HD Voice for Android FAQs

HD Voice is a suite of services enabled by VoLTE (Voice over LTE) technology. VoLTE delivers voice calls over the 4G LTE network instead of the traditional voice network, providing clearer, more natural sounding audio when both parties are using HD Voice-enabled phones that are connected to our 4G LTE network. HD Voice also includes additional benefits such as:

• Simultaneous voice and 4G LTE data
• 1-way or 2-way video calls¹ (including video calls over Wi-Fi)
• 6-way conference calls
• Wi-Fi Calling²
  

HD Voice is included in your existing voice plan at no additional charge. HD Voice calls are billed as standard voice minutes, according to your plan.

¹Not all HD Voice-capable devices support Video Calling.

²Wi-Fi Calling requires a Wi-Fi Calling-capable phone. Refer to our Wi-Fi Calling FAQs for more information.

Note: You may also be interested in our HD Voice for iOS FAQs and HD Voice for Windows FAQs.

Simultaneous voice and 4G LTE data allows customers connected to Verizon's 4G LTE network to surf the web, continue a download, use an application, or use a feature like Mobile Hotspot while talking on a call.

Video Calling is a feature that lets you make an HD Voice call combined with real-time video.

Making video calls is as simple and easy as making traditional voice calls. If the person you're calling can accept a video call, you'll see a Camera icon. You can then select that icon to upgrade to a video call. There's no need to download an app or set up a new user ID to place a video call.

Notes:

• Video Calling requires a Video Calling-enabled phone.
• When connected to Verizon's 4G LTE network and known Wi-Fi access points, video calls will automatically hand off to Wi-Fi.

Wi-Fi Calling allows you to make and receive calls over a Wi-Fi network if cellular is not available. Refer to our Wi-Fi Calling FAQs  for more information including how to set up and use it.

To be eligible for HD Voice, you need to have an HD Voice-capable phone.

Note: If you have any features that are incompatible with HD Voice, you'll need to remove them when you add the HD Voice feature to your account.

You can view our current list of phones compatible with HD Voice online. This list will grow over time.

HD Voice is available at no additional charge and is included in existing plans.

• HD Voice calls are billed as standard voice calls according to your plan. No data charges apply.
  
  
• Mobile-to-Mobile calls that happen to be HD Voice calls are charged just like traditional Mobile-to-Mobile calls and are billed against your monthly minute allowance according to your plan.
  
  
• A video call is an HD Voice call combined with real-time video. The voice portion is billed as a standard voice call, according to your plan. The video portion is billed as data, according to your data plan. No data charges apply to video calls transmitted over Wi-Fi.

Note: An average 1-minute video call uses about 6 - 8 MB of data. The actual data consumption of your video call may vary. You can estimate your data usage using our online Data Usage Calculator.

To be eligible for HD Voice, you need to meet all of the following requirements:

• Be on a standard monthly plan, like the new Verizon Plan
  
• Have an HD Voice-capable phone

On select devices like the Samsung Galaxy S7, and the S7 Edge, HD Voice will be added to your account automatically if you are eligible for the service.

Most HD Voice-capable devices allow you to activate the HD Voice feature right from your device.

To activate HD Voice on your Android device:

1. Go to Settings.
   
   
2. Tap Advanced Calling under WIRELESS NETWORKS.
   
   
3. Tap Activate Advanced Calling and follow on-screen instruction.

You've successfully added HD Voice.

You can also add HD Voice to your account online in My Verizon.

To add HD Voice to your account in My Verizon:

1. Go to the Products & Apps page in My Verizon on your smartphone, tablet or computer browser, or on your device in the My Verizon app.
   
   
2. Click the Get Products tab at the top of the page.
   
   
3. Find HD Voice and click Get it now.
   
   
4. When the checkout window opens, choose the compatible devices you'd like HD Voice added to.
   
   
5. Click Confirm Purchase to complete the checkout process for the selected devices.
   
   
6. Click OK on the confirmation screen. If applicable, a free text message with a link to download the app from the App Store will be sent to the device/s you've selected.
   
   Note: If you don't want to receive a text confirmation, uncheck the checkbox before clicking OK, and no text message will be sent.
   

You've successfully added HD Voice.

Business customers: You can add the HD Voice feature in the My Business Account portal as you normally do or by contacting your company's Verizon Wireless administrator.

Learn more about HD Voice for business.

HD Voice is built on a new technology platform that's different from the platform upon which certain existing features are built. Until these features are upgraded to work on the new platform, they won't work on HD Voice-enabled phones.

When adding the HD Voice feature, you'll be notified of any incompatible features that exist on your line. These features will be removed from your line at the time HD Voice is added.

Note: Apps associated with these features aren't compatible with HD Voice at this time. These apps won't work as expected as long as HD Voice remains on your line.

Business customers: Please contact your company's Wireless Program Administrator to remove incompatible features and add HD Voice.

You should be able to continue using your SIM card in a new HD Voice-capable device, as long as it's compatible with the new device. However, you still need to have HD Voice activated on your line before you can use HD Voice and Video Calling.

We're working to make HD Voice available on as many phones as possible. You can view our current list of HD Voice-capable phones online.

To ensure that the latest software is installed on an Android phone:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Select Systems updates or Software Updates.
3. Tap Check for new system update.

If a new system update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to download and install it on your phone.

To verify HD Voice is ready to use on an Android phone:

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Tap on the Groups tab.

If you see a group named "Video Calling," this indicates that HD Voice is ready for use.

Note: If you don't see the Video Calling group, turn off your phone and turn it back on again. If you still don't see it, verify that the latest software is installed on your phone.

For all devices, you'll be able to experience HD Voice 6-way conference calls. Learn how to set up a 6-way conference call.

Other features, like Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Caller ID and Voice Mail (*86), will be the same as before.

Activating HD Voice on some Android devices will enable simultaneous voice and LTE data. On other Android devices, activating HD Voice provides Video Calling capability.

To enable or disable HD Voice on your Android phone:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Advanced Calling under WIRELESS NETWORKS.
3. Tap Advanced Calling again to turn it On or Off.

If you have an older device like Samsung Galaxy S® 5 or Motorola Droid Ultra / Maxx / Mini, follow these steps to turn HD Voice on or off:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap More Networks or Tethering & Networks.
3. Tap Mobile Networks.
4. Tap the VoLTE Call setting to turn it to On or Off.

Notes:

• You can access this setting after you've added the HD Voice feature to your account.
  
  
• If VoLTE Call is set to Off, then HD Voice is disabled.

No, your calling areas won't be restricted as a result of enabling HD Voice. You can make or receive HD Voice calls as long as you're connected to our 4G LTE network. Even when you're out of 4G LTE coverage area, you can still make or receive voice calls in the US.

While traveling abroad, you can still make or receive voice calls on our roaming partners' CDMA or GSM networks.

Note: While using HD Voice, your calling experience may differ from what you experience today, including audio issues or dropped calls. If you're in an area where you're experiencing calling issues, you can turn off HD Voice in your phone's settings.

No, calls won't switch between 3G and 4G LTE networks. If your call starts on the 3G network and you move to a 4G LTE coverage area, your call will continue as a 3G/CDMA call. However, if your call starts on the 4G LTE network and you move to a non-4G coverage area, your call will drop.

If you're in an area with a weak 4G LTE signal, you may want to consider temporarily turning off the VoLTE Call setting on your phone to avoid dropped calls.

Note: Remember to turn it back on when you're in a strong 4G LTE coverage area to take advantage of HD Voice and Video Calling.

If your phone has a weak network or Wi-Fi connection, or if the network is congested, you may find the video call to be sub-optimal. Verizon continues to optimize its 4G LTE Network and increase coverage to provide the best video experience for our customers.

You can make an HD Voice call the same way you make a regular voice call (e.g., from your Contacts app, Phone app or Recent Calls), provided that both you and the person you're calling:

• Are using an HD Voice-capable phone
• Have the HD Voice feature enabled
  
• Are connected to the Verizon 4G LTE network

On most devices, you'll know that you're on an HD Voice call if an "HD" logo appears in the upper right corner of your in-call screen. If a wired headset or a Bluetooth® headset is connected to your phone, HD Voice calls may not be delivered to the headset with HD quality unless the headset is also compatible with HD Voice.

Yes, even if Mobile Data is set to Off on your phone, you can still make or receive HD Voice calls as long as your phone's VoLTE Call setting is set to On. However, you won't be able to transition to a video call from an HD Voice call.

A 1-minute video call typically uses about 6 - 8 MB of data. However, the actual data usage of your Video Calling session may vary.

You can estimate your data usage with the Data Usage Calculator. Use the Video Calling (Average Bandwidth) category to estimate your Video Calling usage.

In order to make a video call, both you and the person you're calling must:

• Be using a Video Calling-enabled phone
  
• Be connected to the Verizon 4G LTE network

You can initiate a video call in any of the following ways:

• Video Calling group: You can select a contact from the Video Calling group in the Groups menu within your Contacts app.
  
  
• Contacts app / Address Book: Select a contact that's capable of Video Calling and tap the Camera icon.
  
  
• Phone app: Enter a mobile phone number of a contact that's capable of video calling and tap the Camera icon.
  
  
• Call History logs: Select a phone number indicated with a Camera icon.
  
  
• During an HD Voice call: You can upgrade an HD Voice call to a video call by tapping the Camera icon on the in-call screen.

A video call can be established only after the called party accepts the video call request.

Note: You can also convert an HD Voice call to a 1-way video call by either turning on your front-facing or rear-facing camera. If the person you called does the same on their side, the 1-way video call is turned to a 2-way video call.

You need to be on the 4G LTE network to start a video call. But as long as your phone is connected to a known Wi-Fi access point (e.g., your home Wi-Fi network), an active video call session will be automatically handed off to Wi-Fi. If Wi-Fi connectivity is lost in the middle of a video call, the video call will seamlessly transition back to the 4G LTE network.

A Wi-Fi icon  that appears on the in-call screen of a video call indicates that the call is carried over Wi-Fi.

If you activated HD Voice, including Video Calling, you can easily determine which of your contacts are Video Calling-enabled. In your Contacts app, you'll find a group called "Video Calling." All the contacts listed in that group are capable of Video Calling.

You can also tell if a particular contact can receive a video call by opening up that person's contact card. If there is a Camera icon beside the Phone icon, you can video call with that contact.

You can set up a 6-way conference call the same way you would set up a 3-way call. The only difference is that if your HD Voice-enabled phone is connected to Verizon's 4G LTE network, you can set up a conference call with up to 5 people, even if they don't have HD Voice phones.

To set up a conference call with up to 6 phones:

1. Call the first phone number as usual.
   
   
2. While on that call, tap Add call to call the second phone number.
   
   Note: When the second call is established, the first call will be put on hold automatically. You can swap between the two calls.
   
   
3. Tap Merge to join the two calls and form a 3-way conference call.
   
   
4. You can call up to 3 more phones to form a 6-way conference call.
   

You've successfully set up a 6-way conference call.

If you're not able to make or receive an HD Voice call, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

• HD Voice isn't activated on the line that you're calling
  
  
• VoLTE is Call set to Off on your phone or on the phone you're calling
  
  
• Either you or the person you're calling isn't using an HD Voice-capable phone at the time of the call
  
  
• Either your phone or the phone you're calling isn't connected to the Verizon 4G LTE network at the time of the call
  

HD Voice is a first-generation service based on new technology that will improve over time. While the new technology enables exciting new features, like Video Calling, you may initially notice some differences in your calling experience. As needed, you can turn HD Voice off through your phone's settings.

If you're not able to make or receive a video call, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

• Video Calling isn't activated on your line or the line you're calling
  
  
• Video Calling is set to Off on your phone or the phone you're calling
  
  
• Mobile Data is set to Off on your phone or the phone you're calling
  
  
• Video Calling is blocked from either your line or the line you're calling
  
  
• Either your phone or the phone you're calling isn't connected to the Verizon 4G LTE network at the time the call was initiated
  
  
• The person you're calling declined your video call request
  
  
• Your phone or the phone you're calling isn't capable of Video Calling

Your Video Calling-capable phone regularly syncs up its Video Calling capability status with the network, and this may be due to the status being temporarily out of sync.

You can force a real-time synchronization of the status by following these steps:

1. Open the Menu option within the contact card.
2. Tap Refresh.

The Camera icon should appear. If the Camera icon still doesn't appear after you refresh, it's possible that person is no longer capable of Video Calling.

If the Camera icon is disabled while you're on an HD Voice call, it may be due to one of the following reasons:

• Video Calling is set to Off on your phone
  
  Note: A simple way to this setting is by going to the "ME" entry of your Address Book. You should be the first contact listing. Tap your name to see if the Video Calling button is set to On.
  
  
• Mobile Data is set to Off on your phone
  

To check this setting:

1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Data Usage.
3. Make sure the Mobile Data switch is set to On.