Smart Number / Wifi Calling not working on iPad

[stoli412]

I'm having difficulty enabling Smart Number / Wifi Calling on my iPad. I am an EE pay monthly customer.

My devices:

iPhone 11 Pro (using an EE eSIM)

iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd gen, wifi only)

MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021)

Apple Watch (6th gen)

On my iPhone in Settings/Phone/Wi-Fi Calling, I have enabled both "Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone" and "Add Wi-Fi Calling For Other Devices". In Settings/Phone/Calls on Other Devices, I have enabled "Allow Calls on Other Devices" and "Allow Calls on" is enabled for both my MacBook and iPad.

I got the prompts on both my MacBook and iPad to enable Wi-Fi Calling and enabled them. On my MacBook, I'm able to make calls directly, even if my iPhone is switched off.

No such luck on my iPad; I can make calls only if my iPhone is switched on and on the same wifi network. In Settings/FaceTime/Calls from iPhone, it is enabled and says "Use your iPhone mobile account to make and receive calls directly on this iPad using Wi-Fi." So, it appears that the iPad has enabled full Wi-Fi Calling but it never works without the iPhone being switched on and on the same network.

I've tried disabling and enabling Wi-Fi Calling on all devices several times, restarting all the devices, signing out of iCloud on all devices, but I always get the same result. I tried chatting with EE tech support but they were utterly useless...I don't think they really understand what Smart Number / Wi-Fi Calling is. They kept trying to tell me to put a SIM in my iPad, or that iPads not sold directly through EE weren't compatible. When I pointed out that my MacBook has no SIM slot nor do EE sell MacBooks themselves yet Smart Number / Wi-Fi Calling was working perfectly fine, that's when they got to the end of their scripted answers and fobbed me off.

Can anyone please help me get Smart Number / Wi-Fi Calling working properly on my iPad?! Please don't tell me to ring/chat to 150 again...they really have no idea what they're doing and I don't think I have the strength or patience to handle another fruitless 2-hour session!

[Leanne_T]

I'm sorry to hear this @stoli412

If you can try us again and let the team know what you have tried they will see what they can do to help.

Leanne.

[ventmore]

I get the exact same pop-up on all my macs when trying I click on "Update Emergency Address", and agree that it suggests something isn't quite configured correctly at EE's end.

I would also say that your experience with the tech gurus is pretty much identical to mine...right down to suggesting it isn't actually supported on iPads. 

[stoli412]

@Leanne_T Not going to happen. As I've said, I've wasted too much time on 150 already. I'll let some other poor soul endure the pain that is talking with EE's 'tech gurus'. It's not that important and my time is too valuable to continue subjecting myself to it.

I'm guessing it will eventually magically start working at some point in the future, just as it did with the Alexa calling integration. 

[constantind]

Hi @stoli412 and @ventmore,

I recently started having the exact same issues with the Mac and the iPad. It was working about 4 months ago then it stopped working. I get the same pop up on my MacBook which is “Update Emergency address” and I’m having the same issues on my iPad. 

I’ve also done everything possible numerous times and spent a lot of time speaking with advisors and was wondering whether there’s any more updates on this?

Many thanks.

[ventmore]

I wish I could give you better news, but I revisit this a couple of times a year, and so far I've been unable to get it working as it should. 

[constantind]

Many thanks for your reply.

I see. I guess I’ll keep trying and check this once in a while as well.

It’s a bit annoying that it used to work and then all of a sudden it stopped for me. It’s a feature that I used a lot when it was working and it’s quite important for me (one of the main reasons I use EE).

However at the end of the day no network is perfect.

[stoli412]

Do you really think the people affected by this issue haven't already gone through such simple troubleshooting steps? Though you're probably just a chatbot infesting yet another forum.

[Justmeee]

Same issue here folks, I was on the call with Apple. Apple is amazing they kept on calling me twice a week for three months to resolve this. They honestly really tried to own this. Diagnostics and logs passed to Apple engineering multiple times and the answer is the same that all should be working and the service provider may need to look a little deeper. Apple however keeps calling me now once a week to check if there was any change. Every EE call leads to another team which state in short they can’t help.

It randomly works at times for the older devices but the moment you get a new device or update hell breaks loose. Either all devices disconnect and some reconnect, on iCloud WiFi calling( smart numbers) ,or none of them.

As you all said it works normal for WiFi calling but for iCloud WiFi calling ( smart numbers) it intermittently works.

EE support are polite but it seems every time I call I have to explain to them what smart numbers is and be redirected. I always have to direct EE support to their own website which explains what smart numbers is.

I must say it’s frustrating for me as well as I was using this service on my iPad when I was away from my phone and then suddenly it stopped working. 

steps followed:

erase device and setup as new, no difference

disabled and re enabled WiFi calling on all devices with no difference 

logged out of iCloud on all devices and signed back in again with no difference 

restarted device with every change and between changes with no difference.

please EE help!