network & internet > Calls & SMS (or SIMs) > Wi-Fi Calling and toggle it on.
Samsung Galaxy:
Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi Calling and toggle it on.
Alternatively, you can open your Phone app, tap the three dots in the top right corner, select Settings, and tap Wi-Fi Calling.Quick Search:
If you can’t find the menu, open your Settings app, use the search bar at the top, and type “Wi-Fi Calling”
If available, toggle Wi-fi calling to “On”
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