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bjb.butler

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 18, 2008
938
81
Southern California
I have wifi calling turned on, but I only see the T-Mobile Wi-Fi Logo every once in a while. Like literally less than 10% of the time. I'm coming from a Sprint iPhone 6, where I saw the Sprint Wi-Fi logo all the time when I'm at home.

Anyone else experiencing this?

Ps
On an iPhone 7plus
 

Rok73

macrumors 65816
Apr 21, 2015
1,161
518
Planet Earth
Wifi calling only shows up when your network reception is too bad while being logged into a Wifi network. T-Mobile seems to better for you at home than Sprint. So all is working as it's supposed to.
 
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bjb.butler

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 18, 2008
938
81
Southern California
Wifi calling only shows up when your network reception is too bad while being logged into a Wifi network. T-Mobile seems to better for you at home than Sprint. So all is working as it's supposed to.
Hmmm interesting... I've never heard that before.
 
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eclipse01

macrumors 68030
May 16, 2011
2,844
404
Eau Claire, WI
Wifi calling only shows up when your network reception is too bad while being logged into a Wifi network. T-Mobile seems to better for you at home than Sprint. So all is working as it's supposed to.

sure about that?

Mine shows up all the time no matter how good/bad my network reception is?

Do you have it turned on in your phone AND through Tmo?
 

bjb.butler

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 18, 2008
938
81
Southern California
sure about that?

Mine shows up all the time no matter how good/bad my network reception is?

Do you have it turned on in your phone AND through Tmo?

I have Wi-Fi calling turned on my phone... What do you mean through Tmo? Wifi calling is part of my plan, there's no option to turn it on on the Tmo site.

I know it's on because It'll show the indicator sometimes...
 

Mlrollin91

macrumors G5
Nov 20, 2008
14,172
10,187
Wifi calling only shows up when your network reception is too bad while being logged into a Wifi network. T-Mobile seems to better for you at home than Sprint. So all is working as it's supposed to.
sure about that?

Mine shows up all the time no matter how good/bad my network reception is?

Do you have it turned on in your phone AND through Tmo?

IRC, TMO is different from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. TMO I believe takes the approach as WiFi Calling always on, while the other 3 carriers only enable it if you are two bars or less of service. TMO might have changed this recently though.
 

Thor_1

macrumors 6502a
Sep 18, 2016
950
624
Texas
I have t-mobile. I get the wi-fi symbol whenever I am connected to reliable wi-fi. When the wi-fi was not strong, it would show wi-fi but not with the T-Mobile name.
 

eclipse01

macrumors 68030
May 16, 2011
2,844
404
Eau Claire, WI
I have Wi-Fi calling turned on my phone... What do you mean through Tmo? Wifi calling is part of my plan, there's no option to turn it on on the Tmo site.

I know it's on because It'll show the indicator sometimes...

That's what I meant, "it being included in your plan"

Anyway I have had wifi calling w/ Sprint and Tmo, both are on All the time when I am around a wifi source. This is the way it should be because its not only about the bad reception calling, it also increases sound quality by a lot!
[doublepost=1476725515][/doublepost]
IRC, TMO is different from AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. TMO I believe takes the approach as WiFi Calling always on, while the other 3 carriers only enable it if you are two bars or less of service. TMO might have changed this recently though.

Sprint is def. always on as well.
 

bjb.butler

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 18, 2008
938
81
Southern California
I have t-mobile. I get the wi-fi symbol whenever I am connected to reliable wi-fi. When the wi-fi was not strong, it would show wi-fi but not with the T-Mobile name.
For me, it doesn't even show up in my house all the time (where I know the wifi is strong/reliable). On sprint, however, it showed up 24/7.

Also, I have yet to see it show up when I'm at work.
[doublepost=1476725587][/doublepost]
That's what I meant, "it being included in your plan"

Anyway I have had wifi calling w/ Sprint and Tmo, both are on All the time when I am around a wifi source. This is the way it should be because its not only about the bad reception calling, it also increases sound quality by a lot!
.

Does your wifi calling logo show all the time?
 

Thor_1

macrumors 6502a
Sep 18, 2016
950
624
Texas
yes, all the time for me when I am at home. I really do not use public wi-fi so I cannot comment on that. I have never seen it drop at home unless I turn off wi-fi
 
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eclipse01

macrumors 68030
May 16, 2011
2,844
404
Eau Claire, WI
For me, it doesn't even show up in my house all the time (where I know the wifi is strong/reliable). On sprint, however, it showed up 24/7.

Also, I have yet to see it show up when I'm at work.
[doublepost=1476725587][/doublepost]

Does your wifi calling logo show all the time?

Yes, I swear I had the same issue as you until I turned it on (in my phone)

not saying that is your issue as you already said its on in your phone...just sharing my experience
 

richard6r

macrumors regular
Jun 11, 2013
136
33
T-Mobile wifi calling can be blocked from the router if not configured properly for certain ports.. etc. It's entirely possible the router is not setup for the function. T-Mobile used to provide free WiFi calling routers- dunno if they do anymore but I managed to snag one while I had the chance. It always showed WiFi Calling
 

Soledreamz

macrumors member
Sep 9, 2016
91
44
Yes, I swear I had the same issue as you until I turned it on (in my phone)

not saying that is your issue as you already said its on in your phone...just sharing my experience



Same here I never see mine while at work and I typically have no cell service while here at work
 

Rok73

macrumors 65816
Apr 21, 2015
1,161
518
Planet Earth
I have to mention that I am from Europe and here you have the option for Wifi Calls in the contract (for free) but have to turn it on in the online customer center. No matter that Wifi Call only shows up when it's actually used aka reception in a building is too weak so it uses the wifi for phone calls.

If the reception is fine it just shows the carrier name as usual. That surely can be different in the US or other countries.
 
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pmcjr

macrumors member
Jan 12, 2013
56
9
Wifi calling only shows up when your network reception is too bad while being logged into a Wifi network. T-Mobile seems to better for you at home than Sprint. So all is working as it's supposed to.
No so. Wifi Calling doesn't kick in when you have good celular reception, but the Wifi calling symbol is always present to let you know it is turned on.
 

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,461
No so. Wifi Calling doesn't kick in when you have good celular reception, but the Wifi calling symbol is always present to let you know it is turned on.
What "WiFi calling symbol" are we talking about?
 

bjb.butler

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 18, 2008
938
81
Southern California
Which means that's what's actually being used (not that it's just enabled).
My confusion / frustration is that when I was on Sprint, it ALWAYS said Sprint Wi-Fi when I was at home or at work. Now on T-Mobile, I see the T-Mobile Wi-Fi indicator rarely at home, and NEVER at work. But this was on a Sprint iPhone 6 running iOS9.

So The problem is that I don't know if my issue is related to T-Mobile, the iPhone 7, or iOS 10
 
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C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,392
19,461
My confusion / frustration is that when I was on Sprint, it ALWAYS said Sprint Wi-Fi when I was at home or at work. Now on T-Mobile, I see the T-Mobile Wi-Fi indicator rarely at home, and NEVER at work. But this was on a Sprint iPhone 6 running iOS9.

So The problem is that I don't know if my issue is related to T-Mobile, the iPhone 7, or iOS 10
Perhaps difference as to how Sprint and T-Mobile are doing things--using WiFi calling only when the cellular signal is weak vs. using it anytime there's a WiFi connection?
 

Thor_1

macrumors 6502a
Sep 18, 2016
950
624
Texas
Perhaps difference as to how Sprint and T-Mobile are doing things--using WiFi calling only when the cellular signal is weak vs. using it anytime there's a WiFi connection?
T mobile is always on if there is reliable wi-fi.
 

solodogg

macrumors 6502a
Oct 28, 2011
511
215
Orlando
I have also noticed issues with TMo wifi calling since iOS 10 has been released. In the US, TMo and Sprint have always taken the approach of wifi over cellular, so if wifi calling is enabled and the access point allows it, it is enabled on your phone regardless of cellular signal. AT&T and VZW have taken the approach of cellular over wifi, so wifi calling isn't enabled until cellular signal drops to a level where connectivity might be spotty.

With that said, i've noticed that TMo wifi calling appears to drop connectivity quite frequently. With iOS 9, once it was connected to wifi, it would hold it even when the phone was in standby mode, ready to go when a call would come in. Now, i've noticed that I can pick up my phone every once in a while, and wifi calling will not show up for a minute or so after unlocking the phone, but this doesn't always happen.

FWIW, iOS 10.1 does not appear to correct this issue, and I wonder if this isn't an intentional change to save a little more battery life since the OS doesn't have to hold a wifi connection at all times anymore.
 

Thor_1

macrumors 6502a
Sep 18, 2016
950
624
Texas
I have also noticed issues with TMo wifi calling since iOS 10 has been released. In the US, TMo and Sprint have always taken the approach of wifi over cellular, so if wifi calling is enabled and the access point allows it, it is enabled on your phone regardless of cellular signal. AT&T and VZW have taken the approach of cellular over wifi, so wifi calling isn't enabled until cellular signal drops to a level where connectivity might be spotty.

With that said, i've noticed that TMo wifi calling appears to drop connectivity quite frequently. With iOS 9, once it was connected to wifi, it would hold it even when the phone was in standby mode, ready to go when a call would come in. Now, i've noticed that I can pick up my phone every once in a while, and wifi calling will not show up for a minute or so after unlocking the phone, but this doesn't always happen.

FWIW, iOS 10.1 does not appear to correct this issue, and I wonder if this isn't an intentional change to save a little more battery life since the OS doesn't have to hold a wifi connection at all times anymore.
No change for me. Wi-fi is there when I unlock.
 
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