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T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling will work on iOS 8

t mobile wifi calling ios8 apple ios 8 press 4
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple’s iOS 8 is full of hidden goodies that were glossed over during the keynote. One of the new features enables iPhone users to make calls via Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi calling is a great service for when you’re trying to avoid roaming charges or network congestion in crowded cities. Customers can also send texts and emails using the Wi-Fi calling service. T-Mobile and Sprint customers can use the service on their Android smartphones, but iPhone users have been left out of the fold – until now.

Shortly after Apple announced that iOS 8 will support voice calls over Wi-Fi, T-Mobile issued a statement confirming that Wi-Fi calling will now work on any iPhone with iOS 8 onboard. T-Mobile has offered the service to its customers for more than seven years and apparently, it’s very popular.

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The Uncarrier says that 90 percent of its smartphones offer Wi-Fi calling capabilities and that there are 17 million Wi-Fi Calling-enabled smartphones on T-Mobile’s network. Additionally, around 5 million of the company’s customers use Wi-Fi calling each month. Now that iPhone users will also get the service once iOS 8 becomes available, T-Mobile expects the popularity of the service to soar.

Although Sprint hasn’t confirmed that its Wi-Fi calling service will work with iOS 8, too, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t. Sprint only recently added the feature and the number of devices that support Wi-Fi calling is very limited. Still, considering the fact that the iPhone is a bestseller at almost every carrier, it’s likely that Sprint will add the service for iOS 8 users. It’s unknown if Verizon or AT&T have plans to add Wi-Fi calling for iPhone in light of this development.

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
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