When your iPhone won’t ring, check the Ring/Silent switch, Focus modes, volume, and call settings to restore sound.
Your phone shows incoming calls, yet the ringtone stays quiet. No need to panic.
This guide gives fast checks first, then deeper fixes. You’ll find clear steps,
short explanations, and what to try next if one path doesn’t solve it.
Keep the page open while you work so every fix is easy to follow from start to finish.
Rapid Checks To Bring Back The Ring
Work through these quick toggles. Each one can mute calls without you noticing.
- Flip The Ring/Silent Switch: Orange showing means Silent. Flip it toward the screen.
- Raise Ringer Volume: Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Drag the Ringer slider to the right.
If “Change with Buttons” is on, press the volume up button while on the Home screen. - Disable A Focus: Open Control Center. If Do Not Disturb, Sleep, or another Focus is lit, tap to turn it off.
- Unpair Or Power Off Nearby Bluetooth Gear: Headsets and car units can grab audio.
Turn Bluetooth off in Control Center to test. - Restart The Phone: A simple reboot can clear odd audio routes and stuck settings.
Why Your iPhone Won’t Ring: Common Causes
Missed calls come from a handful of settings and hardware cues. Learn what each one does,
then fix it with the steps below.
| Symptom | Likely Setting Or Part | Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No ringtone, alerts vibrate | Ring/Silent switch | Flip switch toward screen |
| No sound, media plays fine | Ringer volume low | Raise Ringer slider |
| Only some calls ring | Silence Unknown Callers | Turn it off or save contacts |
| Nothing rings during night | Sleep schedule Focus | Edit Sleep in Health or Focus |
| Phone rings in car only | Bluetooth route | Disable Bluetooth to test |
| Caller says it went to voicemail | Call Forwarding or no service | Turn off forwarding; check coverage |
| Ring fades when you look | Attention Aware features | Turn off Attention Aware |
| Silent during work hours | Scheduled Focus or automation | Change schedules in Focus |
Step-By-Step Fixes With Exact Menus
1) Confirm The Physical Ring/Silent Switch
Look at the small switch above the volume buttons. If you see orange, the phone is on Silent.
Flip it toward the screen to enable ring. You can also go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and pick a ringtone to test.
2) Set A Strong Ringer Volume
Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Set Ringtone to something you can hear well. Slide Ringer and Alerts to a higher level.
If you like using the side buttons, leave “Change with Buttons” on. If you keep pressing volume in games or videos,
turn it off so the ringer stays fixed.
3) Turn Off A Focus That Mutes Calls
Open Control Center. If a Focus tile is active, tap it. For fine control, go to Settings > Focus.
Check Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Personal, or Work. Open each, then review Allowed People, Allowed Apps, and Schedules.
Remove any schedule that blocks calls at times you want to hear them.
4) Stop Silencing Unknown Callers
Go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers. Turn it off to let all numbers ring.
If you keep it on to block spam, save vital numbers to Contacts so those calls ring.
5) Check Sleep And Bedtime Settings
If calls go quiet at night, open the Health app > Sleep. Review your schedule and options that limit
notifications. You can also open Settings > Focus > Sleep to adjust how calls break through.
6) Clear Bluetooth Audio Paths
Open Control Center and turn off Bluetooth. Now call your phone from another line.
If it rings again, a paired headset, speaker, or car kit was taking the audio. You can keep Bluetooth off,
forget that device in Settings > Bluetooth, or change your car unit’s settings.
7) Review Call Forwarding And Dual SIM Lines
Open Settings > Phone > Call Forwarding. Turn it off if you don’t need it.
On dual line setups, check that the active line is enabled and has service.
Open Settings > Cellular to confirm which line handles voice and data.
8) Tweak Attention Aware Features
On models with Face ID, the phone can lower alert volume when you look at it.
Open Settings > Face ID & Passcode and turn off Attention Aware Features if you prefer a steady ring.
9) Remove Silent Filters In Contacts
Open the Phone app > Favorites and Recents. Tap the info icon on a contact and check Ringtone and Text Tone.
If a contact has a custom tone set to “None,” choose a sound.
10) Test With A Fresh Ringtone And Vibration
Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone. Pick a default tone such as Radar.
Turn on Haptics for Ring and Alerts so you feel calls even in loud places.
When Settings Still Look Right
Two Apple pages can help you verify menus and behaviors. Read
Change iPhone sounds and vibrations and
Silence Unknown Callers.
Match each switch on your phone to the steps shown there.
If sound still drops, move to hardware checks and resets below.
Hardware Checks And Safe Resets
Clean Openings And Test The Speaker
Inspect the speaker grilles at the bottom edge. Brush away lint with a dry, soft tool.
Play a ringtone. If it sounds faint or crackly, remove any case that covers the speaker and test again.
Rule Out Headphone Mode
Plug wired headphones in and out a few times. Then try a call again. This clears rare cases where iPhone thinks headphones are connected.
Reset Sound Settings That Might Be Stuck
Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset > Reset > Reset All Settings.
This keeps your data but resets system settings, including sound and network options.
You’ll rejoin Wi-Fi and set some preferences again.
Update iOS
Open Settings > General > Software Update. Install the latest update. Fixes for audio routing and alerts ship in updates.
Back Up And Restore If Needed
When nothing else helps, back up to iCloud or a computer. Then restore iOS and test before adding apps back.
If the ring returns on a clean setup, add apps in batches and retest.
“iPhone Not Ringing” Variations And What They Mean
Similar phrases point to the same root settings. Use this map to pick the right fix fast.
| Phrase You Might Search | What It Usually Signals | Where To Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming call not ringing | Focus or ringer volume | Control Center; Sounds & Haptics |
| Calls silenced except contacts | Silence Unknown Callers | Settings > Phone |
| No ringtone with screen on | Attention Aware | Face ID & Passcode |
| Call goes straight to voicemail | Call Forwarding or no service | Settings > Phone; carrier |
| Not ringing at night | Sleep schedule Focus | Health app; Focus |
| Rings only with headphones | Bluetooth or headphone mode | Control Center; Bluetooth |
Carrier And App Factors That Silence Calls
Some quiet calls trace back to the network or a third-party tool. Carriers add spam filters and call labeling.
If a carrier app flags a call, you may see a banner instead of a loud ring. Open your carrier’s app and adjust the filter level.
If you use a third-party blocker, reduce the block list for a test. You can also turn off the app’s extension in Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification and try again.
Special Cases: Dual SIM, CarPlay, And Headphone Safety
Dual SIM setups can split voice and data. Pick which line handles calls in Settings > Cellular, then test by calling each number.
On CarPlay, your car may route the ringtone to the car speakers. If you want the phone to ring by itself when the car is off,
forget the car under Settings > General > CarPlay, then pair again and review audio options.
Headphone Safety can lower loud alerts. Open Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Headphone Safety.
If Reduce Loud Sounds is active, try a lower threshold or turn it off briefly to test call volume.
Run A Clean Test Call
Turn off Focus, Bluetooth, and CarPlay. Set Radar as the ringtone and raise the Ringer slider.
Save the test number to Contacts. Place a call from another line. If it rings, re-enable features one by one to find the trigger.
Set It And Forget It: Ring-Safe Setup
Once calls work, lock in a setup that resists silent slips.
- Pick A Loud, Clean Tone: Choose a ringtone that cuts through street noise.
- Fix The Ringer Slider: Turn off “Change with Buttons” so games don’t drop your ringer.
- Let Priority People Break Through: In each Focus, add family and work to Allowed People.
- Keep Unknown Callers Visible: If you use Silence Unknown Callers, save regular numbers.
- Mind Car Units: If a car pairs on start, it may seize audio. Disable that option in the car or iPhone.
- Schedule A Weekly Reboot: A quick restart keeps audio routes fresh.
iPhone Not Ringing During Calls? Fixes That Work
This close match to the main phrase centers on live calls that do not trigger sound.
Use the same checks: Ring/Silent switch, Focus, ringer slider, and Bluetooth.
Most fixes overlap, since a single mute setting can block both calls and alerts.
Quick Recap And Next Steps
Flip the hardware switch, raise the ringer slider, turn off any Focus, and test without Bluetooth.
Then review Silence Unknown Callers, Sleep, forwarding, and Attention Aware.
If calls still miss the chime, update iOS, reset settings, and test on a clean setup.
Hardware service is the last step when all software paths fail.