The Pixel 6 series and some Galaxy S22 handsets equipped with Exynos modems have recently been reported to be vulnerable to a malicious attack. You can avoid this by disabling VoLTE and WiFi calling. This article will be revealing how to disable VoLTE and WiFi calling on your Pixel 6 smartphone.
According to Google’s Project Zero, some Exynos modems are vulnerable to remote assaults that need little to no user engagement. Simply, if an attacker has your phone number, they may hypothetically launch an attack on your device with no user involvement.
Because this vulnerability requires specific 5G functionalities to be enabled, the only approach to ensure a device isn’t vulnerable is to disable those functions completely. As of this writing, Google had deployed a remedy with the March 2023 security patch. However, the fix has only been applied to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, leaving the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro unprotected. In terms of Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy S22 is simply one model among several that have the same vulnerability.
Steps to disable VoLTE and WiFi calling on your Pixel 6
There are two options on your device that you must disable until a fix is deployed. The first is Wi-Fi Calling, which most people are acquainted with. The other is called VOLTE (Voice over LTE), and it performs a similar role while allowing calls to be made over LTE networks.
Rather than limiting LTE networks to only data, providers now allow customers to make calls over LTE, which has been standard since 4G was introduced. Calls sound crisper and better overall while using VOLTE. Simply follow these steps to disable VoLTE and WiFi calling on Pixel 6:
- On your Pixel, head to the settings.
- Tap Network & internet.
- Find and tap Calls & SMS.
- Under Wi-Fi Calling, ensure each SIM is disabled.
