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Mobile Operator Lebara UK Add WiFi Calling and 4G Calling

Wednesday, Jun 29th, 2022 (8:32 am) - Score 14,944
Lebara mobile uk

Mobile network operator Lebara, which harnesses Vodafone’s Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) platform, has begun contacting their existing customers to inform them that they’ve finally started rolling out two popular service features – Wi-Fi Calling and 4G Calling (VoLTE).

The 4G Calling service is just a marketing term for Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE) technology, which simply means that any calls you make or receive will stay on the 4G network rather than dropping back to 3G or 2G. Meanwhile, WiFi Calling enables consumers with a supported Smartphone to harness their home broadband ISP or other WiFi connection to make mobile voice calls, instead of using your mobile network.

NOTE: There’s no extra charge for using Wi-Fi or 4G Calling. All calls you make will come out of your UK minutes allowance if you have a plan, or will be charged at standard PAYG rates if you do not have an active plan.

Until now, it wasn’t clear when Lebara would start to introduce the new features, but that just changed. In a brief email to customers this week, the operator said: “We are very pleased to share that WiFi Calling and 4G Calling (VoLTE) is now available on the Lebara network. We are rolling out the service in phases and you are one of our first customers to be able to use this feature” (credits to one of our readers, Gareth, for sharing the email).

At the time of writing, it’s not clear how long this rollout will take to complete, but we should point out that new customers who have just activated their SIM may need to wait up to 7 days for both features to become available (the operator will usually notify you).

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Mark-Jackson
By Mark Jackson
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and .
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Comments
125 Responses
  1. Avatar photo Smythe says:

    Just leaves Giffgaff and Tesco Mobile with no WiFi calling or VoLTE.

    1. Avatar photo phoenixw says:

      Not really surprising given that they’re using O2 and O2’s bizarre relationship with both technologies, they wouldn’t support it on many VoLTE capable phones they sold themselves until about 2020.

    2. Avatar photo Jenny Preston says:

      Just a heads up it only works on some phones. For example OnePlus is not supported. EE wifi calling it works on all phones while Vodafone (Lebara) limit only to phone models they sale.

  2. Avatar photo Ryan says:

    I’m starting to really like Lebara. I use it as my second sim in my phone. They still do EU roaming too which is nice.

    1. Avatar photo Jammie says:

      They are an underrated network to be honest.

    2. Avatar photo Yatta! says:

      @Ryan: Lebara’s pst Brexit EU roaming terms are not fantastic, customers are only permitted to use their allowance up to a maximum of recent domestic usage.

      In my family’s experience roaming usage is higher than domestic, especially for longer trips.

      It’s better than nothing, however as a Lebara customer under the current terms and conditions I’ll be buying local SIMs when abroad.

    3. Avatar photo Dan says:

      @Yatta

      That’s slightly concerning.. I’m going to Europe for a few days mid July, and was planning on activating and porting my number to a Lebara SIM a few days before I go (and then staying on Lebara once I’m back in the UK, as the deal I found is really good value).

      Will have to see how I get on. Worst case scenario, if Lebara prevent me roaming under their fair use policy, I can activate an Airalo eSIM to cover my trip for about £4. It would just mean I’d then maybe switch away from Lebara to a network with a less restrictive fair use policy before I next went to Europe.

    4. Avatar photo John Smith says:

      My read of Lebara’s current EU roaming policy is that they look at UK vs EU data usage over a 4 month period. I.e. using more roaming than domestic data in a single month shouldn’t be a problem. I hope this is the case, because I plan on using Lebara data for a one month trip mostly outside the UK, after which the SIM will be discarded.

  3. Avatar photo Yatta! says:

    You’re a bit late with this old news Mark.

    Lebara enabled on Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE weeks ago..

    What is a slightly odd though is that their network is identified as “Vodafone WiFiCall” when it’s enabled.

    Though I do not have experience of Wi-Fi calling on other MVNOs to know if they are similarly identified by their host network.

    1. Mark-Jackson Mark Jackson says:

      You mean they ‘started’ enabling it earlier this month, the rollout has not finished. But if you find these things out sooner, then please drop me an email, as otherwise I won’t know (the operators don’t tend to issue press releases for all these changes).

    2. Avatar photo Yatta! says:

      @Mark: See Jammie‘s comment at 12:18.

    3. Mark-Jackson Mark Jackson says:

      I said email. There are so many mentions via Twitter that, after an hour, any new activity notices will get pushed down and missed off the summary page (direct messages work better). I spend most of my time working on the site, not on social media.

    4. Avatar photo Dan says:

      I suspect the reason it says ‘Vodafone WifiCall’ will be that the network name to display when connected to wifi calling is part of the carrier profile on iOS, and that Lebara perhaps doesn’t have their own carrier profile, so Vodafone’s is being used.

      I’d also guess this is why, some time ago, the network name displayed on Three when connected to wifi calling changed from ‘Three WifiCall’ to just ‘WifiCall’ – presumably so that Smarty could share the Three carrier profile without their customers seeing ‘Three’ in the network name when connected to wifi calling.

    5. Avatar photo Bubblesthefish6 says:

      @Dan You are correct with 3. I used SMARTY on an iPhone way back when WiFi call first released on smarty and it did indeed display “Three WiFi Call” for some ammount of time till the three profile was updated. The iPhone 5s and 5c both still display Three WiFi Call for smarty as they were never updated.

    6. Avatar photo Dan says:

      @bubblesthefish6

      Thanks bubbles, I hadn’t been aware there was a time when Smarty users saw ‘Three WiFiCall’.

  4. Avatar photo Anon says:

    I wish Vodafone would allow WiFi Calling on all capable handsets, Vodafone in other countries manage it no problem, I don’t see why UK has to be different.

    1. Avatar photo Paul says:

      It is active on my work mobile

  5. Avatar photo Jammie says:

    I tweeted this last week and had no reply from ISPReviews Twitter account.
    Good News Though

  6. Avatar photo Steve says:

    I received a text about a month back saying I was due to be one of the first, but wi-fi calling isn’t an option on my handset. It was before when I was on Three, my handset is capable but it seems there are others with a similar issue (mainly Google Pixel and Honor handsets), I sent them a live chat about it but that didn’t change anything either.

    1. Avatar photo Mike80 says:

      Sadly, Vodafone’s WiFi calling doesn’t work on as many phones as Three or EE.

      And customer service teams at Vodafone and Vodafone MVNOs are useless at conveying that information or providing any actual solutions (apart from sending you around the houses, or making out you’ve done something wrong.)

      The only way to guarantee that your Android phone will work with Vodafone’s WiFi calling service is to buy your phone from Vodafone.

      (This also applies to Voxi, Asda and Vodafone itself.)

    2. Avatar photo Steve says:

      They need to get good at this then – 3G is set to be switched off next year so surely they have to change this?

    3. Avatar photo Allan says:

      Yup, Pixel 5 and WiFi calling not showing as an option for me despite receiving the email about it being activated.

    4. Avatar photo Fido says:

      @Allan Same issue here with WiFi calling on on Pixel 4a, but at least Mobile Voice Network Type is showing as 4G in settings.

  7. Avatar photo John says:

    When will the rollout be completed

  8. Avatar photo Stuart says:

    Plusnet via EE still do not offer either of these features as far as I am aware. As an old fogie of 44, I still do make voice calls and find that my phone has to hunt between 3G and 2G to do this. The result is often lost calls or calls failing to connect. As I have read here that EE is looking to switch off their legacy 3G network over the next year, unless Plusnet enable these features I assume the voice coverage will deteriorate as I will be reliant on 2Galone for voice. I find the 4G coverage generally good and you-pays-your-money-and-takes-your-choice I guess. When I raised this issue with Plusnet technical support a few weeks ago, the person I spoke to seemed to have no idea what I was on about and said I should use Whatsapp. Obviously that is fine if you are calling someone who has Whatsapp….less so if you are calling anyone else.

  9. Avatar photo DaveDS1977 says:

    Bit of a tangent but on the thumbs up front for Lebara UK I can confirm there is free WhatsApp (and Google location works) in South America (roaming with Claro). Might well be just because lots of telcos there offer free WhatsApp / Spotify / Facebook / YouTube with their plans but still good.

  10. Avatar photo Nicky J says:

    I Joined Lebara from EE a couple of months ago after googling if Lebara had WiFi calling, it said they did so I joined but to my dismay discovered no wi-fi calling facility(only in Switzerland!!). The signal in my area is poor on all networks but Vodafone’s is about the best so when I was home (using home wi-fi) I downgraded my network settings to 3g could make calls throughout the house while browsing using the WiFi , I realise this was tiresome and when talk mobile anounced WiFi calling and volt roll out I was planning on a move to them as they also use the Vodafone network .Then by happenstance when scrolling my call settings found the WiFi calling toggle had reappeared, I switched this on and now receive WiFi calling with Lebara but strangely had no notification of this from the network themselves !!, Anyhow I’m happy now and staying with Lebara, just wish they’d have told me.

  11. Avatar photo MikeP says:

    But no SMS support over WiFi calling as it’s Vodafone I guess.
    For me, and I suspect many, that’s the major utility of WiFi calling, particularly since the advent of SCA.

    1. Avatar photo Dan says:

      Vodafone added SMS support to WiFi calling at the start of 2021.

  12. Avatar photo Jill says:

    I was just about to switch to Lebaras £1.99 for 6 months 12GB deal, but I see it says there is no wifi calling or 4g calling volte, I’m not sure whether to continue if it doesn’t have that? I have Smarty at the moment which I am very happy with and has the above, but it’s £10 a month which is a lot when I don’t use the phone often. Would be grateful for any advice.

  13. Avatar photo Pixel 5 owner says:

    Pixel 5 (5G) owner here. I had WiFi calling and VoLTE working when with Vodafone, but isn’t available since I switched to Lebara.

    Any other Lebara Pixel users have it working?

  14. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Likewise, I have WiFi calling working via Vodafone UK, also on Three UK, but when I put a Lebara SIM in my Pixel 4 yesterday, no WiFi calling option. I called Lebara and was told it needed to be provisioned which would take up to 72 hours and I’d get a message when ready.

    1. Avatar photo Hopefully Helpful says:

      Hi Cancunia. Have you had WiFi Calling enabled on your sim yet?

  15. Avatar photo Mark says:

    My Pixel 3 had WiFi calling enabled and working fine when I was on Vodafone. Having just moved to Lebara and ported the old number, I discovered WiFi calling is not available in the Settings menu.
    Lebara claim that if Wifi Calling was enabled and working prior to joining them, it should seamlessly work on Lebara.

    I’ve contacted Lebara and am awaiting a response.

  16. Avatar photo Mark says:

    They claim it needs activating on my account and should be present within 24hrs.

    I notice that the Help pages suggest:

    “We will notify you as soon as the feature is enable on your SIM after joining us. If you are moving to us from a network where these features were already enabled on your phone, then Wifi and 4G Calling will automatically be available as soon as your number is ported to Lebara.”

    Doesn’t sound like it is always an automatic process

  17. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    I’ve just been on WebChat with Lebara who now tell me that there’s some kind of problem between them & Google that prevents WiFi calling working on Pixel phones. I suggested that as WiFi calling works fine with Vodafone and Lebara uses Vodafone, the problem is between Lebara & Vodafone, the reply I got was that it’s a Google issue as they have not provisioned WiFi calling for Lebara.
    I’ve raised a formal complaint with Lebara as there’s no mention of either delays in getting WiFi calling activated or a specific problem with Pixel phones.

    1. Avatar photo Peter Smithson says:

      There’s something odd about pixel phones. I left Smarty because 5g doesn’t work unless you have a pixel 6 or later (or pretty much any other 5g phone). Now I get 5g with Lebara but I’ve lost WiFi calling!

  18. Avatar photo Roland says:

    I am having the same issue as others that WiFi calling was working fine on my Pixel 4a with a Vodafone SIM but has disappeared as an option since swapping to Lebara, very disappointing that there is no mention of this issue on their website.

  19. Avatar photo Mark says:

    It’s now been 48hrs and the option is still not available in the Settings menu. Sigh

    1. Avatar photo Roland says:

      You have a Google Pixel right?

      I think the support person who told you about the 48 hour delay must have been misinformed as @Cancunia contacted support and was told that it was an issue between Lebara and Google. I too have lost the option for WiFi calling after swapping from Vodafone UK to Lebara 🙁

      I am not too upset about the problem itself right now especially as I got such a great deal through MSE affiliate but it is annoying there is no mention of this ongoing problem.

      I may be forced to switch if this isn’t fixed by the time 3G is phased out.

  20. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Thanks Roland. I hadn’t refreshed the page and seen @Cancunia’s post. I’m always a little sceptical of these “24hrs and it’ll work” replies, but it’s very disappointing that the advice on the Lebara Help pages make no mention of any issues over Wifi calling, particularly when it has worked on previous networks. I have a rubbish signal where I live and since Vodafone phased out the Suresignal I’ve relied on WiFi calling.

    Anyone got any alternative approaches?

  21. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Just got this from Live Chat with Lebara
    “Hereon we are not supposed to raise MNO’s for any Wi-Fi calling issues related Google Pixel handsets.

    Vodafone have confirmed that Google have not provisioned Wi-Fi calling for those handsets used under Lebara.

    Please set the right expectations to the customer henceforth.”

  22. Avatar photo Mark says:

    “There is no way to activate wi fi calling on any pixel phone. We are trying our best to get this resolved but we are not sure how much time it will take”

    I won’t hold my breath….

  23. Avatar photo Roland says:

    This is very frustrating . While it seems like maybe it was Google’s mistake at first Lebara don’t seem to particularly care whether it gets solved one way or another. I know Pixels aren’t the most popular phones in the world but they are popular enough that a lot of people will be experiencing this issue.

  24. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Apologies if this is TLDR!
    I still find it strange that WiFi calling works without any issue on Vodafone & Three on my Pixel 4, but not with Lebara. I’ve been in touch with Google Pixel support via Webchat 3 times and via email. Their view, which does make sense to me, is that as WiFi calling is working with other providers it should work with Lebara unless there is a problem at the Lebara end, Google also say that there is no special provisioning that they do for each provider. I’m expect that most people on here will remember when when Android phones were locked to the original network provider they were sold by for WiFi calling and that a SIM unlock still didn’t unlock the WiFi calling, I’m wondering if this dated view is what Lebara are on about. Talkmobile (Vodafone) also has very limited support for WiFi calling. I’ve ordered an ASDA SIM (Vodafone) to see if there’s a trend…
    Until I see some technical evidence to the contrary, my money is on some kind of disconnect between Lebara UK & Vodafone.
    I’m looking into a temporary work around to forward all calls when my Lebara SIM is out of service (airplane mode, with WiFi on) to a free Vodafone PAYG e-SIM that does support WiFi calling. Unfortunately, call forwarding does not yet work on Lebara….

    1. Avatar photo Roland says:

      It’s pretty damning that Google are saying that Lebara’s excuse about provisioning is rubbish.

  25. Avatar photo Mark says:

    The sceptic within me wonders if Vodafone are being less than helpful with their (cheaper) MVNO partners regarding WiFi calling in order to retain customers to their native (more expensive) tariffs….

    Sadly, I’m not sure there is sufficient impetus for this issue to be resolved in short order, so I’ll likely return to Vodafone.

    All rather dull

  26. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Yep, perhaps it’s that Voda may be dragging their heels a bit.
    Lebara were clearly expecting WiFi Calling & Pixel phones to both be working back in June as can be see from these pages on the Lebara web site:
    https://mobile.lebara.com/gb/en/wifi-volte
    https://devicehelp.lebara.co.uk/google/pixel-5-android-11-0/calls-and-contacts/turn-wi-fi-calling-on-or-off/

    According to the first link:
    “If you are moving to us from a network where these features were already enabled on your phone, then Wifi and 4G Calling will automatically be available as soon as your number is ported to Lebara.”

    My number is due to be ported from Three tomorrow which is why I’ve been so active on this topic over the weekend. WiFi calling is needed where I live, so as per Mark’s post above I may also need to move to another provider if this looks like dragging on.
    More tomorrow..

  27. Avatar photo Roland says:

    Yes, very possible that for providers that bring in less revenue Vodafone allocates less technical support recourses for issues like this 🙁

    Thankfully WiFi calling is not critical where I live so as I said before I will probably stick with the good deal. Still annoying though…

  28. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    I came across the following while surfing this morning, it seems that Google does download some config info for each MVNO so maybe Lebara are correct.

    https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/88342530/pixel-3a-on-red-pocket-can-t-enable-wifi-calling?hl=en

    This post in particular caught my attention..

    https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/88342530?hl=en&msgid=94927129

    1. Avatar photo Roland says:

      Huh, good find, I’m not sure what to believe any more 😛

      I guess we will just have to hope that all concerned parties get it resolved, although my hopes are not high that it will happen any time soon :/

      I may also contact Lebara today in the hope that the more people upset about this the more likely it is they will pay serious attention.

  29. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Slightly off topic, but it seems that there are a lot of issues with Pixel phones & MVNOs. Virgin & Sky Moblie MVNOs moved from Voda to O2 earlier this year and lost 5G service on Pixel phones, apparently due to some kind of config file issue on the Pixels. So I’m now beginning to lean towards Google causing the problem rather than Lebara. It does not excuse the lack of info from Lebara though.
    Problems can be reported via Feedback under ‘About Phone’ in the settings. Do Google read & action them? Your guess is as good as mine.

    https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/171989380?hl=en
    https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/97457120?hl=en

  30. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Good sleuthing @cancunia. I’m not an expert on this stuff and am unsure who is responsible for the issue, but Google looks like the front runner at the moment

    I’ve submitted feedback from my phone but don’t hold out too much hope.

  31. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Ported my number from Three to Lebara, no surprise really that WiFi calling didn’t work on my Pixel 4. I’ve now ordered a SIM from Smarty, £3.50 for the 1st 3 months via Money Supermarket. Unfortunately, the only way to test the Smarty SIM is to pay them upfront.
    I’ll order another Lebara SIM later in the week and keep it on ice until the WiFi calling problem is fixed.

  32. Avatar photo Mark says:

    @cancunia Will you post back here with the results of your Smarty SIM (uses 3’s network, I understand)? Did you test the ASDA SIM (a Vodafone MVNO)?
    Cheers

  33. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Bad news!

    The WiFi calling option does not appear in the settings for the Smarty SIM that arrived and was activated today. WiFi calling is there for the Voda e-SIM in the phone and was there when I was on a Three contract with a physical SIM.
    I ordered the ADSA SIM on Saturday, it has still not arrived. Looking at the ADSA web site, it says WiFi calling is activated 7 days after the SIM is activated, not sure I want to be hanging on that long on a chance.

    It’s odd but WiFi calling does seem to work for many other Pixel phones on Smarty, both older & newer, but for some reason not on my P4.

    1. Avatar photo David says:

      I have a Pixel 6a which (like everyone else) didn’t support wifi calling with Lebara. I’ve switched to a Smarty SIM and wifi calling has been working from day one. Very happy with the 5G coverage too.

  34. Avatar photo Mark says:

    How frustrating, although slightly unsurprising given recent experience. Please do post back with the results of the ASDA SIM.
    My son is switching to Lebara and has a Pixel 6, so I’ll post back with his situation when it arrives.

  35. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    I doubt I’ll be trying the ASDA SIM, but will report if I do. Lebara may take a while to activate WiFi calling, so don’t be too surprised if it does not work to start with.

  36. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    I’ve just been on to Lebara again about the issues with Pixel phones. They tell me Vodafone are waiting for Google and they are waiting for Vodafone. I get the impression that there’s no real sense of urgency. Google are still telling me that there’s no problem at their end.
    On the plus side, I’ve found the Lebara support people friendly and, so far as they can be, helpful. They also told me that WiFi calling was added to my account within 24 hours of my number port-in from Three.
    I’m going to stick with them for a while, even with the poor signal as I’m not willing to get locked into Three & Voda for another year.

  37. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I am sympathetic to the Lebara helpline staff. It appears they’ve been given a script about WiFi calling and Pixel phones and they don’t know what the technical issues are. They forward requests to the Technical team, and it’s not clear if they know what the problem is either. Pixel market share is not high so there not proportionately many people with this problem, but at least Google are well resourced to deal with the issue if they feel motivated.
    As mentioned, I’ve submitted Feedback to Google via my phone, but will try them directly too. Which route did you use to discuss this with Google.
    Cheers

  38. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    It’s a bit convoluted. If you scroll to the bottom of the page linked below, there’s a ‘need more help’ button. You need to sign in to get past that, then after a couple more screens you can navigate to Call or Chat. I used the chat option, you automatically get an email back from that session that can be used for further communication.

    https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7109524

  39. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    A bit off topic, I received my ASDA SIM this morning. There’s a thread on the forum that I’ll post updates on.

    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/threads/cant-get-wifi-calling-with-asda-vodafone.38121/

  40. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Just finished a long web chat with Google. They were helpful, but insisted that the issue lay with the network operator, claiming that the handset (Pixel 3 in my case) is capable of Wifi calling and it is up to the network operator to provision it.
    She’s sending her direct contact details and a case number so I can follow up when I’ve done some more testing. I’m going to try putting my Lebara SIM in a different (Android) handset and see if the Wifi calling option is available. Just need to find someone with an appropriate handset!!

  41. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Was ‘she’ by any chance called Rosey?

  42. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Sonia. I had the feeling she was reading from a decision tree script rather than having knowledge of the particular (rare?) situation.

  43. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Well, if you want to reply in kind, just check the Lebara web site & say in reply to Google that WiFi calling works on xx according to Lebara & Pixels don’t.

  44. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I suspect Google’s reply would be “Lebara have not implemented the permissioning correctly on your account”.
    Tomorrow I’ll be able to try my SIM in a different Android handset. I’ll post the results here.

  45. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Well, waddya know.

    Put my Lebara SIM into a Samsung Galaxy and voila! WiFi calling option was available and worked. I therefore have definitive evidence that there is something amiss with Pixel phones and Lebara.
    I’ll contact Google again with this info and look forward to getting rebuffed again.

    Laters….

  46. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Good to know that WiFi Calling does work, and like you say good evidence that there’s a problem with Pixels. I’ve had similar feedback from Smarty & Talkmobile.
    In the meantime, I’ve activated my ASDA SIM and been assured by ADSA that the Pixel will work with WiFi calling 7 days after activation which will be somewhere around Thursday / Friday and will post the result.

  47. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Citizen science in practice! We may well come to a definitive answer regarding compatibility, but it remains to be seen if any changes are stimulated.

  48. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Just off a chat with Google. They’re not interested. They claim that the issue is with Lebara, and that there is nothing they can do to solve the issue. They implied that Pixels might not be a “supported handset” for Lebara. I’m not technically proficient enough to know what is needed to make it supported, but I suppose it’s possible that Lebara is supposed to test each handset before it’s supported. If they are requesting incorrect information from Google, or implementing it incorrectly, and it doesn’t work maybe they’ll say it’s unsupported rather than trying to fix the problem.

    I’ll try Lebara again and see what happens, but I’m not hopeful (and a bit frustrated)

  49. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Transcript of Lebara chat –

    Me: Can you tell me if there is a problem with WiFi calling and Pixel handsets?

    TN

    Tanveer Nagarji 9:38 AM
    Sure.

    9:38 AM
    I will let you know.

    9:38 AM
    Actually currently the Wi Fi calling features is not working for Google Pixel phone and the same has been escalated top the Google Team.

    9:38 AM
    As of now the issue is not resolved.

    9:39 AM
    once it is resolved, we will let you know.

    Me:Do you have a timescale?

    Is this a problem with Lebara, or with Google?

    TN

    Tanveer Nagarji 9:41 AM
    As of now there is no official confirmation.

    I won’t hold my breath. Pity the ASDA package is more expensive, but may be better for peace of mind.
    Ho hum.

  50. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    I don’t have the exact details, but am fairly sure of the principle after doing some reading on the subject, it goes something like this:
    1, The carrier needs to make a request to add IMS (VoLTE/VoWiFi) for a particular handset via a file that’s sent to Google
    2, Google need to issue a handset update with the required changes.

    In addition to some reading around the subject of MVNOs & AOSP, I found the following on a Vodafone forum page about WiFi calling:
    “The issue our teams investigated was down to provisioning of the service on your number. I see you are using an Samsung S7 Edge which unfortunately until the next handset software update is not compatible on our WiFi calling service.”

    As to what handsets are supported for WiFi calling by Lebara, you can follow the device help from the main Lebara web page and see a range of Pixel phones, there are also some links elsewhere that take you through to Vodafone that show a wider range.
    https://devicehelp.lebara.co.uk/google/?type=all

    So, my take on this is that it’s somewhere between Lebara & Google and that unless / util a device update is issued by Google with changes requested by Lebra, WiFi calling will not work on Lebara.

  51. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Yup, I concur. Whether Lebara requests the changes and Google implement them is uncertain – if it were Samsung handsets, it would be clearer.
    Fingers crossed for your ASDA test.

  52. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Just had an email from Google asking me to reproduce the problem on my phone & submit a diagnostic bug report…
    Ever get the feeling you’re being given the run around?

  53. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I completely understand that many problems are caused by user error and following preset diagnostic tests through a non-technical customer service bod can iron out a great number of issues. However, it does make it particularly difficult to have a (seemingly) genuine technical problem raised to a level that can be taken seriously.

    At least Google have requested more information, even if it’s possibly via an automated system or bot!

  54. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    A quick update:
    Lebara say they are still waiting for ‘the team’ to get an update and will email me when they have an update.

    Google have now asked me – to do a factory reset, what is my IMEI, where did I buy the phone, have I dropped it in water. I have declined to help them any further and told them it’s a general Pixel problem & not a fault with my phone.

    ASDA, no luck with WiFi calling on my Pixel. But they have at least offered to escalate the problem to their 2nd & 3rd line for investigation, that’s something the others have not done.

    Hopefully more feedback from ASDA next Tuesday.

  55. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Thanks for that.

    Since the ASDA SIM doesn’t work either, it would suggest there could be a general problem with MVNOs. Maybe the physical network operators treat them as second class and don’t implement/share/pass on required information for handset support?
    I’m curious to know what the real issue is, but even if I knew I’m not sure it would make a difference. I’ll chase Lebara again on Monday.

  56. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Checked in with Lebara this morning. They claim/confirm that a team within Lebara is working with Google to resolve the issue and will email when they have an update.

  57. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Looks like the word is out at Lebara & elsewhere regarding Pixel phones. I had an email from ASDA Mobile yesterday saying there’s a known problem with the Pixel 4 & WiFi calling, a week ago they told me it would work fine. I’m due a call from a support manager at ASDA Mobile today or tomorrow and will update then.
    In the meantime, I have been in touch with ID Mobile who assure me that WiFi calling will work on my P4 and it’s also listed on their website as compatible so they will be my next stop if no joy at ASDA.

  58. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I’d bet a pint that ID Mobile won’t work either, but if Lebara, ASDA and ID all raise it with Google, there’s a remote possibility that Google step up and address what seems to be a MVNO issue.
    Thanks for posting your results.

  59. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    ASDA called me this morning and confirmed the issue with Pixel 4 & WiFI calling so I have cancelled the contract with them. I was impressed with the quality of the support from ASDA so would have no problems suing them if / when the issue with WiFi calling is fixed.
    ID Mobile once again assured me that the P4 will work on WiFi calling so I will order a 30 day SIM from them, but it will be a couple of weeks as I’ll be away from home so will stay with Lebara for now & report back when I get the ID Mobile SIM.

    For Pixels other than the P4, Smarty might be worth a try..
    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/threads/smarty-wifi-calling-pixel-phones.38569/post-279986

    1. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

      Oops.. Suing -> using!!

  60. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I thought you were becoming litigious…

  61. Avatar photo Laurence Rothwell says:

    Since being informed by Lebara on 10/8/22 that I could now use WiFi & VoLTE on my Moto G8 Power I have tried on several occasions to implement the feature without success. I have been around the Lebara-Vodaphone loop following their instructions without success. Today in a Chat with Lebara I was informed that there were no Technicians available to answer my particular query. Does anyone out there have a Moto G8 Power working with WiFi Calling and/or VoLTE?
    Advice would be greatly appreciated.

  62. Avatar photo Phil23 says:

    I have a Moto G7plus which worked fine on BT (EE) but when I moved to Lebara the wifi-calling option vanished. I have had two chats and also spoke to Lebara support and am left puzzled – the first chat got nowhere but did raise a complaint, then a call seemed to result in a technical request to provide VOwifi on my Moto and I’d receive an email. The second chat yesterday to check progress resulted in the “only available on Android 12 message”, so don’t know what to believe. Anybody got any suggestions?

  63. Avatar photo Mark says:

    @Phil123

    I suspect that the MVNOs have problems with implementing VOwifi on some less popular devices and are rather ducking the issue. I “chat” with Lebara once a week about my Pixel issue and receive the same message that their “technical team” are looking at it and will update me when they have news. I don’t hold my breath. It’s particularly frustrating that the MVNOs claim VOwifi will work prior to issuing a SIM, then discover that it doesn’t and can’t seem to remedy the problem.
    Sigh

  64. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    There is some truth behind the Android 12 requirement, although I doubt it’s a universal must have as some older phones that are pre Android 12 will still work with WiFi calling. From Android 12, there’s a new way of provisioning VoWiFi and other IMS services via an Entitlement Server:
    https://source.android.com/docs/core/connect/ims-service-entitlement#entitlement-app

    I’ve ordered the ID Mobile SIM & hope to have it Tues / Weds so will report back after then.

  65. Avatar photo Teaser says:

    Ugh. I’ve just completed a port from Vodafone to Lebara and found out about this issue with Pixels a little bit too late! (P6P)
    Tested the SIM out on a spare handset before putting the port request in and WiFi calling worked perfectly on that, so I just assumed it would be all good when I pop the SIM in my Pixel.

    Just need to decide if I wait it out now or switch back to one of the main networks (will be a shame to give up on the 1p Lebara deal from last month!)

  66. Avatar photo Mark says:

    @Teaser, you’re in esteemed company. We were all promised VoWifi with Lebara and others, but it’s not yet been delivered. @cancunia is awaiting his ID Mobile SIM, although I suspect it will get added to the list of broken promises….

  67. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Got my ID Mobile SIM today and all seems OK! WiFi Calling was already enabled, made & received a couple of calls on my Pixel4, sound quality very good.
    I’m hoping that Lebara will get the problem fixed at some point and will rejoin if / when they do.

  68. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Got my number ported from Lebara to ID-Mobile within 24 hours, all seems OK with WiFI Calling. Shame about the Lebara WiFI Calling problems, but they are not alone, I had the same problems with Smarty & ASDA. I have a spare Lebara SIM waiting to be used so will jump back if/ when the problem is fixed.
    One thing to note if you want to try ID-Mobile, your contract & billing cycle starts when you apply, so best not do that on a weekend or you’ll probably loose a couple of days. There are reasonable deals to be had on Money Saving Expert.

  69. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I’ve eaten my hat! I guess it’s proof of concept that at least on MVNO can definitively provision VoWifi on one Pixel model. Yay.

  70. Avatar photo Teaser says:

    @Mark – thanks for that. I’ve decided to just pack it in and go to Three (who despite the complaints have been good for me in the past). Found a cashback deal on HUKD that’ll work out slightly cheaper than the Lebara SIM over the next year, but I might revisit Lebara when that contract is up.

    I’m supposed to be on call next week which isn’t really going to work if I can’t bloody well receive calls! 😀

  71. Avatar photo Mark says:

    Just received this email (first ever) from Lebara:

    Hello,

    Thank you for contacting Lebara Customer Care. Hope you are doing well.

    This email is with regard to your complaint unable to use WIFI calling. Lebara apologizes for all the inconvenience caused.

    We would like to inform you there is a known issue from Google stating that they have not configured WIFI calling for the customers using Lebara SIM and they are working on it to get the WIFI calling configured on all the devices. You will have to contact Google for the update.

    If you need any further assistance, please let us know and we will be happy to help you.

    Kind Regards.
    Lebara Customer Service Team

    Once more, I’m not holding my breath….

  72. Avatar photo George says:

    Hi friends,
    Recently ported to Lebara and suffering the same lack of wifi calling and 4g calling on pixel 6 pro. It’s definitely a provisioning issue with the handset as dialling *#*#4636#”#* brings up the phone information settings which show wifi calling provisioned as greyed out and not activated! I am also up to date with the October android 13 patch.

  73. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    It’s hard for end users to know where the actual problem is with Pixel phones. Google blame the MVNO & the MVNO blame Google. I think it comes down to market share with Google phones having the lowest share of the major manufacturers so get the least effort put into support, plus Google being a software company are a bit new to the hardware game, just as Microsoft were (are?) with telephony.
    The only MVNO that I’ve found with WiFi calling working on my P4 is ID-Mobile, other MVNOs support WiFi calling on some Pixel phones but not others. I’ve not tried 1p Mobile so can’t comment. By contrast, WiFi calling on my P4 works on Three & Vodafone without issue and will probably work on EE & O2.

  74. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I’ve just tried ID Mobile on my Pixel 3…..and WiFi calling doesn’t work. However, the customer support was very efficient and offered to cancel the (monthly) contract with no cost to me since it was within 15 days of “purchase”. The SIM has reverted to a PAYG so might be useful in the future.

    My search for WiFi Calling on a cheap tariff continues…..

  75. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    There are reports that the Pixel-3 will work with WiFi Calling on Smarty ..
    https://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/threads/smarty-wifi-calling-pixel-phones.38569/#post-279986

    It for sure did not work on my Pixel-4

  76. Avatar photo Jordan says:

    In a rural area I was relying on Three for mobile broadband. They’ve been down for more than
    12 days solid now (major work needed on the only Three mast close enough to me to connect to).
    I ordered a Lebara unlimted data sim.
    It doesn’t work too well in my Three Wireless router.
    Seems to work better in my Tp-Link router, but despite getting a better signal here than Three, the overall speed seems to be about 50% slower (usually around 20Mbps).
    Also – to get to the relevant point. I was hoping I could use WIFI calling on my Motorola G8 which still has a Three sim in it, but it even though it looks like it is working (and sometimes it refuses to show wifi calling), when you do make a call you can’t hear anything.
    So, overall more than a bit disappointed, mostly with Three, but also with Lebara/Vodafone.

  77. Avatar photo Amit says:

    I am also struggling with wifi calling option. Recently moved from Iphone to pixel 7 pro. Wifi calling with lebara was working fine with iphone and felt that was an Android issue, but now reading this thread it appears that this is more about Pixel and lebara issue. I will contact lebara to check what they can do. Thanks!

  78. Avatar photo Amit says:

    Interestingly lebara customer care told me that Wi-Fi calling option is in early phases of their trial. It works with some of the devices. When they know that if your device is compatible with it then they will text or email me. The guy told me that he will escalate it and within three to five days. They will let me know whether they can activate Wi-Fi calling on my device

  79. Avatar photo Nicholas M says:

    Take care. Vodafone (and therefore Lebaral will not support WiFi calling on a phone that uses Android 11 or lower. Recently switched from EE to Lebara and lost WiFi calling as a result.

  80. Avatar photo George says:

    Hey all, I was informed by Google support that the wifi calling issue on the pixel phones should be fixed with the November software update which rolls out next week. Fingers crossed this is true!

    1. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

      Thanks for the update, I’m surprised/ impressed / glad that Google have said there’s a fix in the pipeline. Last conversations I had with them were asking me for a debug report then a request that I did a full factory resey at which point I decided they were not really interested. ASDA told me they were still waiting for feedback last week. I’ll chase them again today.

  81. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Still waiting for ASDA but got some negative news from Lebara in a Webchat session today:

    “Really sorry to inform you but as per the lebara policy we don’t provide Wi-Fi calling services on google pixel phone. No matter you can check on the website but as per the details which we have been instructed we don’t support really sorry for that and thanks for the cooperation”

    According to Google, the November update will be out within the first 2 weeks of the month, so may that will bring some better news..

  82. Avatar photo George MacDonald says:

    “According to Google, the November update will be out within the first 2 weeks of the month, so may that will bring some better news..”

    Unfortunately, it didn’t.

    1. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

      I’m guessing that you’ve received the Nov Pixel update (TP1A.221105.002, Nov 2022) and WiFi calling still not working? Don’t hold your breath, but there’s apparently a bigger update coming in December. My Pixel 4 won’t receive either.. But I remain hopeful that there will be a late & final update for the P4, perhaps in Feb next year. In the mean time, I’ll stick with ID Mobile where WiFi calling does work.

  83. Avatar photo George MacDonald says:

    Yes, I did download the Nov. Pixel update (TP1A.221105.002, Nov 2022) on my Pixel 5 Pro.
    So far, I haven’t had a need for wi-fi calling but there may come a time when I will.
    I tried a Giffgaff (O2 piggyback) SIM but no joy with that either, although I’m (almost) sure that previously when I was with O2 the option for wi-fi calling was there, but again that was before the update from Android 12
    to Android 13.

    1. Avatar photo George MacDonald says:

      *typo that should read Pixel 6 Pro. Oops!

  84. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I initially raised the Wifi calling issue on my Pixel 3 back in mid-August. Lebara eventually admitted that there was a problem with Pixel phones and it was being looked into.

    On Nov 11 I received an email from Lebara proclaiming that WiFi calling is now available. I checked my handset, and it still currently doesn’t work. I contacted them and asked if the problems with a Pixel 3 had been overcome and they replied “not yet fully” and “the team are still working with Google”. They now claim that “within 7 business days” it will work.

    I note that the Pixel 3 (android version 12) has not had a Google update for some time and no longer receives regular updates so I am a little sceptical WiFi calling will ever work with a Pixel 3 on Lebara, but I’ll post back in a week with an update.

    Sigh

  85. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Regarding O2 MVNOs, neither GiffGaff or Lyca offer WiFi calling. I have no idea why, maybe it’s a money thing.
    Regarding Three MVNOs, Smarty & ID Mobile both offer WiFi calling, but for some reason WiFi calling on Pixel phones is not supported by Smarty but is supported by ID Mobile. I’m sure of this as I use WiFi calling on my P4 via ID.
    I can’t say for sure about O2, but WiFi calling on my P4 works on both Vodafone & Three.
    It’s a similar story with Voda MVNOs, both ASDA & Lebara support WiFi calling but not on Pixel phones.
    So it’s an MVNO thing.
    Is it the MVNO or Google that need to make a change? Well, my guess (note the word guess, I’m happy to be corrected) is that it’s a bit of both and has possibly something to do with the SIM settings (look at ‘Operator Settings’ in the SIM section of the setup screens) which are defined by the MVNO, pushed up to Google & then downloaded by Google. As Google have a small market share, there’s not a lot of incentive for MVNOs to sort things out and as Google don’t really care they don’t push.

    1. Avatar photo SSH says:

      Interesting – wifi calling works fine for me on Smarty on my Pixel 6.

    2. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

      My mistake. The Pixel 6 is the only Pixel phone supported by Smarty. I think I’ve also read that some people have had success with the P3 too.
      https://help.smarty.co.uk/en/articles/4237414-which-devices-are-compatible-with-wifi-calling

  86. Avatar photo David Stone says:

    Over 2 weeks ago I received the email and when I couldn’t find the relevant link contacted Lebara who said I should wait 7 days from the date of the email. After 10 days I again contacted Lebara and was advised it would be “expedited”. Despite waiting another week the facility is still not available.

  87. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    I got the following from a Lebara Webchat today:

    Hi, please can you tell me when WiFi calling will work on Google Pixel phones?

    1:52 PM – Sent

    Unfortunately No

    As we do not support Google devices

  88. Avatar photo SD says:

    Wifi calling works fine on Voxi with a pixel 6 and 6a , having just moved to Lebara ive now lost the setting and they said wait 7 days but i won’t hold my breath after reading these comments.

  89. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    Just had an email from Lebara with a link to activate WiFi calling if not already done. It points to the exact same Vodafone page that has instructions for Pixel phones..
    They really don’t care!

  90. Avatar photo Mark says:

    I chased down Lebara again today and received the (unsurprising) message that Pixels are not currently supported for WiFi calling, and they have no timescale for any remedy.

  91. Avatar photo Cancunia says:

    The thing I find really disappointing about this saga is that neither Lebara or Google will actually say what the problem is, they simply point the finger at each other.

  92. Avatar photo Alan says:

    Not working for me on Google Pixel 5 – support useless and say they’re waiting for “the Google” when clearly something to fix at their end.

  93. Avatar photo cancunia says:

    Anyone tried the new December update? Unfortunately not (so far at least)for my P4

    It has some references to WiFi calling…
    “General improvements for Wi-Fi calling stability and performance for certain carriers or networks”

    https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/191508547/google-pixel-update-december-2022?hl=en

    1. Avatar photo SH says:

      December update on my Pixel 6 didn’t enable Wifi Calling sadly.

  94. Avatar photo Alan Robertson says:

    Yep no difference on latest update for me. I escalated a call with them to a supervisor as no VoLTE (which means data stops working when you’re on a call, quite frustrating!) and no WiFi calling, despite receiving an email advertising them and IMEI, etc. checking out fine. For WiFi calling they say they’re still waiting for Google (I saw that mentioned upthread and it has clearly been many months now) – for what it’s worth I’m going to try and raise with Google but don’t hold much hope! For LTE they’re not sure and are going to raise a technical support ticket. Has anyone got LTE working with a Google Pixel on Lebara?

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