VoLTE will no longer wirk on phone

Can you tell me who you are and why you need my number? A bit wary of sending this on a public forum. Thanks

​@gdandbg That was a scammer and you were spot on to query this, so top marks for questioning this person.

Anyway, did you buy the phone direct from iD Mobile?

If you didn’t, this might be due to your previous providers software version inhibiting the 4G/LTE and VoLTE. There are now numerous posts whereby the phones were working fine and as soon as 3G was turned off in the posters areas they lost the ability to make and receive calls.

So, if you go to settings → About phone → Software information and look for Service provider software version can you please post up the last group of letters for this section, they will be something like VOD,EVR/O2U,O2L

Hi Daz, thanks for your email. Glad I was wary about the previous person, goes to show how careful you have to be.

I actually bought the phone direct from Samsung. I've only been with one other network - 1pmobile (EE) - and VoLTE worked fine with that. It also worked fine with id until I returned from holiday a few days ago. It is not that I can't make or receive calls at all, it is that the reception is very poor. Also, some texts weren't getting through.

The software version settings are BTU/BTU,BTU/EUX,BTU

My partner also bought the same model from Samsung (we bought both phones at the same time). His phone has the same software version settings. He is still with 1pmobile, and Volte is working fine.

Thanks for your help.

Hi Daz, have just checked and Three have turned off 3g in my area, so they now only provide 4g. However, this also applies to EE,  for my partner's phone and he is still getting VoLTE.

Honestly it’s no problem ​@gdandbg 

And yes, although we shouldn’t have to, its always best to step back and think nowadays.

I actually bought the phone direct from Samsung. I've only been with one other network - 1pmobile (EE) - and VoLTE worked fine with that. It also worked fine with id until I returned from holiday a few days ago.

Yes by providing the ending (BTU) this confirms the phone is direct from Samsung and this is a huge tick in the box. I’m not being nosy, but was this holiday outside of the UK?

It is not that I can't make or receive calls at all, it is that the reception is very poor. Also, some texts weren't getting through.

Right okay. So it was working, but now it’s just the signal is poor. If you put your postcode into this link, does it show any known mobile network issues

https://www.three.co.uk/content/experience-fragments/threedigital/uk/en/site/mvno/network-status-checker/idmobile.html

have just checked and Three have turned off 3g in my area, so they now only provide 4g

Thanks for this too, saves me some typing. Is your phone still showing VoLTE as enabled?

If the link doesn’t show any known issues, what I’d do next is try this -

Go to Settings → Connections → Mobile networks → Network operators → slide auto off and it will start searching for all networks in your area, don’t panic this is normal and may take a minute or so → of the results showing choose any other but not iD → the phone might ‘ping’ with a cannot connect message (this is fine too, this is what we want to happen) → then look for iD and click on that → your phone will reconnect to the iD network → then finally go back to the auto slider and slide it back to auto (the switching back simply saves you some head scratching months down the line)

I know that sounds like a lot, just take your time and follow it exactly. What this does is disconnect you from iD and then reconnects the SIM back to iD and this can sometimes help fixing issues like this.

It would also then be worth double checking VoLTE is enabled.

If at this point if the signal is weak and there is ongoing network issues (on the link result) and you have home internet have you thought about using WiFi calling when at home?

Although EE and iD provide phone services they each use their own equipment (well actually iD uses Three but trying to minimise the reading - and I didn’t do that right either!)

Hey there ​@gdandbg, sorry to hear this.

We hope the kind assistance from ​@Daz_S thus far has been able to help. If the above hasn’t worked, or improved, then please contact our live-chat who can investigate this further for you:

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/live-chat

Thanks,

Tyler

Hi Daz and Tyler, thanks for getting back so quickly. In answer to your questions, Daz:-

- We were in Greece and the phone worked fine, although I'm sorry but I didn't notice if VoLTE was still showing as I wasn't looking for this at the time

- I checked the coverage and it isn't showing any problems at the moment

- I had already tried connecting to another network, then reconnecting to id with no luck. I have just tried again, but with no luck. I have checked the settings again and it is still showing that VoLTE is enabled, but I am still not getting the symbol in the top right corner and the signal is still weak

- I have thought about WiFi calling, but haven't tried it yet. I assume that this would still come from my id allowance rather than BT, my internet provider? (I don't have a phone package with BT so don't want to end up being charged by them!)

Ideally, I would prefer to sort this out without WiFi calling as I'll probably have the same problem outside the home. My battery is low now, so will do as Tyler suggested and contact chat tomorrow. 

I really appreciate all your help.

• How do I get a replacement SIM or eSIM? F.A.Q.

It could be worthwhile trying a replacement iD SIM card, ​@gdandbg. 

This can sometimes fix seemingly odd / obstinate issues with iD’s network services.

While the iD Live Chat advisers are usually well equipped to deal with account and billing matters, they sometimes appear to struggle with more complex network service problems. 

🍀

Hi Daz and andewhite, thanks again both for your help. Have swapped sims between our 2 phones and it is definitely the sim and not the phone. 

Beginning to think that I do need to try a new sim so will try to get down to Currys. Will keep you posted as to how I get on. New technology is great - when it works! Thanks again.

Okay, this sounds promising then if the issue moved ​@gdandbg as at least we know it’s not the phone(s).

Yep have a day trip to Currys, as it’ll be quicker than having one posted out. We’ve just got to hope it’s the SIM and not something within iD.

Oh yes, modern day technology, isn’t it just wonderfully reliable…..

Hi Daz and andewhite, tried chat on the off-chance, but you were right ad they couldn't think of anything else apart from trying a new SIM. I got one at the weekend, but the VoLTE symbol is still not showing. Having said that, HD comes up when I make a call, so I assume that's similar/the sane? I still don't think that the reception is quite as good as it used to be, but will stick with it for now and see how it goes. Many thanks again for taking the time to help. Wish I could mark them all as the most helpful answer!

Okay, so the new SIM sounds like things have finally moved in the right direction and yes if you’re seeing HD (it might actually be HD+) means its working.

Just a thought, go to settings and to the right you’ll see a magnifying glass/search icon. Tap and that and type volte and it should show the location where this setting is. Tap on that answer and it’ll take you to the correct screen. On my phone its the 2nd option down. As yours is a 5G capable phone I wonder if its called something else?

Signal wise I can only agree. I’m also having an absolute nightmare with mine, the same for my wife. I’m on day 9 or 10 now of dropping calls, poor call quality etc. Though our signal has been bad for months.

Hi Daz, tried the search button but it just took me to the network settings SIM1 page. Still, very useful to know about that search button as I hadn't sussed that before!

Sorry you're having problems with reception too. Very strange as I assumed that 4g wouid be better than 3g. Shows how much I know! When I changed to id, though, I did keep my husband's phone with another network just in case. I figured that, if one went down, there was a chance that the other would still be working (touch wood!). Good luck, hope it resolves itself for you both soon.

I must admit I’d got so used to my phone and where all the settings are I’d forgotten about the search bit myself, until I started trying to help others on these forums and that’s when I remembered. Sometimes its hard to explain where some settings are and by using that search option it certainly makes it easier for all of us.

That sounds like you could be in the right sort of area. Ignore the arrows as I’ll be using this screenshot for another bombshell, but my Samsung phone, using volte in the settings search, takes me to this

VoLTE is the 2nd option down and I now wonder if your phone is set to 5G only (if that’s possible) in the network mode and this might be hiding the option.

RE 3G and 4G. 4G should be better and for many it is, but that’s part of the bombshell. I’ve been having a play and within a 10 mile radius of my postcode even a 2G signal here is stronger than 4G. I knew 3G was already stronger than 4G in and around my area. But it shouldn’t be that way, so something is clearly wrong with the network as now I can’t blame it on just the local masts serving my address.

I joined iD first and the signal was by far the best I’d had here in years. Then upon my recommendation my wife joined iD about a month later. For the following month is was fine and then something ‘out there’ changed and its progressively gotten worse. Then 3G was turned off in our area and its rapidly degraded from then on. My wife has had enough now and wants to leave iD.

Hi Daz, thanks for the screenshot. Yes, my phone's the same. The only other option I have is 5g/LTE/3g/2g, although I've tried this too and it doesn't make any difference. Shame as I joined id because it has the best EU data allowance. My husband is still with 1pmobile. Ironically, his seems to work better at home and mine works better abroad! From what you're saying and from what we've discovered, it certainly seems to be something with the networks rather than the phones. I suppose that maybe the smaller providers are at the mercy of the larger networks whom they piggyback off.

Hi there ​@gdandbg 

It’s no problem, but sometimes its easier to explain things when pictures are involved.

And yes what you see on yours is to be expected.

You’re spot on, although when we joined we didn’t look at the roaming side of things regarding EU roaming allowances and we were happy enough, after a few wobbles in connecting over there, with the signal over in Europe too - it was 3 bars minimum but mostly full signal. The call quality was perfect and crystal clear.

I won’t bore you with what I’ve been tinkering on, but safe to say that when my phone is sitting idle it tends to pick a weak 4G (my data shows it as LTE which is the same thing) signal for the majority of the time, though when trying to make or receive a call it mostly then drops to stronger 3G (which should be an impossibility if 3G has been switched off here). Having said that it can sometimes get the 4G calling side fine, its not only random its becoming a bit of a pain. Then 11 or 12 days ago the call dropping started and with this I’ve observed my SIM going completely off the network for a brief second which is enough to drop the call (my phone number showing on my phone settings also changes from my number and states unknown during this blip too). Then there are many occasions when an ongoing call can jump to 3G (with some static or a click sound) and then jump to 4G (again I can hear it ‘jump’) and some of these calls are maintained. There is no fixed pattern.

There’s much more going on here too as that’s a condensed version. But in major cities my phone performs better than here or within a 10 mile radius - that kind of tells me it can’t be either my wife’s or my phones at fault. Plus the signal was brilliant in Europe so one might think the big 4 UK mobile service providers were maximising profit at the cost of neglected masts. But alas it really does look like my wife and I have no real choice but to leave iD - which is a shame as 1) I’ve only been with them since February and 2) they’re one of the cheapest - but I’ve had signal issues here before moving to iD and our thought process was why pay more for a bad service, but this is by far the worst we’ve ever had here in terms of phone usability.

And regarding your last sentence - I was able to prove that O2 direct customers got a better signal then those with Tesco (at my address anyway).

iD will continue to state that in their opinion iD get the same level of service as what Three direct customers get - but if that was the case what are you, I and many others posting about then!!🙄

Spot on. It's a shame as I think that customer service also started to go downhill shortly after I joined. They used to give you far more up-to-date accurate information about data usage.They then changed their app and there were loads of problems with it.  Whatever I decide to do for the future, I think that I'll keep to a different plan to my husband to give us an alternative if something goes wrong with one of them. Good luck!

Yes I must admit previous incarnations of their app were much better IMHO. I did like to monitor the daily usage too. But like most others when unlimited xyz is involved they drop the usage options as they say ‘well its all unlimited now so why do you need to bother checking’. The real upshot is by dropping certain functions is saves them money in maintaining the service in the first place.

Oddly enough my wife and I have been discussing the same - her on one and me on another, more so as our landline service will be terminated due to ‘upgrades’ with our current broadband provider. Then I will really be in trouble as I need access to a means of communicating 24/7.

And honestly I really do hope you get yours sorted. If only iD could see what we have to go through on a daily basis in just using a simple thing called a mobile phone.

👍