Hi ,
I am currently with boost and going overseas, any idea will the wifi calling work there if I keep my AU number in flight mode and use WIFI.
Basically I dont expect any mobile signal however WIFI would be available.
Also any idea how alternatives like Crazytel would be for call forwarding, Skype is comparatively expensive at around $7 pm.
If you can get a local data sim (or esim), boost will work with voice over data.
I don’t think it will work on flight mode. If you don’t turn on flight mode, it will keep trying to search for a network and drain the battery.
It works, at least it did for me in USA. It also let me send texts while on wifi.
Main downside was no roaming. So unless you can survive on wifis only), you might need a local sim anyway
Does it require Aus vpn?
Not for Boost or Telstra
If you are overseas and you have access to wifi, either:
you can make/receive calls/texts if your phone supports wifi calling.
This doesn't only work if your phone is with Telstra. It works with all mobile phone providers that support wifi calling.
https://www.telstra.com.au/support/mobiles-devices/telstra-w….
Buy European SIM before you leave Oz. Put it in partner's phone.
When you need to make/receive calls/texts on your phone turn on hotspot on partners's phone. You would have previously setup your phone to automatically connect to her hotspot - this sounds a little suss.
Found out about this from this post on Ozbargain (that was deleted by moderator due to including referral link but I recovered it from Google cache):
I am currently in Norway on a cruise. I was annoyed that Boost (Telstra) still haven’t activated International Roaming.
However, to my surprise I have been receiving SMS and Phone calls anyway. After a little investigation it seems that by having “WiFi calling active” when you are in a good WiFi area calls and SMS still work. Even works on the cruise ship.
But it gets better!
If you have an eSIM such as from “Airalo” the WiFi Calling and SMS continue to work as it treats your eSIM as the WiFi source.
This doesn't only work if your phone is with Telstra. It works with all mobile phone providers that support wifi calling.
Optus and Vodafone still geoblock WiFi Calling
Does anyone know whether using a VPN gets around geoblocks on wifi calling?
In theory it will work if the VPN is on the router you're connecting to.
Heck, if you brought over an Optus phone, roamed using $5/day, and then set up a hotspot - any Vodafone or Optus phones connecting to that hotspot should work (as the phone will be sending all the data back to Australia since you're roaming)
@b3au: Thanks for the info.
Sadly I don't think the Optus approach would work for my purposes. I'm just wanting to make sure I can continue to get 2FA SMS messages on my phone while I'm away. I'm with Boost, and they've given me contradictory info about whether this is possible. They're obviously told to direct people to roaming, even if all the customer wants is to receive texts to their Australian number.
Okay, so first of all thanks for this thread! It honestly saved me.
Secondly, I can confirm that the moment I landed in Delhi I started getting sms on Airtel network on my samsung s8, since then the network name shown alternates between Airtel and Telstra.
Once I connected to wifi I've been able to make and receive local Australian phone calls and messages and was able to send local and international sms. When trying to make international calls it says you can not make international call when using this service overseas.
Surprisingly, I haven't received a single spam call since coming here from AU number which would be a frequent occurrence when I was in AU.
Does anyone know if Boost still allows wifi calling outside Australia?
It worked well for me in November-December 2022, but one Boost staff member told me they discontinued it when they introduced (pathetic!!) roaming plans. Another said it should still work.
If it has been discontinued, would using a VPN (set to Australia) allow Boost wifi calling when overseas?
Or, to get wifi calling when abroad, would I have to port my number to Telstra for travelling, and then port back to Boost when I return to Australia?
It still worked for me in April this year
Thanks so much for letting me know. That sounds hopeful. Fingers crossed it is actually still working 🤞
My wife is on a $200 annual plan and got her wifi calling to work. Just wanted to check if there would be any extra costs involved ?
I'm guessing No as the plan has no card linked and we are only using Home WIFI which is no way related to Boost. Good if you can confirm please.
Using WIFI calling does not incur extra cost.
Many thanks for letting me know about your wife's experience. I'm on the same plan, so hopefully I'll be equally lucky!
There is no need to activate roaming to get this wifi calling feature working whilst overseas?
Currently roaming in Seychelles and solely surviving with Wifi calling for calling back home and receiving text messages as no roaming options available for this country!!
Has any tried this recently? I've managed to use wifi calling whilst overseas without any issues, however I was overseas last week and wifi calling was not working until I activated international roaming. Then it worked a charm.
In the USA at the moment.
Works fine in my backup Samsung A52 with roaming disabled but not on my pixel 6a.
Receiving SMS works on pixel 6a ok.
So if I want to call home I have to take sim out of pixel and put into the Sammy.
Seems to be a common pixel problem and I'll take a lot of convincing to buy another Pixel.
Have a pixel 7 / telstra sim and it seems to have a more non conventional way of handling Vowifi, You cant force Vowifi by going into flight mode and turning on WiFi like I can with my Samsung and Oppo phones. And then you will see the WiFi logo on the green call button. The only way I have noticed Vowifi happened is to check call history and see WiFi symbol against call.
Edit: found a setting for wifi calling and it’s ON… time to try it I guess.
Does an iPhone 11 support this?
I thought if my phone was on flight mode but wifi on it would block calls and sms?
Wifi call works even if you are on flight mode and on wifi . I am usin Boost and it worked for me while I was overseas
Also , incoming sms works( not sure about outgoing sms though)