Woolworths Mobile International VoWiFi

Emre on 10/07/2024 - 20:04

My parents are going overseas for a month, and I've setup both their phones (iPhone 11 and iPhone 12) with a data only eSIM from TravelKon, with their physical sim cards from Woolworths. Reading up on Ozbargain says that Telstra/Boost/Woolworths VoWiFi works internationally while Voda/Optus doesn't.

I told them to just change their mobile data from Primary (Woolworths) to Secondary (TravelKon eSIM) once they land.

The default voice line is Primary (Woolworths) and in their Primary (Woolworths) settings I made sure WiFi Calling was enabled.

The only other setting that I changed was enabling Data Roaming which is recommended by TravelKon in their Secondary (TravelKon eSim) settings.

Do I have to change any other settings or will VoWiFi work once they land?

Thanks!

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Comments

  • bobokingdom on 10/07/2024 - 20:37

    It works with MOST WiFi in Hotels and Airports. It needs a stable WiFI connection but sometimes it doesn't work even WiFi is fast and smooth. (i.e. your mileage will varies).

    (But your setup WILL not work on its own, i.e. SIM1 will not use the Data from SIM2 to connect to VoWiFi)

    • Emre on 10/07/2024 - 20:39

      My post is asking if it's possible to use data from their Secondary (TravelKon eSIM) to receive/make VoWiFi calls on their Primary (Woolworths sim).

      Edit: I posted what's above before your edit.

      So it's not possible at all? I've read up on the forums of some people being able to do it.

      Here - https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/754646

      • bobokingdom on 10/07/2024 - 21:19

        SIM2 is not WiFi, it is connected to network. I even tried to use SIM2 as a hotspot for the other phone and it didn't work for me.

        (Maybe someone else has a solution)

      • avoidfullprice on 10/07/2024 - 21:34

        Currently using WW mobiles while overseas, can confirm calling won’t work without wifi (i.e. data on sim2 won’t let you make or receive call) I have to find a wifi at hotel or shopping mall before I can make a call.

        iPhone 13

        • Emre on 10/07/2024 - 22:00

          Thanks for that if it didn't work on your iPhone 13 with WW mobile then it probably wont work on an iPhone 11 or 12.

        • parisian on 11/07/2024 - 08:36

          It works if you manually set up the WLW sim on a non-roaming partner.
          The phone will then show no network and then after a while will show WIFI Calling using Mobile Data from the other sim card.
          Be aware that it drains the battery as the WLW sim will continually try to attach the manually chosen network.

          • avoidfullprice on 11/07/2024 - 20:01

            @parisian: Good tip. I was happy with WW locked on to docomo so I get sms reception ( and keep iMessage autheticated)

            I imagine this trick will work with other VoWifi provider too?

            • parisian on 11/07/2024 - 21:53

              @avoidfullprice: Correct, same behaviour with my French sim and Boost Sim and our US tourist plans when we visited the US last month.

    • bargaino on 11/07/2024 - 11:42

      OP Should have specified iphone in the title. What he wants works fine in theory, and on my Samsung.

      Just as Optus and Voda block this from working, Apple has always put artificial limits on the functionality of their devices ("keep it simple"- Jobs ) so that is the question.

      You can test this at home with SIM+eSIM:
      * turn wifi off
      * sim1: vowifi enabled and preferred, mobile data disabled
      * sim2: mobile data on.
      * try to make a call on sim1 - do you see the icon to indicate VoWifi active?

      • Emre on 11/07/2024 - 12:15

        It was in the first line of my post that they had iPhones, but yeah maybe it should have been in the title as well.

        They left this morning at 7 so I couldn't test what was in your post, but I did a apply a couple of settings that were posted here last night.

        Thanks.

  • ocular on 10/07/2024 - 21:33
    +2

    This concept of vowifi calling from data of Sim2 does work depending on your mobile phone. Some of the high end Samsungs, Pixels and iPhones, use a sim manager that allows "data sharing" and "backup calling" It's also said the the data sim needs to have access to the local mobile, rather than roaming. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to a complete reliable list of phones with this backup calling. So if you don't have such handsets it's only going to work when connected to wifi. As your parents have access to 2 phones then one can be setup as a hotspot and theoretically the other phone can use WiFi and Vowifi via the hotspot.

    • Emre on 10/07/2024 - 22:02

      I took a look at their phones and couldn't find any "data sharing" or "backup calling" settings. The only thing that I found was Cellular Data Switching in their Cellular Data settings, but I don't think it's that. Like you said only certain phones have this feature.

      I'll tell them to use a hotspot and see if that works then.

      Thanks.

      • Mugsy on 11/07/2024 - 06:30

        Data switching is the name of the feature that must be enabled on my S23U as well for VoWifi over sim2's data to work.

  • tlaing on 10/07/2024 - 21:40

    Take a look here, it's from a Canadian perspective, but should apply.

    https://forums.redflagdeals.com/roaming-sims-esims-travelers…

    I had read another site with some comments on how to do it but I can's seem to find the link. If I track it down i'll post.

    I think the key bit is that, before leaving Oz, on your Australian sim you want to manually select your carrier (woolies mobile) so that it won't be able to find a network while overseas and will then send the calls data over the 2nd sim.

    I haven't had a chance to try so can't confirm.

    • Emre on 10/07/2024 - 22:03

      I'll apply them settings on both of their phones before they leave.

      Thanks for the link.

  • ocular on 10/07/2024 - 22:03

    What mobile phone handsets are you using? Have you been able to get VoWifi to work on your home wifi network? Some times it can require a reboot to get VoWifi locked in. Another trick is to go to airplane mode on and reconnect to wifi. If you can't get VoWifi working on home wifi then it unlikely to work OS.

    • Emre on 10/07/2024 - 22:24

      iPhone 11 and iPhone 12.

      VoWiFi works fine in Aus. I'm trying to see if it's possible to receive/make VoWiFi calls overseas using data from a secondary eSim, but there's conflicting info on Ozbargain with some saying it's possible and some saying it isn't.

  • teki n on 10/07/2024 - 22:07
    +1

    I know on Telstra Retail/Boost depending on the mobile network it will switch to Voice/SMS Over Mobile Data.

    I had this happen to me while in Vietnam and I procured a local Saymee (Mobifone Reseller) SIM card. When I got a Vinaphone SIM, the voice over Mobile Data didn’t work for me and I had to be on WiFi

    Example: https://ibb.co/DGg5FKw

    Was able to have a friendly chat with my Aussie home loan broker providing updates to get a home loan and getting the bank SMS’s for verification and all. Love this feature

  • Mugsy on 11/07/2024 - 06:27

    OP, do your folks use Whatsapp or any other messenger app that has calling?

    At the very least, that can be a back up communication method with you.

    • Emre on 11/07/2024 - 12:02

      Yeah they have Whatsapp and that's how I usually msg/call them when they're overseas.

      VoWiFi is only for them to stay in touch with my grandparents who don't use apps like Whatsapp etc.

      • jv on 11/07/2024 - 13:06

        Have Skype setup as a backup….

        Free 1 hour per month if you have an Office 365 subscription.

    • jv on 11/07/2024 - 13:05

      Whatsapp can't call land lines…

  • jv on 11/07/2024 - 13:04

    We found VoWiFi hit & miss using Boost overseas last Xmas.
    Both calls and SMS sometimes worked, sometimes didn't.
    Ended up using Whatsapp & Skype a lot of the time instead…

    • bargaino on 11/07/2024 - 22:22

      I had a local data-only 2nd SIM in my phone, which worked fine, so did not have to worry about hotel wifi quality.
      Woolworths mobile, Samsung and Android 13 and 14. I just had to modify settings to prefer VoWifi to VoLTE so it did not try to use roaming.

      I've seen reports of iPhone working too, so not sure what the problem is.

      • ocular on 12/07/2024 - 15:25

        @bargaino Which Samsung mobile/s were you using? backup calling is model specific and tends to be in the higher end phones. And as you noted the data SIM needs to belong to a local mobile network.

        • bargaino on 13/07/2024 - 02:14

          I have S-series.
          Just checked the "SIM manager", and yes there is a setting "Data switching and backup calling" to enable wifi calls via 2nd SIM.

    • lgacb08 on 13/07/2024 - 22:03

      yeah because you used a crap provider on the second sim or your phone is crap. There'll always be a local provider that has superior performance than the rest in those countries and better just stick to them. A lot of folk here using travel sim without knowing the limitation of such, in many case the second sim will behave like roaming sim and as such will be an issue.

  • djkelly69 on 16/07/2024 - 16:13

    Unfortunately I don't think your setup will work.

    From my experience, I believe if the data sim you are trying to use is 'roaming' (ie. almost all travel esims), then it won't be able to share that data to the other sim.

    If they were going to basically one country and you could get them a 'local' data sim, then I think it should work when the data sim is on its home network.

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