Customers from a number of different UK mobile operators (mostly Vodafone MVNOs), such as Lebara and TalkMobile, who also own one of Google’s popular Pixel phones – at least the models they still support – have this week been informing ISPreview that the latest June 2024 software (firmware) update seems to have finally fixed WiFi Calling.
For the uninitiated. Wi-Fi Calling (aka – VoWiFi) simply enables consumers with a supporting Smartphone and mobile operator to harness their home broadband ISP or other WiFi connection to make mobile voice calls, instead of using your mobile network. The feature is extremely useful, particularly when away from a good mobile signal, but support can be patchy between different networks and devices.
Google’s Pixel phones have long included support for WiFi Calling, but in the UK it’s become quite a well-known problem that – even on mobile operators that claim to have enabled the feature – getting this to work is often an exercise in frustration. On top of that, knowing whether the issue is down to the operator or the device itself can often be difficult to answer with any confidence (support staff frequently give conflicting responses).
Some people have found solutions via unofficial patches, but these often end up being removed after a reboot or official patch and a longer-term fix has long been desired. The good news is that one of our regular readers (snarpatroid) has spent many months trying to push both Google and, in his case, Lebara, to talk to each other in an effort to resolve the issue (here) and that seems to have paid off in a bigger way than expected.
The first sign of progress came in March 2024, after Lebara’s support team revealed that the issue would be resolved with Google’s next software update for their Pixel devices in June 2024. The good news is that this firmware was finally released yesterday (here) and the early feedback ISPreview has received suggests that it hasn’t only fixed the issue on Lebara, but some other networks too, like TalkMobile (example).
We should point out that both Lebara and TalkMobile are both virtual (MVNO) operators on Vodafone’s national UK network. In other words, if you’re a Pixel owner on another network and still having problems, then it’s possible the June 2024 update might not resolve it for you (such issues often relate to tweaks with specific carrier profiles).
In any case, this should end many months of annoyance for a lot of Pixel owners, and that’s a good thing. But sadly, the June 2024 update doesn’t extend to all of Google’s devices, which is hard luck if you’re still using one of their Pixel 4 or older series.
Pixel 5a (5G): AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 6: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 6 Pro: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 6a: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 7: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 7 Pro: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 7a: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel Tablet: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel Fold: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 8: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 8 Pro: AP2A.240605.024
Pixel 8a: AP2A.240605.024