AT&T Wi-Fi Calling Not Working: 6 Fixes

Wi-Fi calling, despite being a part of smartphone technology for years now, is often an unknown commodity or recognized but considered an afterthought. It’s a highly effective feature when you are well outside of cell tower range and need to make a phone call.

The source of the Wi-Fi is irrelevant, so long as you have access to it, you can make a phone call.

Of course, when the feature isn’t working, your smartphone might as well be a brick or a paperweight. Smartphones on AT&T’s network are no more or less better than any other.

However, AT&T has a long history of being a terrible cellular service. Although the company has made great strides, that lingering stereotype remains.

If you’re out in the middle of nowhere, with an AT&T phone, and you can’t make a Wi-Fi call, there are some things you can try, so your situation is reversed.

6 Potential Fixes To AT&T Wi-Fi Calling Not Working

1. Software Update

You have access to Wi-Fi, otherwise you wouldn’t be trying to make a Wi-Fi call. If it just won’t work out for you, use the Wi-Fi access you have to ensure your smartphone is up-to-date. What else do you have to do, right? You’re out in the middle of nowhere. May as well update your phone.

Android

1. Open the Settings Menu
2. Select “About Phone”
3. Select “Check for Updates”
4. If an update pops up, select it
5. Install and wait for your phone to restart

iOS

1. Open the Settings Menu
2. Select “General”
3. Select “Software Update”
4. If the update pops up, select it
5. Install and wait for your iPhone to restart

That’s all there is to it. Once your phone restarts, try to make a phone call again. Make sure you are connected to the Wi-Fi and the call should go through, regardless of how many vertical bars are showing up at the top of the screen.

2. Make Sure Wi-Fi Source is Solid and Wi-Fi Calling is On

To use Wi-Fi, it has to be working properly, and you need to be in range of it. Wi-Fi is not the best when it comes to interference. So, you don’t want to step outside the house, 75’ away from the router and expect to make a Wi-Fi phone call.

You also shouldn’t stand on the opposite side of the home from the router. Stand within line of sight.

Ensure your AT&T smartphone is connected to the Wi-Fi, and the indicator lights on the Wi-Fi router/gateway are all good to go (usually green or blue).

If you’re having trouble connecting to the Wi-Fi source or staying connected, switch your smartphone to Airplane mode, let it sit there and simmer in this mode for about half a minute, then flip it back off. Allow the smartphone to establish a connection with the Wi-Fi again, and attempt to make a call.

Airplane Mode is fantastic in these situations. It’s essentially a rapid restart of your network without having to go through the convoluted phone process for resetting or restarting your network.

3. HD Voice

HD Voice is a feature that often works in conjunction with Wi-Fi calling. If one is off and the other is on, it might prove problematic for the whole. The best way to fix this is to make sure both HD Voice and Wi-Fi are both turned on.

Android

1. Navigate to the Settings Menu
2. Open Network & Internet
3. Open Mobile Network
4. Select Advanced
5. Select Advanced Calling to turn it on (Advanced calling and HD Voice are pretty much the same thing)

Keep in mind that different smartphone manufacturers of smartphones that run Android will be slightly different for each one. However, the method listed above will be very similar across the board, so don’t give up until you find it.

iOS

1. Open the Settings Menu
2. Select “Cellular”
3. Select “Enable LTE”
4. Select “Voice & Data”
5. Toggle it on

4. Turn Off Cellular Data

It’s one thing to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere or have a storm take down the nearest cell towers. It’s another to be right on the edge of cellular service signal reach so your smartphone kind of, sort of, tentatively connects and drops.

If you have Wi-Fi calling turned on, it’s always superseded by cellular service. So, every time your smartphone barely connects, Wi-Fi calling goes out the window, even if it’s only for a second. A second is all it takes to drop a call.

The best way to eliminate this perpetually unending interference is to turn it off altogether. Once you turn it off, the only thing your smartphone will rely on is the Wi-Fi calling feature, and you will be able to make a clear, uninterrupted call.

Android

1. Open the Settings Menu on your Android phone
2. Select Network & Internet
3. When you see your carrier, AT&T, there should be another Settings option next to it, and you need to select that
4. Select Mobile Data to turn it off

iOS

1. Open the Settings App on your iOS device
2. Select “Cellular”
3. On the Cellular Data tab, toggle it off
4. Make sure your Wi-Fi Calling is turned on in the same menu

All you need to do from here is make sure you turn it back on when you leave. Wi-Fi calling will only sustain your ability to make and take phone calls or send and receive text messages as long as you can access Wi-Fi.

5. Factory Reset

Of course, this is the last thing you want to do, and you should bother with it only if there is no other option, and you have to make a phone call. It takes some time to run a full factory reset, but it’s not as long of a process as you think.

If you have the opportunity, back up your device according to iOS or Android instructions. However, if you’re in a situation where you have Wi-Fi access, no cell signal, and really need to make a call, you may not have that opportunity.

Apple

1. Open the Settings Menu
2. Select General
3. Scroll down and select “Transfer or Reset iPhone”
4. Select “Erase All Content and Settings”
5. Select “Continue”
6. Follow the onscreen instructions

Android

1. Open the Settings Menu
2. Type “Reset” in the search bar
3. Select “Factory Reset”
4. Enter your password
5. Select “Reset All”
6. Confirm

Yeah, it’s not the best option in the world, but it will get the job done. On the bright side, it will eliminate any other issues your phone may be having now and in the immediate future.

The longest part will be setting the phone back up again, but it shouldn’t take too long.

6. Reset Your Network Settings

This is an effective solution if there is a glitch or a bug in the software. Resetting your network settings will effectively get rid of it.

Keep in mind that if you reset the Network Settings, you will lose your saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords for accessing them.

The next time you try to hook up to your Wi-Fi network at home, you will have to sign in again. This is an available option on both Android and iOS devices.

Android

1. Open the Settings Menu on your Android
2. Select “General”
3. Scroll down and select “Reset”
4. Select “Reset Network Settings”
5. Enter your Android password to confirm the reset

iOS

1. Open the Settings app on your iOS device
2. Select “General”
3. Scroll down and select “Transfer or Reset iPhone”
4. Select “Reset”
5. Select “Reset Network Settings”
6. Enter your iOS device pin code to confirm

Both Android and iPhone will have to restart for the reset to be successful. The only thing is, you will have to reconnect to the Wi-Fi you were originally trying to make a phone call with.

You’ll need to re-enter the username and password in your smartphone’s Wi-Fi settings to establish a connection again.

Remember, when you reset your network settings, it erases all of your smartphone’s saved Wi-Fi connections, including the ones at your home, where you are at, and anywhere else you have previously established a network connection.

Final Thoughts

There you have it, six ways to get your AT&T smartphone to make an uninterrupted Wi-Fi call. Hopefully, this will get you back on track. If you have never used Wi-Fi calling before, now you know about one extra feature that might come in very handy in the future.

This is true whether you have an iPhone or an Android, since both phone operating systems offer the feature.