Public Mobile text messages tell me that my phone is not VoLTE compatible.

[Dorothy31]

I have a Samsung S205G.  I have received several text messages telling me that my phone will not compatible as of December 31, 2025. When I am shopping for a replacement phone, how can I know that it will be voLTE compatible? The Whitelist links don't work and the list seems to be gone.  The tool they provide does not work until I have a new phone in my hands, so how is this useful?  I am hoping to stay with PM by buying a Samsung or Motorolla phone that is compatible, but I am lost as to how to do that.

[Yummy]

I think people should not panic receiving such messages from any mobile provider.
Even my old S7 is VoLTE 'ready' so I would not be worrying too much.

[Dorothy31]

Yes, Manitoba.  I will wait and it does seem like they are changing things and making more of the phones compatible.  Even my husband's older phone is now showing that it is voLTE compatible, although his phone shows a negative for 5G and eSIM.  Do you think that is an issue for the coming changes?

[slusagm]

yes @Dorothy31 , I would not buy a new phone at this time just for that (unless you have plan to get a new phone anyway)

It looks to me PM is going from very restricted with VoLTE to opening it up.  Since there are still 5 months, it should be good.  Wait till end of year and see how it goes

Btw, you are in Manitoba?  I heard the main VoLTE issue for non-VoLTE phone is just Manitoba

[Dorothy31]

Yes, automatic and yes, that is what I saw.  It went from LTE to 4G when I disconnected from Wifi and now the compatibility checker has approved my phone.  It did not approve it as having voLTE a week ago.  Very strange, but it makes my happy that it should be good to go.

[slusagm]

@Dorothy31 

Samsung's 4G could actually means 3G, I know it is weird

but to clarify, do you have "Automatic" on network mode?

when you have no Wifi, do you see 4G or LTE showing on the top of the screen? do you see the network change when a call is made

[Dorothy31]

Now my phone shows compatibility to the voLTE, whereas it did not a week ago.  I assumed it would not change on that checker, but it has!  This makes me very happy, as this has been stressful for me.  Thank you again for all your help!  A part of my stress was that my phone would not work in the US recently.  I added the text and talk, but there was not text or talk and I assumed from research that it was because my phone was not voLTE compatible.  Maybe it was something else entirely.  Thankfully, PM did give me a refund for that add-on, but it did cause my a lot of concern.

[Dorothy31]

I did those steps and the call went through on 4G, so maybe I am okay.  Their messages sure don't make it feel that way, but I guess I will wait until the end of the year and hope for success.  Thank you so much for your response.

[slusagm · Accepted solution]

@Dorothy31 

did you use the checker?

if you have an S20 5G, it would work on VoLTE.   I tested on mine and it shows compatible

another thing to check.  Turn off Wifi, make sure your phone shows LTE or 5G, make a calls and check if it still shows LTE or 5G?  If it is , then it is VoLTE already, no worries.  If it shows 3G or 4G, then you are still using 3G voice

If you need a new phone, Samsung A16, S22 and after will all work

[Dorothy31]

Samsung S20 5G and the checker tells me that it is not compatible, but I sure wish I knew how to know that a new phone will be compatible before I buy one!  I am hoping to not spend too much for the next phone and so I really would like to know reliable options.

[softech]

@Dorothy31 

yes, there is no more "whitelist" but just a compatible checker.   Enter your IMEI number and tell us what result it shows. 

[Handy1]

@Dorothy31  Yes sorry your correct it does not show the list anymore and just had the IMEI checker . It’s strange public mobile removed the list . So that’s new change for me to just realize not a good change in my opinion but it is what it is unfortunately. Best of luck 🤞 on new phone purchase 

[Dorothy31]

Even if they tell me that my phone will not work after December 31st?  Here is the entire message that I have received twice now: "Public Mobile here. Important upcoming network changes that will impact your service. The 3G network will be shutting down in Manitoba on December 31, 2025, with the exception of Winnipeg and Brandon, which will be shutting down on March 31, 2026. After the shutdown, your device will no longer work on the Public Mobile network. To avoid service disruption, you will need to switch to TELUS. To help you stay connected and make switching easy, we've teamed up with TELUS to offer you exclusive savings on 5G plans like 12GB for $25/month, including the pre-authorized payment discount. Plus, you can keep your current device and phone number. Call 1-866-975-3052 or visit your nearest TELUS store and mention promo code MBPP2P. Store Locator: publicmobile.ca/sl/KAok9HeDrP For more information about the network changes, please visit publicmobile.ca/sl/xzSn8UX4JG If you've recently upgraded to a compatible 4G or 5G device, no action is required."  My device is a Samsumg S20 5G.

[Dorothy31]

Where on that page is a whitelist?  I only see the compatibility checker, which does not work until I have a new phone in my hand.

[Yummy]

If phone is not VoLTE compatible it does not mean it will not work with PM.

[softech]

@Dorothy31 

the link https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/volte has a VoLTE checker.  Enter the IMEI of the phone and you can confirm

If your phone is not compatible with PM's VoLTE, then it will be using 3G for voice and it might be affected by this:

Telus is currently  refarming the 850MHz band 5 spectrum and hence you are left with 1900MHz for voice calls.
https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/get-help/articles/850-turndown

While one compatible band is still sufficient, reality is  1900 MHz could have less coverage, depending on your proximity to a tower and hence you are seeing a poor or no coverage with voice  (Data is not impacted as your phone has the compatible bands on 4G/5G)

If this is really what affecting your voice calls, there is really nothing much you can do other than getting a new phone.  Most current Samsung and Motorola phones that are designed for the Canadian market will work.  You can tell us the model you are planning to get and we can confirm

[Handy1]

@Dorothy31  You can check the public mobile voLTE white list here 

VoLTE white list

https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/on/get-help/articles/volte