How WIFI Calling Works with Tracfone and How to Make Free Calls
Is WIFI Calling Free? How does it work? There are a lot of questions surrounding WIFI calling, and as Tracfone has slowly made it more available on their networks, it has become a popular option for some.
Information about WIFI Calling with Tracfone is not completely clear, but we've tried to collect and share the most accurate details below. If you have anything to add, or if we made a mistake, let us know in the comments.
If you're new to TracfoneReviewer, take a look around. We offer lots of Tracfone related tips, news, info and reviews. A great place to start is our Beginners Guide to Tracfone.
Now, let's take a look at WIFI Calling with Tracfone.
What is WIFI Calling? Here are the FAQs
WIFI Calling allows users to send and receive both calls and texts over a WIFI network instead of the cell network. It does this by going out over the internet, and then connecting to the cell phone network. The main benefit is that you can stay connected with calls/texts when cell service is not available but WIFI is, such as in the basement of a building, or in rural areas.WIFI Calling does not allow free calls and texts. (Read further along to learn how to do this with Google Voice.) You are still charged the normal rate for calls and texts by Tracfone.
WIFI Calling works on both Android and iOS devices, although not all phones support it, and not all cell phone service providers support it.
Tracfone does support WIFI Calling, but only on some smartphones, and certain BYOP devices. It appears to depend on the phone and your location, as not all the networks Tracfone uses support WIFI Calling.
To see if your phone is capable, take a look at the requirements for WIFI Calling:
Tracfone's Requirements for WIFI Calling
There are a few basic requirements for WIFI Calling:- Your Smartphone is active
- It has a Wi-Fi calling SIM card
- It has Wi-Fi calling capabilities (not all phone models support Wi-Fi calling)
You can check eligibility by visiting https://e911-reg.tracfone.com/wps/portal/home/ and enter your phone number and last four digits of your SIM card number (located on your SIM card for BYOP devices).
Note: in our recent tests with several different BYOP devices, none were WIFI calling eligible.
How to Enable WIFI Calling on Your Smartphone
If you're phone is eligible, then follow these steps for WIFI Calling:- Visit https://www.tracfone.com/support/wifi-calling and enter your phone number.
- Click 'Send Code' and receive a 6 digit security code to your phone and enter it on the next screen.
- If your phone is eligible, you will be able to proceed to activate WIFI calling.
But what if you can't enable WIFI Calling, or you want to make free calls using WIFI? Well we've got the answer!
How to Make Free Calls using WIFI
If you were expecting WIFI Calling to make it possible to make free calls and texts, you are probably disappointed. But don't worry, there are other options for free calling and texting, and we will share one of the more popular methods here.Using Google Hangouts/Hangouts Dialer and a free phone number from Google Voice, you can make free calls from WIFI. Anyone you call will see your Google Voice number, not your Tracfone number, but you can port your Tracfone number to Google Voice if you prefer that.
Steps to Make Free Calls with Google Hangouts Dialer:
- Visit Google Voice and sign up for a free phone number. You are able to choose a phone number from a large variety available from many different area codes.
- Download Google Hangouts Dialer app on your smartphone
- Connect your Account and Verify your Phone Number
- Make a Test Call using the Google Hangouts Dialer app to check that everything is working.
Here is a helpful YouTube video that also explains more about Google Hangouts Dialer and how it works.
If you are looking for free texting, there are a number of texting apps such as Whatsapp, Line App, and more, that allow free texting with anyone else who also has the app.
Using a Google Voice number and the Hangouts Dialer app is a great way for anyone to make calls using WIFI without using any Tracfone airtime.
We hope this information is helpful and leave a comment with any thoughts or questions.
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