Video calling with Pixel 2 XL?

[karbon15]

Hello,

At some point, I was using the Video Calling over LTE feature successfully, but it stopped working eventually, on my Pixel 2 XL bought from Fido.

I followed the steps of this thread: https://forums.fido.ca/t5/General-Support/Video-calling-for-BYOD/td-p/141008

I am in the same situation, where the option can't be enabled in the Phone application and the switched is OFF and greyed out in the *#*#4636#*#* menu.

How can I enable the feature?

[KAPABLE-K]

Hey @karbon15,

Are you sure you were using the Video calling over the network or was it using Google Duo? When I got my Pixel 3 from Fido and knowing it supports Video calling over the network when i got the phone is was not working. It was grayed out just like what you are seeing, after speaking with technical support they said it was an issue and with how the phone reads my plan features and Google is going to be fixing it in a few days.

That was last December, it turns out Fido is not provisioning these phones to use the Video over the network feature because Google wants us to use the Google Duo app.

[karbon15]

Hi @KAPABLE-K ,

I'm pretty positive the video call was working with Android 9, on the native Dialer app.  I've established a few successful calls with my brother and his Galaxy S6.

I have actually called through quite a few steps of Customer Support with Fido, and their anwser was that the phone "needed updates from Google" to support Video calling.  I have doubts.

Considering that I have acquired the phone from Fido and that Fido advertises the phone as a VoLTE enable device - and that the VoLTE devices support video calling (https://www.fido.ca/consumer/content/fido-volte), it appears like I am not getting what I am paying for.

The customer support have suggested using Duo, which is a fair solution, but it has one significant flaw: it uses significant data from my data plan, when using it on the move, where VoLTE just uses minutes from the unlimited calling of my Pulse Plan.

It appears to be a provisioning concern from Fido side...  can someone at Fido provision it for me?

[KAPABLE-K]

@karbon15 I'm not sure how it was working for you before but it doesn't sound right. I got the Pixel 3 under the same impression that I can have the video calling that won't burn through my data and I was so disappointed to see Fido would not provision the phone for the feature to work. 

[karbon15]

Hi @KAPABLE-K ,

I am not sure either how it was working, but I can tell it did, in the first months I got the Pixel 2, end of 2017, early 2018.

It is more than an impression that the video calling functionality over VoLTE should be working on Fido.

On this page: https://www.fido.ca/consumer/content/fido-volte , Fido states that "All Fido customers on postpaid plans with a VoLTE-compatible phone can take advantage of it anywhere on the Fido LTE network!".  It also states that "To see if your device is compatible with VoLTE, check out the “Network and Wireless Connection” section of your device’s technical specifications at www.fido.ca/consumer/mobile/device-list".  Under the technical specifications, it is mentioned that the phone does support VoLTE.

As a matter of fact, it is listed as supported here: https://forums.fido.ca/t5/General-Support/VoLTE-Everything-you-need-to-know/ta-p/129331

I find it pretty shocking that despites advertising the functionality, and the phone supporting it, Fido would deny enabling the service...

[Cawtau]

Hello Karbon15,

  Welcome to the community!

  To clarify, are you able to make regular voice-only calls via voLTE? If not, have you verified that HD Voice or Enhanced 4G LTE is still enabled? Settings --> Network & Internet Network --> Mobile Network -> Advanced calling.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[karbon15]

Hello Catwau,

The toggle switch appears to be on!  Is there a test number I can call to confirm that it is working?

[Cawtau]

Hello again,

  I'm not sure if there is a test number, but you should be able to make any call and see if the network switches to the '3G' network.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[karbon15]

Hi Catwau,

It appears the VoLTE is working for audio calls, as the phone remains on LTE/LTE+ when calling the voicemail.

Back the original question, what does it take to make the video calls work as advertised?

[FidoFaiza]

Hi @karbon15, 

If you have a VoLTE compatible phone with the latest software, you should be able to use the feature. 

You can speak to our customer service here in order to troubleshoot or we can send you a PM here. 

[KAPABLE-K]

@FidoFaiza, the VoLTE works just fine for the HD calls the problem is Fido is not provisioning the phone for video calling. The video calling we are speaking of is the one video calling that is made over the network so it does not use  da ourthird party app and we do not need  to use our data. I've been through the samething when I got my Pixel3 last November.

I even spoke to one of your tech guys and was fed the same excuse. Google will be releasing a fix in the next few days. 

It would be great if you guys provision the phone to enable the feature.

[danthemanx]

It works for my S9 now (it never has before today). VoLTE/Video call and even wifi calling!!! Fido tech support fixed it on their side it was a problem with the configuration.

So do raise a ticket with them if it's not working for the P2XL...

[karbon15]

Glad to hear, @danthemanx !

@FidoFaiza, sure, let's hop to PMs!  Hopefully we can apply the same successful recipe as danthemanx!

[FidoRanya]

Sounds good @karbon15 , sending a PM your way! 

[FidoStephane · Accepted solution]

Hey everyone, 

We inquired internally and can officially confirm that Google Pixel devices are compatible with Voice over LTE (VoLTE) but not compatible with Video over LTE (ViLTE). 

Our documentation on VoLTE and Pixel devices will be updated shortly to include this information. 

Thanks! 

[KAPABLE-K]

@karbon15, let me know if Fido enables the feature for you.