[Google Pixel 4 XL Questions & Answers] Zek3:
Is anyone able to access the global wfc_ims_mode in the Pixel 4 or any later versions of android than 9? Here is the method I am referring to.

I need to know this because I am currently using an OG pixel and I manually set the Wifi Calling to Wifi Preferred as we know the toggle button verizon offers inside settings is a dud.

Without forcing the global wfc_ims_mode to 2, my phone is essentially a paperweight as all data and more importantly calls and text will always default to cellular which I have 0-0.5 bars of service at my home.

Thanks!

Deeper explanation and rant - cynicism and blame incoming.

A quick summary of Wifi Calling Preferred - There is Wifi Calling, yes I know, that toggle works and is on. Then there is Wifi Preferred, a separate setting that tells the phone it what connection to default to. This is a toggle that was inside of the the Wifi Calling settings that has been confirmed to do absolutely nothing regarding your phones affinity for wifi or celluar. It is not tied to anything on the side of the android ROM, it is just there to create the illusion that it works. It was supposed to allow people to force the phone you have to use the wifi connection over the mobile connection which really help people on the edge of a service area or, in my case, in .5 miles from a Cal State University with a partially obstructed view of a cell tower.

"But I see "Wifi calling" in the top of my phone sometimes and I have never had problems."

1. Yes, Verizon does allow calls to sometimes initiate through wifi and even stay on wifi for several minutes. However, Verizon has set conditions on what a "good connection" means in order to keep wifi routing of calls AND data to an absolute minimum regardless of how this effects the end users call and data quality. Simply put, if we rate our wifi and cell connections from 1-20 with 20 being spectacular and 1 being awful; Verizon has effectively written boundary rules that say a cellular signal rating of 1 is ALWAYS preferred over wifi signal 20. You could be standing next to a brand new gigabit router with google fiber and full signal, but if Verizon thinks it has .005 % of a bar, then guess what? No call! However, Verizon knows that it must initiate the call with good quality so they use the "wifi calling" (comes up on the top of the screen) to start the call, but as soon as the call has begun, and the phone has detected a signal of 1 on the cellular it will perform a hand-off to the cellular network. Icing on the cake?This is a mono-directional hand-off, meaning wifi MUST handover to the cellular but going from cell to wifi requires the phone disconnecting the call. Outstanding move Verizon!

2. I have 0-1 bars of service where I am so if you have more than that you wont notice the hand-off. I run my business through my phone and I was so tired of missed calls, missed texts, dropped calls, garbled sound, echo. Most people will see the "wifi calling" icon in the top of the phone and assume the entire call took place over wifi. Not the case at all. Just trying to avoid the "I have wifi calling on and everything is fine for me". Yeah, how long do you talk on the phone? How many calls are you getting? How sure are you after reading what I just wrote that the entire call, and every call that takes place in your house just simply because you are home and connected to wifi and one time saw wifi calling on the top is actually using wifi maintaining the call through your ISP??

To get around this, here is a method that I still use on my original pixle XL. I am still running android 9 as the move to 10 seems to have move the wfc_ims_mode select.

This is one of the main reasons I still use this phone. Without Wifi Calling being forced as "Preferred", I know everything will route through Verizons service which is virtually 0 where I am. This results in missed calls, dropped calls, and video qualities jumping around between 144p and 360p.