Imported Pixel Phones Face VoLTE and VoWiFi Restrictions Today

The most recent software update for October 2025 for Pixel devices has made the Pixel IMS application inactive; a very common obstacle for Pixel users who want to enable VoLTE and VoWiFi on their devices that have been imported into regions where these features are not officially supported. The application which previously allowed to circumvent the operator limitations has now been stopped by Google who has declared it a critical security vulnerability (CVE-2025-48617).

Pixel phones have been equipped with exceptional software capabilities for a long time, but their restricted sale in certain markets has led people to import them. Although importing gives the opportunity to use the latest models, users quite often face network facilities blocked including the most important calling services such as VoLTE and VoWiFi.

VoLTE stands for Voice over LTE and it allows for the making of calls on 4G networks. Its significance has rapidly increased with the global shutdown of 2G and 3G networks. Calling over the modern network would probably not work without VoLTE anymore. The same is true with VoWiFi, which allows users to connect landline calls through the internet thereby making it a must-have feature in places where mobile signals are weak.

One would assume that if a phone has compatible features then automatically it will be able to use them. But most network operators limit VoLTE and VoWiFi to their own sales or certified devices, thus leaving the imported Pixels without access to these features though the hardware support is complete.

In the past, a method invented by a Korean developer, Kyujin Cho, made it possible for the users to go around the restrictions. By using the Pixel IMS app in combination with Shizuku's open-source framework, users were able to access operator settings through ADB commands and turn on VoLTE and VoWiFi.

It seems that after the 2025 Pixel update, the IMS app crashes when trying to turn on one of the services, as per the reports. The error logs reveal that the overrideConfig function that was available to shell users has been blocked. Although this change was not mentioned in the update's official notes, Google has already released a patch.

Still the official notes of the update did not mention this change, Google has already addressed the issue and classified it as a high-risk privilege escalation. The resolution is likely to be included in the December security bulletin that will be released next.

On the other hand, new ways to activate VoLTE are budding. There are developers who have come up with solutions through Telegram and they are sharing APKs with instructions in Mandarin claiming that these methods have been able to revive the VoLTE feature. That said, VoWiFi is not supported without rooting the device. Rooting is done by unlocking the boot loader which may hinder using Gemini-based functionalities and Google Wallet.

For those who are not willing to root the device, the only option left is to wait for Google to officially include VoLTE support in more places. This is a process that the company has indicated is under way.

Owners of imported Pixels are facing a dilemma: to use new developer solutions for getting partial VoLTE support, to root their phones for getting full functionality, or to wait for Google’s official updates.