Turn on VoLTE in your phone settings so your calls go over the 4G network. VoLTE stands for Voice over LTE: your gsm makes calls over 4G instead of the old 2G and 3G networks. In Belgium this is no longer optional. The 3G networks were switched off in 2025, and Proximus, Orange Belgium and BASE plan to switch off 2G in 2028 and 2029. A phone that cannot call over 4G then loses normal calls and possibly emergency calls, even if mobile data still works. Below you find what VoLTE calls are, how to turn VoLTE on for iPhone and Android, what to do when VoLTE does not work and how VoWiFi helps where your signal is weak.
What is VoLTE?
VoLTE is the standard for making phone calls over a 4G (LTE) network. Without VoLTE, your phone leaves 4G during a call and falls back to 2G or 3G, and it only returns to 4G when the call ends. With VoLTE, the call stays on 4G from start to finish.
What are VoLTE calls?
VoLTE calls are normal phone calls to normal numbers, so you do not need an app or an internet connection. You call as you always do; only the network underneath changes.
Call without VoLTE | VoLTE call | |
|---|---|---|
Network during the call | Falls back to 2G or 3G | Stays on 4G |
Sound quality | Standard | HD voice, clearer sound |
Time to connect | Slower | Faster |
Mobile data during the call | Slow or interrupted | Keeps working at 4G speed |
Works after the 2G switch off | No | Yes |
VoLTE calls count as call minutes, not as mobile data, so they do not use your data bundle.
Why VoLTE matters in Belgium now
Belgian operators are closing their old networks to free up frequencies for 4G and 5G.
Network | Status in October 2026 |
|---|---|
3G | Switched off by all operators in 2024 and 2025 |
2G at Proximus | Available until at least the end of 2027 |
2G at Orange Belgium | Available until 31 December 2028 |
2G at BASE (Telenet group) | Available until at least 2027 |
The telecom regulator BIPT expects all 2G networks to close during 2028 and 2029. Phones that only support 2G will stop working for calls and texts, and 4G phones without VoLTE may no longer be able to call. Older alarm systems, lift phones and personal alarms can be affected too, so ask your installer to check them.
How to turn on VoLTE
Most smartphones sold in recent years support VoLTE, but the setting is not always switched on.
Phone | Where to find VoLTE |
|---|---|
iPhone | Settings, Mobile Data, Mobile Data Options, Voice & Data: choose 4G or 5G and switch on VoLTE |
Samsung | Settings, Connections, Mobile networks: switch on VoLTE calls for your SIM |
Google Pixel | Settings, Network & internet, SIMs: choose your SIM and switch on 4G calling or VoLTE |
Other Android phones | Settings, Mobile network: look for VoLTE, 4G calling or HD calls |
Menu names change with each software update and language, so search for "VoLTE" in your settings if you do not find it. If your phone has no VoLTE option at all, your operator or your phone may not support it yet.
VoLTE not working? Check these points
When the VoLTE setting is missing or calls still drop to 2G, go through these checks in this order.
Check | What to do |
|---|---|
Software | Install the latest update for your phone |
Network mode | Set your preferred network to 4G or 5G, not 2G or 3G only |
SIM card | Old SIM cards may not support VoLTE: ask your operator for a new one |
Operator support | Ask your operator whether your phone model is supported on its network |
Phone model | Some imported or older models never received VoLTE for Belgian networks |
Restart | Switch flight mode on and off, or restart your phone |
What is VoWiFi?
VoWiFi (Voice over WiFi), also called wifi calling, lets your phone make normal calls over a wifi network. It helps where your mobile signal is weak, for example in a basement, a thick walled house or an office building. On an iPhone you find it under Settings, Mobile Data, Wifi Calling, and on Android under your call or network settings. Like VoLTE, it uses your normal number and counts as call minutes, not as data.
VoLTE abroad
Abroad, your phone needs VoLTE roaming to call over 4G. More and more countries have switched off 2G and 3G as well, so a phone without VoLTE roaming support can lose normal calls on a trip even when mobile data works. Check this with your operator before you leave, especially for long trips outside Europe.
Telecom that works for you
Good calling should not depend on menus hidden three levels deep. Firsty's mobile plans are made for people who live in Belgium and run on an eSIM, a digital SIM card, so there is no old SIM card to replace and nothing to swap when you travel. Check whether your phone is on the list of supported devices, then choose a plan: the Firsty 15 GB plan for Belgium costs €6.50 a month billed yearly, includes data in 176 countries and slows down instead of cutting you off when your data runs out. No contract, no roaming setting to remember and no surprise bill. Every connection Firsty sells also connects someone in Belgium who needs it, not as charity, but as how the business works. Choose your Belgian plan at Firsty.app.
FAQ
What does VoLTE mean on my phone?
VoLTE means Voice over LTE: your phone makes calls over the 4G network instead of 2G or 3G. You get clearer sound, faster call setup and mobile data that keeps working during the call.
Should VoLTE be on or off?
Keep VoLTE on. In Belgium, 3G is already switched off and 2G closes in 2028 and 2029, so without VoLTE your phone may no longer be able to make normal calls.
Does VoLTE use mobile data?
No. VoLTE calls go over the 4G network but count as call minutes, not as mobile data, so they do not use your data bundle.
What is the difference between VoLTE and VoWiFi?
VoLTE makes calls over the 4G mobile network, and VoWiFi makes calls over a wifi network. Both use your normal phone number and are useful together: VoWiFi takes over where your mobile signal is weak.
Why can't I find the VoLTE setting?
Your phone software, your SIM card or your operator may not support VoLTE yet. Update your phone, ask your operator for a new SIM card if yours is old, and check whether your model is supported.
