The Feature Hiding in Your Phone Settings
WiFi calling is one of the most useful phone features that most people never turn on. Instead of routing your call through a cell tower, it sends the call over a WiFi network — the same connection you use for streaming and browsing. The result: crystal-clear calls in weak-signal areas, and, for many travelers and families, real savings on international phone bills.
If you call relatives overseas, travel abroad, or live somewhere with spotty indoor coverage, WiFi calling deserves a spot in your phone toolkit. Here's how it works and how to make it save you money.
How WiFi Calling Actually Works
When WiFi calling is enabled, your phone uses an available WiFi network to place and receive regular voice calls and texts. It's built into the phone's native dialer — no separate app, no new number to give out. To the person on the other end, it's an ordinary call.
The key point for your wallet: calls made over WiFi are billed the same as calls made on the cellular network, not as roaming. So a WiFi call placed from a hotel in another country is treated like a normal domestic call, not an expensive international roaming call.
Where WiFi Calling Saves You Money
Traveling Abroad
This is the big one. Turn on WiFi calling before you leave, connect to WiFi at your hotel, cafe, or airport, and you can call and text back home without triggering roaming charges. For a two-week trip, this alone can save more than the cost of your entire monthly plan.
Weak Indoor Signal at Home
If your home or office sits in a coverage dead zone, WiFi calling routes calls through your broadband instead of straining for a distant tower. Fewer dropped calls, better clarity, no equipment to buy.
Everyday Calls on a Prepaid Plan
Because WiFi calling piggybacks on your existing plan, you don't burn extra money to use it. On a Nexitel Blue plan or Nexitel Purple plan, WiFi calling comes built in, so you get the coverage boost at no added cost.
WiFi Calling vs. Calling Apps
Apps like WhatsApp and Messenger also call over the internet, and they're great — but both people usually need the same app installed and a data connection. WiFi calling works with any phone number, to anyone, using the normal dialer. The two approaches complement each other: use a calling app for friends who have it, and WiFi calling for everyone else, including landlines and businesses.
For heavy international callers, pairing WiFi calling with a dedicated VoIP service like NexiTalk — with plans from $4.99 — can push your per-minute costs even lower for the countries you call most.
How to Turn On WiFi Calling
- iPhone: Settings > Cellular (or Phone) > WiFi Calling, then toggle it on
- Android: Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile network > WiFi Calling (menu names vary by brand)
Once enabled, your phone shows a "WiFi Calling" indicator in the status bar when it's active. Test it by calling someone while connected to WiFi with cellular data turned off.
A Few Things to Know
- Enter your correct address for emergency calls — 911 dispatchers use it to locate you when you call over WiFi
- Call quality depends on your WiFi connection; a stable network gives the best results
- Not every country's networks handle WiFi calling identically, so test it early in a trip
The Bottom Line
WiFi calling is free to use, built into your phone, and quietly one of the best ways to avoid roaming charges and beat weak-signal frustration. Turn it on before your next trip, connect to WiFi, and stay in touch with family without the international bill shock. If you need help enabling it, our support team is happy to guide you through it.