Wi-Fi Calling Now Available for AT&T Users

AT&T has flipped the switch on Wi-Fi calling, making it available to customers with eligible plans that are running iOS 9. MacRumors has received tips from customers who were able to activate Wi-Fi calling and we were able to activate the feature on our own iPhones. A number of readers in our forums are also having success activating Wi-Fi calling.

Wi-Fi calling is a feature that lets calls be placed over a wireless connection when cellular connectivity is poor, functioning much like an AT&T M-Cell does now. It's similar to Apple's own FaceTime Audio feature, which also routes calls over a Wi-Fi connection.

AT&T customers can turn on Wi-Fi calling by going to the Phone section of the Settings app and toggling on the Wi-Fi calling feature. From there, there are a set of steps to walk through, including entering an emergency 911 address. Wi-Fi calling is available on the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus, and 6s Plus running iOS 9.

att_wifi_calling_setup_1
Customers who want to use Wi-Fi calling need to have AT&T HD voice features enabled, along with an Internet connection. Wi-Fi calling can be used for voice calls within the United States, Puerto Rico, and United States Virgin Islands at no charge. Long distance global voice calls will be charged standard long distance rates.

Once the setup process is complete, customers are receiving notifications letting them know the Wi-Fi calling feature will be available after a short activation period.

att_wifi_calling_setup_2
AT&T promised to launch Wi-Fi calling alongside iOS 9, but last week announced the feature was delayed due to its inability to get an FCC waiver that would temporarily allow the carrier to forgo offering support options for deaf and hard-of-hearing customers. On Tuesday of this week, AT&T finally received the waiver that it needed to move forward with Wi-Fi calling.

Related Forum: iOS 9

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
apple intelligence erroneous support list

Apple Intelligence Apparently Too Smart for M1 Macs After Listing Error

Wednesday November 12, 2025 2:49 am PST by
Update: It took a day, but Apple has now corrected its Apple Intelligence device compatibility list to show support for the earliest Apple silicon Macs. The original article follows. Apple's website is causing some confusion among Mac owners, and for good reason – its device compatibility listing for Apple Intelligence appears to have dropped support for M1 Macs. The U.S. version...

Top Rated Comments

sputnikv Avatar
132 months ago
charging long distance fees when using a service that puts 0 load on their networks is criminal as does the reoccurring hd-voice fee.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redman042 Avatar
132 months ago
But I can't use Wi-Fi calling outside of the U.S. :(
Just use FaceTime Audio or Skype. There are so many ways to communicate over wifi these days. Tons of options.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nepalisherpa Avatar
132 months ago
I can finally answer phone scammers right away at work now instead of hearing their 2-second silent voicemails later. :) Just for reference, we get no cell signal at work.

Seriously though, this will be amazing for me at home since cell signal is very weak there.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rigormortis Avatar
132 months ago
charging long distance fees when using a service that puts 0 load on their networks is criminal.
well, if its domestic long distance its just charged your regular calling rate, which is probably unlimited. calling internationally using wifi calling is the same as calling internationally with cellular. most people aren't like me, they do not have minute plans. i have 100 minutes a month. a wifi call minute is the same as a cellular call minute.

the other end of the call is a real telephone number, so i guess that is where they think its fair to treat it as a real cellular call


what is really criminal is what they do with the AT&T microcell. they have you pay $199 for one

there is an optional unlimited microcell calling plan they want you to sign up for, in case you have a plan that has limited amount of minutes. back in 2009, the unlimited calling feature for your microcell was $19.99 a month extra, this allows any of the registered phone numbers are assigned to our microcell ( up to 10 ) to be able to have unlimited calling. just in case they have legacy plans.

oh , but that is not all. any cellular data that you use on the microcell , even though you are providing them with your own internet connection, goes against your plan.

so even though you paid $199 for a microcell you still have to use wifi to prevent AT&T from charging you for going over.

and through this whole mess, little t-mobile is minding their own business and giving away wifi routers and cell phone boosters for those people who need them. they have been giving away cell phone boosters for probably 10 years, and tmo is even giving out marshmallow to all the old phones, and people just go on forums and say that t-mobile sucks.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
132 months ago
So now I get to pay AT&T & Comcast to use my own network and the public internet to route my calls. All to make up for AT&T's crummy service coverage?

Where do I sign up?
I'm not sure why so many people are whining about this.

You've lost NOTHING by having Wi-Fi calling available to you. Before if you were in an area with good Wi-Fi but lousy cellular reception, you couldn't make calls or do SMS at all. Now you can.

So what if it's your own network that you're paying for? You don't pay extra for this.

Before: You can't make calls.
Now: You CAN make calls.

Things have improved at no additional cost to you. Stop complaining. :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFanBoy888 Avatar
132 months ago
How do we know when it's activated? Is there a logo at the top of the screen that says WiFi like the old M-Cell logo? I activated twenty minutes ago and nothing...
Turn on Airplane mode and turn on WiFi. Shows "AT&T Wi-Fi"

Attachment Image
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)