Wi-Fi Calling on Samsung Galaxy: where to turn it on and what to do when the menu is missing

How do you turn on Wi-Fi Calling on a Samsung phone?

Open Samsung's Phone app, tap the three-dot More options menu at the top right, choose Settings, tap Wi-Fi calling and turn on the switch at the top. That is the path Samsung gives on its own support page, and it works on One UI 6, 7 and 8, although the exact label can differ slightly by model and carrier.

Samsung gives you three ways into the same menu, and all of them end at the same switch, so use whichever is easiest. In Thai the menu is usually called การโทรผ่าน Wi-Fi or การโทร Wi-Fi; in English it is Wi-Fi calling.

1. 1Path 1: from the Phone appPhone app > three dots (More options) > Settings > Wi-Fi calling > turn on the switch. On a dual-SIM phone you will see a separate switch for each number.
2. 2Path 2: from the Settings appSettings > Connections > Wi-Fi Calling > pick the SIM or eSIM for the number you want > turn it on. This is the same path True-dtac's official guide uses for Android.
3. 3Path 3: from the quick panelSwipe down from the top of the screen (on One UI 7 and later, swipe from the top-right side) and tap the Wi-Fi Calling button. If the button is not there, add it first, as described in the next section.
4. 4Set the calling preference and emergency addressAfter switching it on, tap into the menu again to choose a mode such as Wi-Fi preferred, and check the Emergency address if your phone shows that option. Samsung notes that these options vary by carrier.
5. 5Make a test callConnect to a Wi-Fi network that actually has internet, turn on Airplane mode and then switch Wi-Fi back on, wait for the Wi-Fi Calling icon in the status bar, and call someone you know. If the call connects with no mobile signal, it works.

For AIS on Android phones, including Samsung, AIS's call-centre guide says to dial *399*1# and press call to register the service first, or register at m.ais.co.th/ApplyAISVoWiFi. True and dtac use the on-phone switch described above, and it has to be turned on while you are in Thailand.

Full AIS Wi-Fi Calling setup

How do you add a Wi-Fi Calling button to the Samsung quick panel?

A Wi-Fi Calling button in the quick panel is handy when travelling, because you can switch it with one tap instead of digging through menus. Samsung says you can swipe down twice from the top and tap the Wi-Fi Calling icon, but on most phones the button is not in the panel by default.

1. On One UI 7 and 8 the notification panel and the quick settings panel are separate: swipe down from the top-right of the screen to open quick settings. On One UI 6, swipe down twice.
2. Tap the pencil (Edit) icon to open the button editor.
3. Find Wi-Fi Calling among the unused buttons and drag or tap it to add it to the panel.
4. Tap Done. From then on, tap the button to switch the feature, or long-press it to jump straight into the Wi-Fi Calling settings.

If Wi-Fi Calling is not offered in the button editor at all, it is usually the same symptom as the menu missing from Settings: the phone has not loaded a Wi-Fi Calling configuration for the carrier of the SIM inside it. Skip to the section on why the menu is missing below.

How do you set up Wi-Fi Calling on a dual-SIM Samsung?

On a dual-SIM Samsung (two physical SIMs, or a physical SIM plus an eSIM), Wi-Fi Calling is set per number. The Wi-Fi Calling screen lists each SIM with its own switch. Turn it on only for the numbers your carrier supports; if a carrier has not enabled it for a SIM, that SIM's switch may be greyed out or not shown at all.

The setup Thai travellers hit most often is a Thai SIM paired with a travel eSIM abroad. Set it up like this: keep Wi-Fi Calling on for the Thai SIM (AIS, True or dtac), because that is the number people call and the one that receives your SMS. An esimonline travel eSIM is data-only with no number, so it has no Wi-Fi Calling switch to turn on and does not need one; set it as the Mobile data SIM instead.

The obvious follow-up is whether the Thai SIM's Wi-Fi Calling can ride on the travel eSIM's mobile data. Thai users talk about a Samsung feature called Backup calling that lets one SIM make calls over the other SIM's data, but Samsung has no official support page describing it. What exists comes from user forums, which report it only on some models and regions and usually only when the data-providing SIM is not roaming. Many travel eSIMs work as roaming profiles, so do not count on it. The reliable route is a real Wi-Fi connection, such as hotel Wi-Fi or a hotspot from another device.

Dual-SIM settings explained

Should you pick Wi-Fi preferred or Mobile network preferred?

Many Samsung phones show a Calling preference inside the Wi-Fi Calling menu, and some show a separate Roaming network preferences setting. Which choices appear depends on the SIM's carrier; some carriers show none. This is what each mode means.

Some Thai Samsung users report picking Mobile network preferred and still seeing the phone use Wi-Fi Calling. That is normal: this mode does not turn Wi-Fi Calling off, it only puts mobile signal first. If the signal in the room is weak, the phone moves to Wi-Fi by itself. To stop Wi-Fi Calling completely, turn off the main switch.

Why is the Wi-Fi Calling menu missing on my Samsung?

The Wi-Fi Calling menu does not appear on every Samsung. It shows up when three conditions are met: the phone supports it, the firmware carries that carrier's configuration, and the carrier has enabled it for that number. If any one is missing, the whole menu disappears rather than just being greyed out. Samsung itself says support varies by carrier and region.

1. The carrier has not provisioned your SIM

Wi-Fi Calling is a carrier service, not an app on the phone. Even on a supported phone, the menu will not appear if the carrier has not enabled VoWiFi for that number. AIS customers on Android need to register with *399*1# first; True and dtac customers should check that their number and package are eligible. If unsure, call AIS on 1175, True on 1242 or dtac on 1678.

2. An imported phone with non-Thai CSC firmware

Samsung uses a CSC (Country/Carrier Specific Code) to mark which country or carrier a phone's firmware is configured for. SamMobile notes that features such as Wi-Fi Calling and VoLTE can be affected by the CSC, and lists THL as the code for phones sold in Thailand. An imported phone, especially a US carrier model or one running another country's CSC, may lack the AIS, True or dtac configuration, so the Wi-Fi Calling menu does not appear even though the modem could do it.

To check your CSC: Settings > About phone > Software information > scroll to Service provider software version and read the three-letter codes. THL means Thai firmware. If you see another code, such as a foreign carrier's, suspect this cause first. Some phones run a multi-CSC package such as OXM, which can still apply the configuration of the country it is used in.

3. Other common causes

• Old software: carrier configurations often arrive with One UI updates, so a phone that has not been updated in a while may not have the menu yet.
• SIM inserted after boot, or recently moved: some models load the carrier configuration at start-up. Try powering off, removing the SIM, restarting and reinserting it (reported by users to help, not an official fix).
• A SIM with no number: a data-only travel eSIM never shows a Wi-Fi Calling menu. That is expected.
• VoLTE is off: most carriers run VoLTE and VoWiFi on the same IMS core, so if VoLTE is not active for that number, Wi-Fi Calling often fails too.
• A very old or very low-end model: some models are simply not on the carrier's supported list. Check with the carrier directly.

Wi-Fi Calling not showing on any brand

How do you fix a missing or non-working Wi-Fi Calling on Samsung, step by step?

Work from the easy, no-data-loss steps towards the heavier ones. Most steps come from Samsung's own troubleshooting guide, plus the Thai-carrier-specific ones.

1. Check that the Wi-Fi actually has internet by opening a website or app. Hotel or airport Wi-Fi that is connected but still waiting for a login page (captive portal) will stop Wi-Fi Calling from working.
2. Go to Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi Calling and confirm the switch is on for the right number.
3. Restart the phone: pull down the quick panel, tap the power icon and choose Restart.
4. Update the software: Settings > Software update > Download and install.
5. AIS customers on Android: dial *399*1# and press call to register VoWiFi if you have not done so, then restart again.
6. Reset network settings: Settings > General management > Reset > Reset mobile network settings (or Reset Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings). Your personal data stays, but you will need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords.
7. Check the CSC as described above. If it is not THL and your carrier confirms the number is enabled, the cause is probably the phone's firmware.
8. Contact your carrier to confirm your number and package support Wi-Fi Calling and ask them to re-provision it. If that does not work, contact a Samsung service centre.

How do you check that Wi-Fi Calling is really working on a Samsung?

A switch that is on does not mean the phone has registered with the carrier. Look for the Wi-Fi Calling symbol in the status bar, usually a phone handset with Wi-Fi waves; some carriers show their own label, and AIS tells customers to look for the AIS WiFi Call indicator before dialling. The symbol only appears after the phone has built an encrypted tunnel to the carrier's ePDG gateway and registered with the IMS core.

• Test with mobile signal removed: turn on Airplane mode, switch Wi-Fi back on, wait for the icon and make a call. If it connects, the call is definitely going over Wi-Fi.
• Check the call log: on many models, calls made over Wi-Fi show a small Wi-Fi icon next to the entry.
• The test code *#*#4636#*#*: on many Android brands it opens a Phone info screen that shows IMS status, but many Samsung models block it. If nothing happens when you dial it, that is not a fault.

If the icon appears on home Wi-Fi but not elsewhere, the problem is usually that network. VoWiFi needs UDP ports 500 and 4500 for IKEv2/IPsec; if an office or hotel Wi-Fi blocks them, Wi-Fi Calling will not register. True-dtac's own guide warns that some free Wi-Fi does not support Wi-Fi Calling and suggests trying another network.

How do you use Wi-Fi Calling on a Samsung abroad without roaming charges?

Wi-Fi Calling lets your Thai number make and receive calls and SMS over Wi-Fi abroad without the Thai SIM attaching to a foreign network. Call charges follow each carrier's and package's terms and are not always free, so check the carrier's official page before you travel. The recommended order on a Samsung is:

1. While still in Thailand: turn on Wi-Fi Calling for the Thai SIM, pick Wi-Fi preferred and make one real test call.
2. Before you leave: install the travel eSIM and make it the mobile data SIM; turn data roaming off for the Thai SIM.
3. On arrival: connect to hotel or accommodation Wi-Fi. If you want to be sure the Thai SIM never attaches to a roaming network, turn on Airplane mode and switch Wi-Fi back on, as AIS and True-dtac advise (the travel eSIM will have no mobile data while you do this).
4. Wait for the Wi-Fi Calling icon before every call. If you dial without it, the phone may place the call over the roaming network and bill it at roaming rates.

One more thing: your travel eSIM does not count as Wi-Fi, and a Samsung cannot share a hotspot with itself. Where there is no Wi-Fi, the options are a hotspot from a travel companion's phone, or an internet calling app such as LINE or WhatsApp over the eSIM's data. For emergencies, use the local mobile network whenever possible, because it locates you more accurately.

Set up Wi-Fi Calling before you travel

How does Wi-Fi Calling on Samsung differ from iPhone and other Android phones?

The technology is the same on every brand: VoWiFi to the 3GPP standard, profiled by GSMA in IR.51. The phone builds an IPsec tunnel to the carrier's ePDG and registers with the same IMS core that VoLTE uses. What differs is where the menu lives and how each brand handles carrier configuration. Samsung ties it to the CSC, while iPhone uses a Carrier Settings file that can update separately, which is why a missing menu on imported phones is more common on Samsung.

What Wi-Fi Calling is and how it works