Wi-Fi Calling Setup for Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL Phones

In short

VoWiFi, better known as Wi-Fi calling, sends ordinary calls on your own mobile number through a Wi-Fi connection instead of the tower, which keeps you reachable in rooms where the signal is poor. Jio, Airtel and BSNL add no charge on top of an active plan. Vi bills these calls as per your plan and offers the service only in the circles named on its website, Madhya Pradesh among them. Leave VoLTE on, then enable Wi-Fi Calling from the SIM or mobile network menu on Android (Samsung keeps it under Settings → Connections). On iPhone, go to Settings → Mobile Data → Wi-Fi Calling; iPhones with two SIMs name that menu Mobile Service.

Thick concrete walls, a ground-floor flat, an office deep inside a large building: these are the spots where the bars drop to one and voices start breaking up, even while the Wi-Fi router in the same room runs perfectly. Wi-Fi calling puts that broadband line to work for your everyday phone calls.

Indoor call drops are not something many people bring to Mobivault, our phone shop in Bhopal, and those who do have usually heard of Wi-Fi calling already. This guide is for the moments when the setting is hard to find or simply refuses to work. You will find which networks support it, what your handset must have, the exact switch on each popular brand, and a fix-it order for when things go wrong.

Jump to a section8 sections

Operator by operator: where it works and what it costs
What your phone, SIM and connection need
Switching it on: Android phones, brand by brand
Switching it on: iPhone
Is it on? Signs your calls are using Wi-Fi
Option missing or calls failing? Work through this order
Questions people ask about Wi-Fi calling
Official pages used for this guide

Operator by operator: where it works and what it costs

Network	Where it is offered	What you pay	Operator page
Jio	All over India, over any Wi-Fi network	Nothing extra, as long as an active voice plan is running	Jio’s Wi-Fi Calling page
Airtel	Every circle apart from Jammu & Kashmir, over any broadband connection or Wi-Fi hotspot	Nothing extra; each call is billed like a regular call on your plan	Airtel’s Wi-Fi Calling page
Vi	Listed circles only: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Maharashtra & Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP East, UP West, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh (Vi’s pages do not fully agree with each other, so check with Vi if you live in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana)	As per your plan: no charge on unlimited plans, base tariff on the rest	Vi’s WiFi Calling page
BSNL	Every telecom circle (nationwide rollout announced on 1 January 2026)	No additional charge	PIB release on BSNL VoWiFi

Compiled from each operator’s website and the PIB release on BSNL, as of 10 October 2026.

Because the call travels over your Wi-Fi, it does not eat into your mobile data pack. By Airtel’s figures, a 5-minute call needs under 5 MB. You can dial any number on any network, and the person at the other end does not need Wi-Fi calling on their side.

What your phone, SIM and connection need

Three things have to line up: the handset, the operator and the settings. Run through this list before you go hunting for the switch.

An active 4G or 5G SIM. Airtel wants an Airtel 4G SIM, Vi wants a 5G-ready SIM (all of its 4G SIMs already are), and Jio needs a live tariff plan. BSNL’s announcement is silent on SIM type, so contact BSNL if the Wi-Fi Calling option never shows up.
A handset that supports it. Whether yours does comes down to the model, the software it runs and your operator. Jio and Vi both offer a handset checker on their Wi-Fi calling pages. BSNL has not published a phone list; instead it points customers to a BSNL customer service centre or its mobile helpline, which is 1503 from a BSNL number or 1800-180-1503 from any other network.
Current software. Airtel and Vi both ask you to install the newest software update first. For iPhone, Apple says a network provider (carrier) settings update can add support for features such as Wi-Fi Calling.
VoLTE turned on. Jio, Airtel and Vi all tell you to leave VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling switched on together. Your phone may name VoLTE “HD Voice” or “VoLTE calls” instead. It usually sits in the same mobile network menu as the 5G toggle, so our walkthrough for when 5G isn’t showing up can help you locate that menu on your brand.
Wi-Fi that actually has internet. It need not come from your operator. Jio and Vi say any Wi-Fi will do, Airtel says every broadband provider, and BSNL names Bharat Fiber or other broadband. If the connection is slow or keeps dropping, call quality suffers.
Airplane mode off. According to Airtel and Vi, Wi-Fi calling stops working while airplane mode is on.

Warning: Wi-Fi calling is not a safe backup for emergencies. Jio says emergency numbers and short codes that rely on location services, such as 100, 101, 102, 108 and 112, cannot be reached through it. Apple says an iPhone places emergency calls over the mobile network whenever one is available.

Switching it on: Android phones, brand by brand

Join your Wi-Fi network before you begin. Most brands keep the toggle inside the SIM or mobile network settings (Samsung is the odd one out, with Connections), and it normally appears only when both the phone and the operator support the feature. If you carry two SIMs, enable it on the one you make calls from. Expect small differences in menu names from one software version to the next.

Samsung Galaxy phones

Go to Settings → Connections → Wi-Fi Calling.
Flip the toggle on. With two SIMs, pick the one you call from (SIM 1 or SIM 2).

Samsung India mentions a second way in: from the Phone app, tap More → Settings → Wi-Fi Calling. Some models also put a Wi-Fi Calling tile in Quick settings.

Google Pixel phones

Go to Settings → Network & internet → SIMs.
Pick your operator’s SIM and choose Wi-Fi calling.
Switch on Use Wi-Fi calling, then make a test call.

If that option is nowhere to be seen, Google says it means your operator does not support the feature.

Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO

Go to Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks (named Mobile networks on some HyperOS builds).
Choose the SIM you plan to call from.
Switch on Make calls using Wi-Fi.

vivo or iQOO

Go to Settings → SIM card & mobile network, or on some versions Network & internet → SIMs & mobile network.
Choose the SIM you plan to call from.
Switch on VoWiFi, which certain versions label Make calls using Wi-Fi.

According to vivo, this toggle is already on by default with some operators. If your screens don’t match the steps, search for VoWiFi from the bar at the top of Settings.

OPPO, realme or OnePlus

Go to Settings → Mobile network. On older software the same menu may be called SIM card & mobile data, Dual SIM & mobile network or Wi-Fi & internet → SIM & network. Still lost? Search for Wi-Fi calling from the top of Settings.
Choose your SIM, then Wi-Fi calling.
Switch it on. Where a calling preference is offered, realme recommends Wi-Fi calling preferred.

Switching it on: iPhone

Jio sets the iPhone 6s or a later model as the minimum. Apple’s page of network provider features for India, last updated in February 2026, shows Wi-Fi Calling for Jio and Airtel. Vi’s compatible handset list runs up to the iPhone 15 series, yet Apple’s page does not show Wi-Fi Calling for Vi, and BSNL does not appear on it at all. Vi and BSNL users should update iOS and accept any network provider settings update; if the Wi-Fi Calling option is still missing after that, get in touch with the operator.

Go to Settings → Mobile Data. If your iPhone holds two SIMs (or a SIM plus an eSIM), the menu is named Mobile Service instead, and Apple’s own guide also uses the word Cellular.
With two SIMs, scroll down and tap the line that should use Wi-Fi Calling, such as Jio or Airtel.
Choose Wi-Fi Calling, then switch on Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone.
Tap Enable. The phone may ask you to add or confirm an address for emergency services.

Tip: No Wi-Fi Calling entry at all? Join a Wi-Fi network and open Settings → General → About; a pending network provider settings update will pop up and ask to be installed. A few operator pages still describe the old route, Settings → Phone → Wi-Fi Calling, but Apple now places the toggle in the mobile data settings.

Is it on? Signs your calls are using Wi-Fi

iPhone: check Control Centre. When Wi-Fi Calling is available, “Wi-Fi” shows in the status bar and your calls go through Wi-Fi Calling.
Pixel: during a call over Wi-Fi, the notification screen reads “Wi-Fi calling” or “Internet call”.
Other Android brands: watch the status bar for a Wi-Fi calling or VoWiFi icon. Its design varies from brand to brand, and Vi says it shows up while a call is in progress.

For a real-world test, stay connected to Wi-Fi, walk to the corner of your home with the weakest signal and ring someone. Should the Wi-Fi cut out mid-call, Airtel says the call moves across to VoLTE without a break (with VoLTE off, the call simply drops). BSNL likewise says its service passes calls smoothly between Wi-Fi and the mobile network.

Option missing or calls failing? Work through this order

When a customer at Mobivault can’t find Wi-Fi Calling on their phone, the usual culprit is VoLTE being switched off for that SIM, and turning VoLTE on makes the option reappear. That is why the list below starts there.

Make sure VoLTE is enabled for the SIM, then switch Wi-Fi Calling off and back on.
Confirm the service covers your area. Vi runs it only in certain circles, and Airtel’s coverage leaves out Jammu & Kashmir.
Install pending software updates. iPhone users should also look in Settings → General → About for a network provider settings update.
Turn the phone off and on. Google explains that a phone which detects Wi-Fi calling problems disables the feature until they are sorted out; a restart, or a call to your operator, may be needed to bring it back.
Test the Wi-Fi itself. Check that websites load, power-cycle the router (unplug it, then plug it back in), or move to a different Wi-Fi network. Apple points out that some Wi-Fi networks are not compatible with Wi-Fi Calling.
Switch off airplane mode. Airtel and Vi note that Wi-Fi calling won’t run with it on.
Reset network settings, but only as the final step. iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings. This wipes saved Wi-Fi networks along with their passwords, so have your Wi-Fi password ready. Pixel: Settings → System → Reset options → Reset mobile network settings. Xiaomi: Settings → Connection & sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and Bluetooth.
Call your operator and ask them to confirm that Wi-Fi calling is active on your number and handset. For BSNL, dial 1503 from a BSNL number or 1800-180-1503 from another network.

Shop-floor note: If weak signal at home or at the office has you thinking about a new phone, find out first whether the handset you already own supports Wi-Fi calling on your operator. We check exactly that for customers in this spot before we recommend any upgrade.

Questions people ask about Wi-Fi calling

Do the people I ring also need Wi-Fi calling switched on?

No. According to Airtel and Vi, you can reach any number on any network, whether or not the other phone supports Wi-Fi calling.

Do I need my operator’s own broadband connection for this?

Generally not. Jio says any Wi-Fi network will do, Airtel says it works with every broadband provider and Wi-Fi hotspot, Vi says any Wi-Fi, and BSNL refers to Bharat Fiber or other broadband. Apple does warn that some Wi-Fi networks are not compatible with Wi-Fi Calling, so switch to another network if calls keep failing, and keep the connection stable for clear audio.

My phone shows zero bars. Can I still make Wi-Fi calls?

In most cases, yes; this is exactly the situation the feature exists for. Apple describes it for places with little or no mobile coverage, and Vi says signal strength hardly matters because the call relies on Wi-Fi. The phone still needs an active SIM from your operator, though, and Google notes that only some operators allow Wi-Fi calling when there is no mobile service, so try it at home before you depend on it.

Do text messages and OTPs come through over Wi-Fi?

Airtel says its Wi-Fi calling handles texts (SMS and MMS) as well as calls, and BSNL says its service covers both calls and messages. The Wi-Fi calling pages of Jio and Vi say nothing about SMS. If OTPs are still not reaching you, our fixes for OTP messages that never arrive may help.

Will I pay more for calls made over Wi-Fi?

Not with Jio, Airtel or BSNL, which all say there is no extra charge; Airtel bills a Wi-Fi call just like a regular call on your plan. Vi charges these calls as per your tariff plan, which makes them free on unlimited plans. The data for the call comes from your Wi-Fi connection.

Wi-Fi Calling for Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL: Setup and Fixes

Operator by operator: where it works and what it costs

What your phone, SIM and connection need