Ultimate Guide: How to Fix iPhone Not Ringing When Called

If your iPhone is not receiving calls, there are a few things you can check to troubleshoot the issue. First, make sure your phone is not on mute and that the ringtone volume is high enough. Check if the Focus feature is enabled, if you have a good reception, and if your mobile plan is active. Additionally, try disabling any forwarding, filtering, handoff, or blocking features. If none of these solutions work, try restarting your iPhone. After all, phone calls are one of the main features of a smartphone, so it's important to make sure they're working properly.

Check Your iPhone Isn’t on Mute

If your iPhone is not emitting any sound when it rings, it's most likely on mute, also known as silent mode. To toggle mute on or off, simply use the flip switch located on the left side of your device. Once you've made your choice, a notification will appear at the top of your screen. Additionally, when you switch to mute mode, the device will emit a haptic tap, confirming your selection.

To ensure that you never miss a call or text, it's important to check your ring volume settings on your iPhone. Unlike your device's overall volume, which is controlled by the buttons on the left side of your iPhone, your ring volume can be adjusted under Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Simply tap the slider to hear a preview of your ring volume with your default tone. Remember, keeping your ring volume at an audible level is crucial for staying connected with friends and family, as well as for work-related communication.

Disable Focus Modes like Do Not Disturb

Focus is a useful feature that can help you stay focused on your tasks by preventing distractions from disrupting your concentration. You can customize your Focus settings by going to Settings > Focus and easily control it by using the “Focus” button available in Control Center (swipe down from the top-right-hand corner of your iPhone’s screen).

Customize your Focus mode settings to control who can contact you while it is enabled. Whitelist specific contacts or allow all calls by accessing Settings > Focus. To modify the “Allow Calls From” setting for a particular Focus mode, navigate to its settings.

Whenever you engage in a particular activity, certain Focus modes can be automatically activated. For instance, if you have configured the Fitness profile in your Focus settings, any calls you receive while exercising with your Apple Watch will be silenced. However, you have the option to disable a mode or customize its parameters to ensure that it doesn't interfere with your calls.

Check You’re Reachable via Cellular or Wi-Fi Calls

If you're not getting any calls, it's possible that you're out of cellular reception. To check your reception, look at the top-left corner of your screen. On certain devices, you may need to access the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right side of your screen to see more information.

When you find yourself in an area with poor or no cellular signal but have access to Wi-Fi, you can still make calls using iPhone Wi-Fi calling. Instead of relying on the cellular network, this feature routes calls through the internet. To get started, simply enable Wi-Fi calling by navigating to Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling.

Make Sure Your Mobile Plan is Active

Missing a payment or failing to update payment and contact information with your mobile carrier can result in the loss of service for pre-paid mobile plans that renew each month. This could happen if there is insufficient funds in your account or if your payment details have changed.

In case you encounter any issues with your iPhone, it’s always a good idea to check if your mobile plan is still active. You can easily do this by using your carrier’s iPhone app or logging in on the web when you have access to Wi-Fi. After you have made the payment, your service should resume as normal.

Disable Calls on Other Devices

With the call forwarding feature, you can seamlessly transfer calls from your iPhone to other devices within range. Say you're using your Mac but your phone is in your pocket, the call will automatically be forwarded to your computer. To avoid a situation where all your devices ring simultaneously, your iPhone will remain on silent while the other device rings.

If you find that the feature allowing calls on other devices isn't working as intended or simply not something you need, you can easily turn it off. Simply navigate to Settings > Phone > Calls on Other Devices and disable the feature altogether. Additionally, if there are specific devices you want to prevent from receiving calls, you can manage them from this same menu.

Check the Caller Isn’t Blocked by Mistake

Accidentally blocking a contact is a common occurrence and can be quite frustrating. To ensure that a specific friend or family member's calls are not being blocked, it is recommended to check if they are on your block list. This can be easily done by accessing the Phone app, tapping on the "Contacts" tab and locating the person in question.

Check the bottom of the contact card to ascertain if the person is blocked. In case the contact is blocked, an option to “Unblock this Caller” will be displayed. If the option displayed is “Block this Caller”, then the contact is not on your list of blocked contacts.

You can also review your full list of blocked contacts under Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts.

Disable the “Silence Unknown Callers” Option

Enabling the "Silence Unknown Callers" feature on your iPhone can be a helpful tool to avoid answering unwanted anonymous callers. However, it's important to note that this setting may also silence important calls that come from obscured numbers. To turn on this feature, navigate to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers.

Any calls from these numbers that are silenced will be sent to voicemail. You’ll still see the call in your call log under Phone > Recent.

Disable Any Call Filtering Apps

Call screening apps like Truecaller and Hiya have the ability to recognize unknown numbers and prevent unwanted callers. However, it's possible for them to mistakenly block important calls, so it's recommended to either turn off the app or utilize the in-app tool to allow certain numbers. The specifics of how to do this will vary depending on the app you have installed. For more information on how call screening apps can help combat spam calls, refer to

Disable Call Forwarding

By enabling call forwarding, you can ensure that all your calls are automatically redirected to another number of your choice. This feature is particularly useful when you are unable to attend calls on your iPhone. Instead of missing important calls, you can have them forwarded to a designated number. To set up call forwarding, navigate to Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding and adjust your preferences accordingly.

Check a Contact’s Custom Ringtone

Having a custom ringtone set for a specific contact is a great way to personalize your phone's alerts. However, if the tone is not working correctly, you may end up hearing your default ringtone instead. To troubleshoot this issue, it's recommended to double-check the settings and even disable the custom ringtone if necessary. This can easily be done within the Phone app by navigating to the "Contacts" tab, selecting the desired contact, and tapping on the "Ringtone" field.

To ensure your musical ringtones using Apple Music actually function, it's important to save them offline on your device. Locate the desired track, tap and hold, and then choose "Download" from the menu that pops up.

Your iPhone Won’t Ring when CarPlay is Connected

To ensure a safer driving experience, your iPhone is designed to seamlessly connect with your vehicle’s entertainment system through CarPlay. This means that when a call comes in, it will automatically be passed to your car’s speakers, enabling you to answer it without ever having to take your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road. With this feature in place, you can focus on driving while staying connected to the world around you.

If you're experiencing difficulties in receiving phone calls through CarPlay, try restarting your vehicle's head unit or entertainment system. Restarting could be as easy as turning off the ignition, stopping the engine, then turning everything back on. However, certain vehicles may require a manual restart instead.

Try Restarting Your iPhone

At times, your iPhone may encounter a glitch where it continues to recognize your headphones or other Bluetooth audio devices as connected, even when they are not. This can prevent your iPhone from ringing audibly. Alternatively, iOS may crash and malfunction. A simple fix for this issue is to restart your iPhone.

The easiest way to do this is to ask Siri to restart your iPhone for you.

Consider FaceTime or Another VoIP Service

It is advisable to contact your carrier if you are still experiencing issues with making calls. Be sure to inform them about the troubleshooting steps you have already taken. In the meantime, consider reaching out to your contacts through alternative means if standard cellular calls are not functioning. FaceTime, for instance, offers superior audio quality compared to traditional phone calls and can be used anywhere with a 3G or better internet connection.

If your contacts don’t use Apple devices you can use another VoIP service and place calls via Facebook Messenger and similar services.