Is it possible to make wifi calls without a sim card or carrier?

I am not certain this would help, but I have an iPad that did not purchase with cell phone capability. Just wifi. I can make/receive calls on there if I am logged on with my appleID. I first had to enable/let that device (wifi iPad) share my service through iCloud, I think. I might have gone to iCloud and authorized that device. Been a while...but when I get a FaceTime call to my iPhone phone number, it also rings on my wifi only iPad. I am pretty sure I also can receive calls from anyone...and for this I enabled the allow wifi calls. HTH

Yes, you can use Skype, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook messenger, etc. But you can’t use a cellular carrier’s Wi-Fi calling. And you need a SIM card in the phone to activate it. You can’t use Google Voice, because it uses the cellular network for outgoing calls.

Facetime (and Skype and the rest) have nothing to do with Wifi calling which specifically makes a call with your phone number through your carrier account when you have wifi but no phone signal.

you just need wifi connectivity-not a SIM. A SIM is just for cellular service - a way for the cellular provider to keep track of your charges/acct even if you switch devices. A phone has wifi capability that is apart from cellular service. However, if that phone is associated with an appleid, the moment it establishes connection, the appleid associated with it can see its location. No problem if it is yours, just sign in and your on your way to using the device without a SIM. You can connect via wifi to your music and other apps. EVEN WhatsApp or similar to make "phone calls" via the app.

No

Wifi calling needs a provider contract and calls are charged against it.

ShotokonMonkey wrote:

I am not certain this would help, but I have an iPad that did not purchase with cell phone capability. Just wifi. I can make/receive calls on there if I am logged on with my appleID. I first had to enable/let that device (wifi iPad) share my service through iCloud, I think. I might have gone to iCloud and authorized that device. Been a while...but when I get a FaceTime call to my iPhone phone number, it also rings on my wifi only iPad. I am pretty sure I also can receive calls from anyone...and for this I enabled the allow wifi calls. HTH

You are actually sharing the cellular service of your iPhone.

You’ll either need a carrier SIM for access to the cellular networks for calls and data, or Wi-Fi access and a VOIP provider for VOIP calls, or Wi-Fi access and FaceTime or such apps. There are some VOIP apps available in the app store, not that I’ve tried any. I’d expect to pay for VOIP access, too.

No need to go to the settings on the iphone SE. the only app I have used for making calls on my iPad that has no phone/cellular/SIM, is by downloading WhatsApp from the AppStore. Don’t mean to promote them - but they have end to end encryption.

(So they say - I have not verified and I only really use it cuz my sister in Italy uses that so she doesn’t accrue long distance charges. Log on to your AppleID on the phone. You may need to verify it/allow it, depending on your settings. If both devices show in your iCloud acct under devices, then you should be good. The allowing wifi calls on YOUR actual new,

phone with your SIM, will allow you to make wifi calls with that phone - other user is correct on that. I turned mine off because if you are in a school or hospital or anywhere there’s a faraday cage/or something blocking my cell service, it will then go to wifi calls. So no matter what, I can use either iPad or cell phone to make calls so long as they are both on wifi

Google voice is just Google’s implementation of GrandCentral. It never was a stand-alone VoIP telephone service like Skype or Ooma. It merely allows someone to have multiple telephone numbers all delivering incoming calls to one device. So you could have one telephone (landline or cellular) but multiple numbers to give out as you choose to. You can even select the area code so in the days before nationwide long distance as a standard account feature you could give a local number to family or friends to use when calling you instead of paying long distance fees.

The availability of an app to use tablets and such for GV calls came long after the initial GrandCentral. Originally there was no way to answer your GV calls without having them forwarded to a real physical telephone of one kind or another.

Ooma is another VoIP internet based calling system that works on iOS and iPadOS devices, along with Skype and others. But Google Voice, and it’s predecessor, GrandCentral actual predate VoIP technology and use cellular carriers cell telephone networks to deliver calls. It doesn’t use the internet.

Just as an aside how did you re-activate the phone from the Hello screen to your own AppleID without a SIM?

I asked how the phone was *Activated* which needs a live SIM

I don’t recognise that process at all.