iPhone Not Ringing on Incoming Calls? 3 Complete Fix Guide

Quick Fixes When iPhone Not Ringing on Incoming Call

Before going into advanced troubleshooting, try these quick fixes:

• Make sure your iPhone is not in Silent Mode.
• Increase the ringer volume from Settings.
• Turn off Focus, Do Not Disturb, Sleep, or Driving mode.
• Restart your iPhone.
• Check whether the caller is blocked.
• Disable Call Forwarding.
• Disconnect Bluetooth headphones, speakers, or car audio.
• Update iOS to the latest version.

If your iPhone calls are not only silent but also failing completely, you may also want to read this related guide:
iPhone Call Failed? How to Fix Calling Problems.

1. Check Silent Mode on Your iPhone

The most common reason an iPhone does not ring is that Silent Mode is enabled. When Silent Mode is on, your iPhone may still vibrate, but it will not play the ringtone for incoming calls.

For iPhones With a Ring/Silent Switch

1. Look at the left side of your iPhone.
2. Find the small Ring/Silent switch above the volume buttons.
3. If you see an orange color, Silent Mode is turned on.
4. Push the switch toward the screen to turn Ring Mode back on.

For iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and Newer Models With Action Button

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Action Button.
3. Check if the Action Button is set to Silent Mode.
4. Press and hold the Action Button to switch between silent and ring mode if configured.

After turning Silent Mode off, ask someone to call your iPhone and check if it rings.

2. Increase the Ringer and Alerts Volume

Your media volume and ringtone volume are not always the same. Even if videos and music sound loud, your ringtone may still be too low or muted.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Sounds & Haptics.
3. Find the Ringtone and Alerts slider.
4. Drag the slider to the right to increase ringtone volume.

You can also disable Change with Buttons if you do not want the side volume buttons to accidentally lower your ringtone volume.

3. Turn Off Focus, Do Not Disturb, Sleep, or Driving Mode

Focus modes are useful, but they can stop your iPhone from ringing. If Do Not Disturb, Sleep Focus, Work Focus, Personal Focus, or Driving Focus is enabled, incoming calls may be silenced.

How to Turn Off Focus Mode

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
2. Look for the Focus button.
3. If a Focus mode is active, tap it.
4. Tap the active Focus mode again to turn it off.

Check Focus Settings

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Focus.
3. Open each Focus mode you use.
4. Check People, Apps, and Schedules.
5. Make sure important contacts are allowed to call you.

If your iPhone keeps enabling Do Not Disturb automatically, check schedules, Smart Activation, Driving Focus, and Sleep schedules.

Related help:
Do Not Disturb Keeps Turning On iPhone.

4. Disable Call Forwarding

If Call Forwarding is turned on, your incoming calls may be sent to another number instead of ringing on your iPhone. This can make it seem like your iPhone is not receiving calls at all.

1. Open Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
3. Tap Call Forwarding.
4. Wait for the setting to load.
5. Turn Call Forwarding off.

After disabling Call Forwarding, restart your iPhone and test incoming calls again.

If calls are going directly to voicemail instead of ringing, this related post may help:
iPhone Goes Straight to Voicemail? Fix It Here.

5. Check If the Caller Is Blocked

If your iPhone rings for some people but not for one specific person, that contact may be blocked. Blocked callers cannot ring your iPhone normally.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Phone.
3. Tap Blocked Contacts.
4. Look for the contact or number.
5. Swipe left on the number and tap Unblock.

You should also check blocked contacts under Settings > Messages > Blocked Contacts and Settings > FaceTime > Blocked Contacts.

6. Turn Off Silence Unknown Callers

The Silence Unknown Callers feature sends calls from unknown numbers directly to voicemail. If someone is not saved in your contacts, your iPhone may not ring when they call.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Phone.
3. Tap Silence Unknown Callers.
4. Turn it off.

This feature can be helpful for spam calls, but it may also silence delivery drivers, banks, doctors, schools, work contacts, or new callers.

7. Disconnect Bluetooth Headphones, Speakers, or Car Audio

Sometimes your iPhone is ringing, but the sound is being sent to a Bluetooth device instead of the iPhone speaker. This commonly happens when your iPhone is connected to AirPods, Bluetooth headphones, a speaker, or car audio.

How to Check Bluetooth Connections

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Bluetooth.
3. Check if your iPhone is connected to any device.
4. Turn Bluetooth off temporarily or disconnect the device.

You can also open Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon to quickly disconnect Bluetooth accessories.

8. Check Custom Ringtone for a Contact

If your iPhone does not ring for one specific contact, check whether that person has a custom ringtone assigned. The custom ringtone may be missing, corrupted, or set to a very quiet tone.

1. Open the Contacts app.
2. Select the contact.
3. Tap Edit.
4. Tap Ringtone.
5. Select Default or choose a different ringtone.
6. Tap Done.

9. Check Network Signal and Carrier Settings

If your iPhone has poor signal, no service, or carrier problems, calls may not come through correctly. In some cases, callers may hear ringing on their side while your iPhone never rings.

Try These Network Fixes

• Turn Airplane Mode on for 10 seconds, then turn it off.
• Restart your iPhone.
• Move to an area with better signal.
• Remove and reinsert the SIM card if your iPhone uses a physical SIM.
• Check for carrier outages in your area.

Update Carrier Settings

1. Connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi or cellular data.
2. Open Settings.
3. Tap General.
4. Tap About.
5. If a carrier settings update appears, tap Update.

If your iPhone shows SOS, No Service, or Searching, you may need additional troubleshooting. Read:
iPhone Stuck on SOS? How to Fix It.

10. Check Voicemail and Carrier Call Settings

If your iPhone does not ring and calls go straight to voicemail, the problem may be related to your carrier, voicemail settings, or account status.

Try calling your own number from another phone. If it goes straight to voicemail every time, contact your carrier and ask them to check:

• Call forwarding status
• Voicemail routing
• Line suspension or billing issues
• SIM or eSIM activation
• Network provisioning

For voicemail-specific issues, see:
iPhone Voicemail Not Working? Complete Fix Guide.

11. Update iOS

Software bugs can also cause ringtone, notification, and call issues. Updating iOS can fix known bugs and improve carrier compatibility.

1. Back up your iPhone.
2. Open Settings.
3. Tap General.
4. Tap Software Update.
5. If an update is available, tap Download and Install.

After updating, restart your iPhone and test incoming calls again.

12. Reset All Settings

If nothing else works, reset all settings on your iPhone. This does not delete your photos, apps, messages, or personal data, but it resets system settings such as Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth connections, notification settings, Focus settings, and sound preferences.

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Choose Reset All Settings.
6. Enter your passcode and confirm.

Once your iPhone restarts, set your ringtone volume again and test incoming calls.

When Should You Contact Apple or Your Carrier?

Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store if:

• Your iPhone speaker does not work for any sound.
• Ringtones do not play even inside Settings.
• Your iPhone has been dropped or exposed to liquid.
• The Ring/Silent switch or Action Button is physically damaged.

Contact your carrier if:

• Calls go directly to voicemail.
• Your iPhone shows No Service or SOS.
• Only some calls come through.
• Your SIM or eSIM is not working correctly.

Final Thoughts

When your iPhone is not ringing on incoming calls, start with the simple checks: Silent Mode, ringer volume, Focus, Do Not Disturb, and Bluetooth. Then check call forwarding, blocked contacts, Silence Unknown Callers, carrier settings, and iOS updates.

In most cases, the issue is caused by a setting rather than a hardware problem. If your iPhone still does not ring after all these steps, contact your carrier or Apple Support for further diagnosis.

Frequently Asked Questions