In an effort to find a phone that was less than $1000 I decided to look at the Motorola options. Motorola has become known for making good mid level phones that don't cost an an arm and a leg while still being loaded with lots of good features.
However, if you look at the specs on Motorola phones many of them report that they have Wi-Fi calling.
You could spend several hours trying to figure out why there is no Wi-Fi calling there is a Wi-Fi calling app on the phone and there is no Wi-Fi calling setting .
For example, I purchased a Motorola Moto 5G Stylus 2022 from Amazon. The original price was close to $400. The models that were sold through AT&T and Verizon appeared to have Wi-Fi calling. But the unlocked phone does not when it is in your hands although the descriptions claim Wi-Fi calling. Motorola blames it on the carrier.
What is even stranger is that there is a Wi-Fi calling app on the phone but nothing in the internet and call setting to enable Wi-Fi calls.
I went to the Motorola website, which basically states contact the carrier and notes what networks are supported. I tried to contact the public relations department of Motorola via a web form and it did not send.
In my half an hour of phone conversation with Motorola Tech support when a pleasant young man who appeared to have a Fillipino accent s-l-o-w-l-y access documentation. I was told yes, the phone had W-Fi calling and that I needed a 3rd party app to perform Wi-fi calling.
I called my carrier, who said no, there should be a setting in the phone for Wi-Fi calling for it to work and there are known issues with Wi-Fi calling on Motorola phones.
I noticed that there were a lot of returns on Amazon for this phone because people wanted Wi-Fi calling when they live in an area without a great cell signal.
This kind of gas lighting can really drive sane people crazy. But the bottom of all of this is that it's costing Amazon money in returns. It's costing Motorola money and tech support and the reputation of Motorola as a kind of phone that is a good, viable option for those who don't want to spend their rent on a phone.
Fortunately for me, I don't travel internationally when Wi-Fi calling is most needed.
My carrier suggested that the only thing that could be done would be a software update from Motorola.
Motorola are you listening?
I tried to have phone support escalated to no avail.
Do you not see the bad reviews on Amazon decrying that the Motorola models have to be returned because there is no Wi-Fi calling?
I tried to get Amazon to remove the Wi-Fi calling in the specs which has not happened.
With all these phones someone should be listening. Perhaps the great behemoth Amazon could wield a sword of knowledge and cut through the bureaucratic data sludge?
How do you get a Moto G 5G Stylus or other popular Motorola Android smartphone to o make Wi-Fi calls?
Well if you buy from AT&T, Verizon or another carrier, it may be possible to make Wi-Fi calls. However if you like me bought an unlocked Moto G smartphone from a seller on Amazon, all you can do is wait for a software update which many suggest is never going to happen unless a lot of people complain.
