Forum Discussion

drinktigermilk's avatar
drinktigermilk
Newbie Caller
Hace 6 años

After latest update, GS9 keeps defaulting to Cellular Preferred over Wi-Fi calling

I have very poor (but existent) cellular coverage in my home.  I had no problems with setting Wi-Fi preferred for all of my calls/texting prior to the latest (large) update.  Now, I can select Wi-Fi preferred under Wi-Fi calling, however it never seems to save that setting.  As I am typing this, I have two outgoing messages that aren't sending (spinning circle) because the phone can't decide whether it wants to use Cellular or Wi-Fi.  I want it to use Wi-Fi because I know my Cellular coverage is horrible at my location.  I called into customer service today (somehow without a dropped call) and they made some adjustments on their end, however it fixed nothing. 

Even after selecting Wi-Fi preferred, I will go back to check a few minutes later and the phone has already switched itself back to Cellular preferred.  This is very frustrating.  What can I do to ensure that Wi-Fi preferred will be the default setting?

Gracias

  • ¡Hola, @drinktigermilk​!

    Unfortunately, this is the first post that I've seen around the Support Community regarding WiFi calling taking a back seat to cellular after updating to Pie. We're still working to get answers on why this is happening and what we can do to fix it. In the meantime, we're using this thread: Official Android 9.0 Pie Discussion Thread to track user-reported issues related to Pie. When we have more info, we'll be sure to post it over on the linked thread.

  • KKC's avatar
    KKC
    Newbie Caller
    KKC wrote:

    Same issue with iPhone 12 and 12 mini. Something to do with 5g phones or Tmobile 5g SIM cards.  They need to fix this WiFi calling issue or I have to find a new cell company. It's been going on way to long now . TMOBILE get with it already stop going one step ahead and then 3 steps back

     

  • bonemd's avatar
    bonemd
    Roaming Rookie

    Since last Android update my Galaxy S9 is driving me nuts. Tells me via notification with a beep that wi-fi is optimized every 10 minutes and phone refuses to retain wi-fi preferred setting. I live in a high rise where wi-fi works but I'm up high and cell service competes so calls are dropped and have a vacation home with practically no cell coverage so wi-fi is vital. I'm about ready to give up on T-Mobile. Wi-fi service is a great feature but it stopped working and when you call technical support they have never heard of the problem. There are some screws loose in this system. All these messages about the same or similar issues and technical support knows nothing? Why have this idea exchange?? A high up technical support person told me it was other applications on my phone causing the problem. Samsung says its T-Mobile's fault. T-Mobile says its Samsung's fault. I am exploring other carriers as I write this. I just cannot understand why this problem cannot be fixed NOW. All the advertising to recruit new customers and T-Mobile will be losing old ones. Wi-fi use with the cell phone is very useful -- but not having it so screwed up. Should they not admit that there is a BIG problem and get it FIXED. This company seems totally and completely unresponsive and irrational.

  • This is happening with my Galaxy s21

    Wifi preferred keeps switching back to cellular preferred. I'm missing important calls because I work from home where I don't have great cell coverage. 

  • tmo_amanda wrote:

    ¡Hola, @drinktigermilk​!

     

    Unfortunately, this is the first post that I've seen around the Support Community regarding WiFi calling taking a back seat to cellular after updating to Pie. We're still working to get answers on why this is happening and what we can do to fix it. In the meantime, we're using this thread: Official Android 9.0 Pie Discussion Thread to track user-reported issues related to Pie. When we have more info, we'll be sure to post it over on the linked thread.

    This thread doesn't exist and this link is broken. Also this isn't a solution.

  • bonemd's avatar
    bonemd
    Roaming Rookie

    Just to let you know that with an android update many months ago this constant switching from wi-fi to cellular stopped and most of the time my android phone stays on wi-fi. Once in a great while I get a "preferences updated" notice and after that happens my phone reverts to cellular preferred. However, this is very rare. This seems to happen only with ONE of the wi-fi systems that I regularly use. I have no idea why. Just had a new android update today and my phone was still on wi-fi preferred after the update. Hope my update is helpful to the community.

  • Nyle's avatar
    Nyle
    Newbie Caller

     Team T-Mobile, You need to pay attention to this thread. 

    I think maybe AT&T is messing around with your customers. It may be unintentional,  I don't know.  When I'm driving, I switch to the AT&T network when your signal goes low, and I get virtually no data from them.  If I hard code my network to stay on you, then I have virtually no drops on my commute.

     Now Now catch this, if I do the same thing when I'm at home, my cellular calling preference does not change from Wi-Fi preferred repeatedly. II I leave my cellular network selection on automatic, then AT&T network is selected, And my cellular calling preference continues to switch to cellular preferred.

     Can others confirm this, go in and change your network selection to be T-Mobile only and see if your Wi-Fi calling preference stops switching to cellular preferred.. This may be a bug in android's cellular network selection, or it could be another provider messing with T-Mobile settings.

     I'm finding that after updates I no longer can drive my commute without interrupted streaming. Now I'm also dealing with my cellular preference switching off of Wi-Fi and on to cellular. I have the Samsung S21.

  • Ken98045's avatar
    Ken98045
    Transmission Trainee

    I'd like to refresh this very old thread.  T-Mobile still refuses to fix this issue.  I am now on a Galaxy 23.  The same thing has been going on 4+ years. 

    They still "automagically" change this setting to Cellular Preferred.  They have no business ever touching this setting. It is simply a customer preference.  A preference should have nothing to do with what is actually happening while a phone moves. 

     

    What should happen (obviously) is that when a phone move to a location where there is no Wi-Fi they should (silently) change over to the cell network.  IF the customer has Wi-Fi preferred and they go back to a location with Wi-Fi they should silently change over to Wi-Fi.  There is absolutely no need for this user preference to ever change unless the user changes it manually.

    I have tried to explain this simple concept to T-Mobile reps on at least 7 occasions (including over an hour today).  For whatever reason they are completely unable to understand this simple concept.  This is very, very frustrating!

    ONCE I actually got a rep who understood the issue the first time I explained it.  She finally said she'd refer to up the line.  Obviously nothing happened (in 18+ months).

    I don’t understand why T-Mobile is so resistant to fixing this issue.

    BTW, I know that Verizon does not do this.  I don't think AT&T does either, but I haven't tried them.

  • misterno's avatar
    misterno
    Network Novice

    I found the solution

     

    Switch to Airplane mode than wifi calling

     

    Since it is on airplane mode it would be impossible to switch to Cellular