WiFi Calling Utter Fiasco

[DAVHILL]

I hope you'll pardon my having a rant but what Vodafone is doing to me is driving me functionally insane.  Two years ago, I moved from  The Lakes to a known bad signal area in South Manchester. Ever hopeful, I changed from O2 to Vodafone. Of course, when I moved, the signal strength was, and remains...how can I put it? Ermm nil, zip, zero, nada, seven times the square root of [Removed] all just about covers it.

Vodafone were wittering on about WiFi Calling but couldn't make it work, allegedly because I didn't buy my handset from them. So, I got a SureSignal, whihc worked perfectly for a year...until they stopped the service, with no warning at all. The first and last I knew was no response from the Sure Signal...it was end of.

For the past week or so, I've been trying to get WFC enabled on my handset, a Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra. Yes, it supports WFC - I checked and have it in writing from Sony Support. However, I've been on to Voda chat four times now and have three gone especially to a place with a good signal, even 4G. Every time on chat, the agent has promised, faithfully, that the settings would be sent (I believe it's an OTA configuration). So, I checked on 191 each time I went to the 4G area. Todey, I had my mate take my phone to with him when he went out. Several good signal areas later, you guessed it Zilch. 

I've just come off chat, in disgust. The agent was wanting me to take out my SIM card for 2-mins, replace it and switch on again. Ever tried getting into an  XA2 'live' with someone waiting? All I'v achieved it to severely scratch the back of my previously mint phone and damned nearly stab myself.

I've already raised a complaint about this pathetic service and will give them a call tomorrow...on landline, naturally. I'm just glad to be a 33-year teetotaller or something would get damaged.

Rant over, thank you for listening.

[MOD EDIT: This post has been edited to remove inappropriate content please see Community Guidelines]

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @DAVHILL 

I totally understand and appreciate the frustrations felt when signal is intermittent or non existant in some areas. Unfortunately all networks still in this day and age suffer from not spots and poor coverage areas. Your entitled to your rant !

Vodafone decided to discontinue the Sure Signal due to the device being old technology using the 3G connection, when now typically now everything is driven by 4G, 4G+ and 5G.

That said I also appreciate the Sure Signal option was a lifeline for many. 

As you've mentioned you didn't buy your phone from Vodafone which i realise by what you have written has been explained by Vodafond why Calling over Wi-Fi isn't wanting to set up, even though your phone is well capable of this feature.

I know some have taken the decision to change the software on their phone to that of the Vodafone version to get such network features working, but this can't be achieved on all phones and such a process has to be carried out with great care as not to use the wrong piece of software and or ending up with stability issues in their phone,

This issue maybe because the phone has Android software on it that isn't vetted by Vodafone when they test their directly supplied phones.

They will have tested phones that have their flavour of Android on it,

Android software is good due to it being open sourced,  but this can lead some issues sometimes when it comes to network features. 

iPhone's are different because no one can alter tbat iOS software because it's made by Apple for it's own hardware i.e iPhone's and iPads.

We have seen this before in previous threads unfortunately.

Although we have also seen some some have managed to get their phone working by getting a Vodafone Agent to send the Over the Air Configuration,  Did they send the OTA ?

And alwo making sure its turned On in their myvodafone and then also in the phone's settings.

There is a shortcode to text Vodafone that may also help which is to text Calling to 97888

In the Vodafone Support pages for calling over Wi-Fi found here > wi-fi-calling Vodafone do show this disclaimer " All these phones support both WiFi and 4G Calling when bought from us. Please note that phones bought from other UK network providers and third parties are unlikely to support Vodafone WiFi and 4G Calling – with the exception of iPhones, which should work regardless. "

You could try the Vodafone Social Media Teams via Contact-us-for-account-specific-queries to see if they can push the OTA,

They are part of the Customer Esculation Team too who help with raised complaints.

I wish you all the best with this situation. 

[DAVHILL]

Thank you Band Of Brothers.

The latest is that I was promised the settings will be in the ether for this evening but this is a promise I've had before.

I also tried taking my SIM out for 2 Mins and restarting the phone...twice... and that gave no result.
My phone is on Android 9 and when there's an update, one cannot go back. This seems to beg a question: Is there a way of forcing the OTA to get WiFi Calling wihout involving Vodafone?

Thanks, David

[BandOfBrothers]

You're very welcome @DAVHILL 

As far as I'm aware you can't circumvent Vodafone in regards to the OTA update.

In most cases updates via Android can be rolled back depending on phone model.

Fingers crossed for you.

[AnnS]

Hi @DAVHILL 

The problem will be you are on Android 9, the latest version of Android is 11, although Google phones now support Android 12, you should at least be on Android 10, if you had the latest software this would probably solve your data calling issue.  Take a look at the Sony site here: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/mobile-phones-tablets-mobile-phones/xperia-xa2-ultra/down...

You can also go to about phone in the phone setting and check for any software update from there.

There is also the additional problem of signal at your location and you are enquiring about 4G calling at the location.   It might be worth completing the pro forma on the link below, this will give the Social Team something to go on and check for any fault at the location.  The link is here: Network Issues 

[DAVHILL]

Thank you very much Ann. I've raised a complaint about this issue of mine. I tried going to my 4G spot yet again tonight and again, no settings showed up.

Re phone software, I use Xperia companion from Sony and since I went to Android 9, there have been no further updates. I suspect there's a line in the software, possibly in the firmware, that shows I didn't buy my phone from Voda. In my view, the bottom line is that I pay for a service that they can't provide, this is how I got a Sure Signal FOC.

Well, I'n not so easily beaten so I'll keep pursuing the matter.

Thanks again, David