How to Set Up WiFi Calling on iPhone and Android (And Why It Matters If You Live on a Rural Property)
If you've extended your internet across your property with TX-E, or you're thinking about it, there's one more step that turns your setup from "better WiFi" into "I can make and receive calls from anywhere on the property."
That step is WiFi Calling — and it's already sitting on your phone, waiting to be switched on.
This article explains what it is, how to turn it on for iPhone and Android, what to do if it doesn't work straight away, and a few things that are worth knowing before you need it rather than after.
What WiFi Calling Actually Does
WiFi Calling lets your phone make and receive calls over an internet connection instead of the mobile network. It uses your normal phone number. It works through your normal carrier — Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, or most MVNOs. The person you're calling doesn't know you're on WiFi. There's no separate app, no second number, nothing to change on your end when you make a call.
When your phone is connected to a WiFi network and has no mobile signal — or a very weak one — it automatically routes calls through the internet instead. On iPhone you'll see "Wi-Fi" appear next to your carrier name in the status bar when it's active.
For rural property owners, this is significant. Once WiFi Calling is enabled and your phone is connected to your TX-E network — whether through a fixed Connect unit at the shed or via Roam while you're out on the property — you can make and receive calls exactly as you would at the house. Including calls to 000.
The important thing: WiFi Calling needs to be turned on before you need it. You can't enable it in an emergency from a location with no signal. Set it up now, while you have connectivity, and it will work automatically when you don't.
Before You Start: Check Your Carrier Supports It
All three major Australian carriers support WiFi Calling on most plans:
Telstra — available on postpaid and prepaid plans, including most Telstra-network MVNOs
Optus — available on postpaid and prepaid plans
Vodafone — available on postpaid and prepaid plans
If you're on an MVNO (a smaller carrier that runs on one of the big three networks), WiFi Calling support varies. Most do support it, but it's worth a quick check on your carrier's website or a call to their support line if you're unsure.
One thing worth knowing if you're on Optus or a Vodafone MVNO: there are known reports of SMS messages stopping delivery over WiFi after an extended period without connecting to a physical carrier tower — which can happen on rural properties where you're effectively off the mobile network for days at a time. Calls continue to work, but SMS may drop out. If you notice text messages not arriving, briefly driving to an area with mobile coverage and reconnecting to the network will restore it. Telstra customers don't appear to experience this issue.
How to Enable WiFi Calling on iPhone
Open Settings
Tap Phone
Tap Wi-Fi Calling
Toggle on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone
You'll be prompted to enter or confirm an emergency address — this is the address used by emergency services if you call 000 over WiFi. Enter your property address and tap Save
That's it. Once enabled, your iPhone will automatically use WiFi Calling when connected to a WiFi network and mobile signal is absent or weak. You'll see Wi-Fi appear next to your carrier name in the status bar when it's active.
If you can't find the Wi-Fi Calling option:
Make sure your iPhone software is up to date: Settings → General → Software Update
Check that your carrier supports WiFi Calling on your plan — contact them directly if unsure
If you have multiple SIMs, tap the relevant line under Phone first, then look for Wi-Fi Calling
Bonus: calls on your other Apple devices If you want calls to also ring on your iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch when your iPhone is connected via WiFi Calling, go to Settings → Phone → Calls on Other Devices and enable it. All devices need to be signed into the same Apple Account.
How to Enable WiFi Calling on Android
Android varies more than iPhone depending on the manufacturer and carrier, but the most common paths are below.
Samsung (most common Android in Australia):
Option 1 — Quick Settings:
Swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers to open Quick Settings
Look for the Wi-Fi Calling tile and tap it to enable
Option 2 — Settings menu:
Open Settings
Tap Connections
Tap Wi-Fi Calling
Toggle it on
Set your Calling Preference — for rural use, select Wi-Fi preferred so your phone prioritises the internet connection for calls rather than waiting for mobile signal to fail first
Option 3 — Phone app:
Open the Phone app
Tap the three dots (menu) in the top right
Tap Settings
Look for Wi-Fi Calling and toggle it on
Other Android phones (Google Pixel, Oppo, etc.):
The setting is usually found at Settings → Network & Internet → Calls & SMS → Wi-Fi Calling, or by searching "Wi-Fi Calling" in your phone's Settings search bar.
If you can't find it at all, the most likely reasons are:
Your carrier hasn't enabled it on your account — contact them to request it
Your phone was purchased overseas and may not be provisioned for Australian carrier WiFi Calling
Your Android version may need an update
Setting Your Calling Preference (Android)
On Samsung and many other Android phones, once WiFi Calling is enabled you can set a preference for when it's used:
Wi-Fi preferred — your phone uses WiFi for calls whenever connected, even if mobile signal is available. This is the right setting for rural property use. It means your phone doesn't wait until mobile signal disappears before switching — it just uses the internet connection you already have.
Mobile network preferred — your phone uses mobile for calls and only falls back to WiFi if the mobile signal is very poor. Less useful for rural use where you actively want to rely on your internet connection.
iPhone doesn't offer this preference setting — it manages the switch automatically, generally defaulting to WiFi when connected and mobile signal is absent.
Testing That It's Working
Once enabled, the easiest way to confirm WiFi Calling is working is to:
Connect to your TX-E network (at the shed, or via Roam out on the property)
Turn on Aeroplane Mode — this cuts mobile signal completely
Then turn WiFi back on (Aeroplane Mode turns off WiFi by default; you need to re-enable it manually)
Make a call to a family member or friend
If the call connects normally, WiFi Calling is working. You'll see "Wi-Fi" in the iPhone status bar, or a WiFi Calling indicator on Android, confirming it's routing through the internet.
Don't test by calling 000 — only call emergency services in a genuine emergency.
Once you've confirmed it works, turn Aeroplane Mode off and you're done. Your phone will now use WiFi Calling automatically whenever it's connected to your TX-E network and mobile signal is absent.
A Few Things Worth Knowing
It works the same way through TX-E Roam. If WiFi Calling works on your home WiFi network, it will work through Roam. Roam creates a standard WiFi hotspot — your phone connects to it just like any other WiFi network, and WiFi Calling behaves identically.
Corporate and public networks sometimes block it. Some workplace WiFi networks and public hotspots restrict the type of traffic that can pass through them, which can prevent WiFi Calling from working. This isn't relevant for home or TX-E use — your own network doesn't have these restrictions — but it's worth knowing if you ever find WiFi Calling not working on a network away from home.
It uses your existing call plan. WiFi Calling doesn't cost extra. Calls made over WiFi count against your standard call inclusions exactly as mobile calls do. For most Australian plans with unlimited national calls, there's no difference in cost at all.
Emergency address matters. When you set up WiFi Calling, you're asked to enter an emergency address. This is used by emergency services as a reference location when you call 000 over WiFi — since your GPS coordinates are also transmitted automatically via AML, but the address provides a backup. Enter your property address accurately. If you move or the property changes, update it in Settings → Phone → Wi-Fi Calling → Update Emergency Address.
Summary
WiFi Calling lets your phone make and receive calls — including to 000 — over a WiFi or internet connection with no mobile signal required
All three major Australian carriers support it; most MVNOs do too — check if unsure
Enable it now, before you need it — you can't turn it on from a location with no signal
iPhone: Settings → Phone → Wi-Fi Calling
Samsung Android: Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Calling, or via the Phone app menu
On Android, set Wi-Fi preferred for rural property use
Test it using Aeroplane Mode + WiFi before relying on it in the field
It works identically through TX-E Roam as through any other WiFi network
Optus and some Vodafone MVNO customers may find SMS stops delivering after extended time off-tower — reconnecting to mobile coverage restores it
Already have TX-E set up and want to confirm everything is working? Get in touch with the team →
Not yet on TX-E and wondering how it all fits together? See how TX-E extends your internet across the property →
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