Reliance Jio, Airtel launch Wi-Fi Calling service: Key things to know

Voice calls over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) is now finally available to Indian users, courtesy Reliance Jio and Airtel. As the name implies, the facility allows users to make voice and video calls over Wi-Fi network instead of regular mobile carriers.

Last month, Airtel became the first operator in India to offer the Wi-Fi Calling service. Since then, the company has extended the facility to more circles and added support for over 100 handsets. Reliance Jio joined the bandwagon earlier this week with support for more than 150 handsets.

If you want to get started with Wi-Fi Calling on your phone, here are a few important things you need to know.

Activating Wi-Fi Calling on your phone

First, you will need to check whether your phone is compatible with Wi-Fi Calling. To do so, you can visit Airtel's official website and Reliance Jio's website.

If you are an Airtel user and your phone is in the list, here's what you need to do - Upgrade device OS to the newest version. Next, open Settings on your phone, and enable Wi-Fi calling.

For Reliance Jio users, the process is fairly similar. Open Settings on your phone > Look for Connections > Turn on the toggle to enable Wi-Fi Calling.

Both Reliance Jio and Airtel recommend users to keep VoLTE on to ensure a seamless experience.

No additional cost

Both Airtel and Reliance Jio are offering Wi-Fi Calling service free of cost to their users. The facility is also available for roaming in India. As far as data consumption goes, Airtel claims Wi-Fi Calling uses less than 5MB of data for a 5 minutes of call.

Call quality

The quality of your Wi-Fi calls will primarily depend on how good the Wi-Fi speed over the broadband network is. If you've VoLTE enabled, this will ensure an interrupted calling experience.

"The range in which Wi-Fi calling service can be used is highly dependent on the corresponding broadband connection and the signal strength associated," says Airtel in its FAQ section.

Airtel says if the VoLTE is not switched on, the call will drop.

"Your phone will automatically toggle between Wi-Fi and cellular network to provide you a seamless call with the best experience," says Reliance Jio on its website.

Roaming

Reliance Jio allows users to make a Wi-Fi call during roaming. Airtel is not offering the facility yet.

"No, you cannot use Wi-Fi calling in national roaming scenario. However, we are working on expanding the functionality for national roaming soon," adds Airtel.