How To Fix An iPhone That Won’t Ring

Do you miss lots of phone calls because your iPhone won’t ring? Don’t worry, you are not the only user who experienced this problem as it bothered many people. The issue is quite annoying because you will see missed calls on the screen even though the phone is right next to you, but it may also be confusing especially if you are sure the ringer is on, the phone is not muted and you didn’t hear any sound. In this article, we are going to discuss the reasons why this issue occurs, and we are going to share several solutions to help you fix iPhone not ringing problem.

See also:  How To Fix No Service On iPhone

Why My iPhone Doesn’t Ring?

Let’s list a few reasons why this issue may appear. Perhaps you made some changes in iPhone settings or you let your kids play with your phone? Maybe you enabled “Do not disturb”? A software glitch can be responsible for the problem, but this annoying issue can also appear right after you update the iOS software on your iPhone. Water damage or the fact you dropped your device, are among the reasons that can cause iPhone not ringing issue.

Solutions For iPhone Not Ringing Problem

Remove iPhone case

There are so many iPhone cases out there, designed mostly for protection purpose. Some of them have a thick design and not fit the iPhone properly. Check if the case you are using for your iPhone doesn’t cover the ring/silent switch. Remove that case completely from your iPhone, and see if that makes any difference.

See als0: iPhone Bluetooth Problem  or iMessage not working 

Toggle the ring/silent switch button

Maybe you have done this trick before, but do it one more time. If the button is in the ring state, switch it to the silent state. Then, switch it to the ring mode again, and ask your friend to call you. Make sure you switch it properly. You can see the difference between the ring and the silent mode in the picture below.

Disable Do not disturb

Do Not Disturb is a great feature you can find on iPhone. It can help you to focus on something without being disturbed by phone calls. When you are attending a meeting or want to take a rest for a few hours, you can rely on this handy feature. What happens if you activate the “Do Not Disturb“? Your iPhone will not ring, but it still allows the phone calls to come in and as you won’t hear the sound, you will see missed calls. In some cases, the user accidentally turns this feature on without even realizing. You can check at a glance to the top-left side of your iPhone screen. If you see the moon icon, it means the Do Not Disturb mode is activated. To disable it, follow the steps below:

• Go to Control Center by swiping up from any screen of your iPhone.
• Tap the moon icon to turn it off.

You can also check through Settings. Maybe you have scheduled this feature at some point and forget about it. Turn off the Schedule on Do Not Disturb.

• Open Settings >> Do Not Disturb. Here, see if the button next to Schedule section is green. If it does, turn it off.
• On the same screen, make sure the button of Manually section is not green. If it is, tap once to turn it off.

Volume up the iPhone

Try to increase the volume of your iPhone to the highest level and then call your number using the other device. To volume up your iPhone, you have to unlock your iPhone first. Then, click the plus button (+) on the side of the iPhone until the volume goes to the maximum.

Change the ringtone

Some users said the problem was fixed once they changed the ringtone. No matter how crazy this may sound, try it out. Change the ringtone on your iPhone. After that, call your number using the other smartphone.

• Head to Settings >> Sounds >> Ringtone.
• Choose default or any other ringtone.

Switch off the Bluetooth

Try to switch off the Bluetooth to make sure your iPhone is not connected to any accessories, such as speakers or Bluetooth headphone. You can turn it off by going to Settings >> Bluetooth.

Disable LTE

Enabling LTE on your iPhone can impact the battery life, calls, text messages, voicemail, and cellular data if it’s not been certified by your carrier yet. It can be the reason why your iPhone not ringing when a call comes in.

Steps to disable LTE

• Go to Settings >> Cellular >> Cellular Data Option >> tap Voice & Data
• Select 3G

Restart iPhone

Restarting iPhone may help you to get rid iPhone not ringing issue. It is not a difficult thing, you just press and hold the power and the home button altogether at the same time until the iPhone restarts.

Update the iOS

Software update always comes with improvements, bug fixes, and new features. It some cases, the problem can be solved by updating the iOS on your iPhone to the new version.

• Connect to a stable WiFi network and make sure your iPhone has at least 50% of battery life.
• Go to Settings >> General >>  tap Software Update.
• If the iOS update is available, your iPhone will download it first.
• Tap Install Now.

Reset All Settings

This method will wipe all the settings, including all the features related to the sounds, such as volume setting, notification, etc.

• Open Settings >> General >> Reset >> Reset All Settings.
• A passcode is required.
• After you enter your passcode, tap Reset All Settings on a popup screen.

Erase iPhone

Try to reset your iPhone to its factory settings using the “Erase All Contents and Settings” feature. This method will remove all of the media, data and the settings, such as language setting, keyboard, etc. That’s why we advise you to back up your data beforehand. There are two methods for backing up the iPhone data: through iCloud or iTunes.

Notice: we don’t recommend this method on a jailbroken iPhone because it may cause the iPhone stuck in Apple  logo.

Steps to erase all contents and settings

• Settings >> General >> Reset >> Erase All Contents and Settings.
• You need to enter a passcode.
• Then, tap Erase iPhone.

Restore iPhone

If erasing the iPhone doesn’t make the issue disappear, try to restore your iPhone.  Through the restoring process, all the things on the iPhone will be wiped including the OS and firmware.

Steps to restore your iPhone

• Make sure your iPhone is full of charge.
• Ensure your iPhone is connected to a stable WiFi. This is important, otherwise, you may get iPhone stuck in recovery mode.
• Connect iPhone to Mac/PC with the latest iTunes version installed inside by using a lightning cable.
• Click Restore on Summary tab.
• Before the process starts, iTunes will download the firmware first.
• Wait until the restoring process is completed.

What else?

Clean speaker holes

After you have tried all the troubleshooting steps, and if none of them worked, try to clean speaker holes. If you find dirt covers the speaker holes, you can clean it using a duster or toothpick. Avoid using any liquid because it can enter the iPhone and damage the components.

Check headphone jack hole

Take a look at the headphone jack hole. The broken part of headphone that is left inside the hole, can cause iPhone not ringing problem because the iPhone will detect the call that comes in as an earphone mode. If you find nothing there, try to plug the original earphone. Call your number and if you can hear the sound, then the problem is related to your iPhone speaker. Otherwise, there might be a hardware issue.

Charging trick

This trick will not resolve the problem, but it can help you find the right solution. The loudspeaker of iPhone connects to the charging port cable. The idea of this trick is to check if the issue is associated with hardware or not.

• Plug your iPhone in the USB port on your computer or a wall outlet for charging
• Test your iPhone by calling it from the other device. Does it ring?
• Now, unplug the lightning cable from the iPhone. Then call it again using a different device to check if it’s ringing or not.

If you hear a ringing sound when the iPhone is charged, but it doesn’t happen when it’s unplugged, likely it’s a hardware issue. The issue may occur on a lightning port that is connected to the speakers.

My iPhone Doesn’t Ring When A Call Comes In From Skype, WhatsApp, etc

Enable 4G

If your iPhone not ringing, try switch Voice & Data to 4G if you are using Cellular Data. The other option, try to use WiFi instead of Data.

Steps to enable 4G

• Head to Settings >> Cellular >> Cellular Data Options >> Voice & Data.
• Select 4G.

Steps to switch Cellular Data to WiFi

• Go to Settings >> Cellular >> turn off the Cellular Data button.
• Back to Settings.
• Select WiFi and choose a network.

Update the apps

If the issue comes when you are using certain apps, update the applications.

• Open App Store
• Tap the Updates section on the bottom-right of the screen.
• Check if there is an update for messaging apps you often use.
• If you find the updates, tap the button next to the app name, and let the updating process to complete.

Reset Network Settings

This method will reset all the settings related to cellular and WiFi, such as the saved networks, WiFi password, VPN settings, etc. The process is not related to a conventional phone call or SMS settings. However, if you have a problem with iPhone not ringing when you are receiving a call from messaging apps this can be quite helpful. The messaging apps like WhatsApp, Skype, etc may not work well if the Internet connection is slow. Here are the steps to reset network settings:

• Go to Settings >> General >> Reset >> Reset Network Settings.
• Enter your passcode.
• Tap Reset Network Settings.

All the solutions above are found effective to fix iPhone not ringing issue on iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7,  and iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

If you tried the solutions above, and nothing works, contact Genius Bar or the nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider.