Why is my iPhone silencing calls? How to fix

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iPhone call

For most people, phone calls are the most common way of communicating. You might have noticed that your iPhone is silencing calls, and you have no idea why. You might have also checked the ring volume and found it at the right level.

It can be frustrating to miss important calls because your phone is silent. This article will explain the common reasons why your iPhone is silent and how you can solve it. In this way, you will hear the ring of an incoming call.

How to turn off call silencing on iPhone

These troubleshooting tips should help you to restore your iPhone’s volume whenever you are making calls:

1. Check the ring switch

Your iPhone may be new, and you do not know your way around the ring settings. The phone may also be in vibration or silent mode. Switching from silent or vibration to ring is easy and straightforward.

What you need to do is ensure that the mute switch, that is on the left side of your phone, is not at the orange line. In case it is, switch it to the other side which is the ring mode.

2. Check the ringtone volume

Another reason why there are silenced calls on iPhone is that its ring volume is low or zero. You can adjust the volume settings using the volume buttons on the right side of the phone.

Alternatively, you can do the following:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Go to Sounds & Haptics.
  • Under the header ‘Ringer and Alerts’, there is a volume slider. Adjust the ring volume to your preference.
  • You can also choose to turn on the toggle next to change with Buttons if you wish to change the ring volume using the volume buttons.

3. Turn off Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb on iPhone

Your iPhone is silencing your calls because the Do Not Disturb (DND) mode is on. The DND mode silences your phone, including phone calls and apps.

To switch it off, scroll up from the bottom of the screen to display the Control Center. The DND mode is represented by a moon icon. Check if it is on and if so, switch it off.

Alternatively, you can go to the Settings app and select Do Not Disturb in the Settings option. You can turn off the toggle that is next to Do Not Disturb or choose to schedule the DND mode by allowing calls from specific contacts.

4. Restart your iPhone

Your iPhone may be silencing calls due to glitches and bugs. Restarting your phone is the most basic and easiest way to restore its normal operations.

Follow these steps to restart your iPhone:

  • Press and hold the Volume Up button, then release it.
  • Press and hold the Volume Down button, then release it.
  • Press the Power button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

5. Turn off Silence Unknown Callers

iPhones with the latest iOS versions have a feature called Silence Unknown Callers that blocks unsaved contacts from calling you. The feature is automatically turned on when you first purchase your iPhone.

You can turn this feature off using the following steps:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Go to Phone.
  • Scroll down and select the Silence Unknown Callers option.
  • Turn off the toggle that is next to Silence Unknown Callers.

6. Turn Off Bluetooth

Your iPhone may be connected to a Bluetooth device, explaining why you are not hearing your calls. It will ring on the connected device and not your phone.

You should therefore turn off Bluetooth by:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Go to Bluetooth.
  • Turn off the toggle that is next to the Bluetooth option.

7. Turn off Bedtime Status

Your ring volume and settings may be fine but you are still not hearing your phone ring. It may be because the Bedtime Status is on. It is a feature in iOS version 14 that turns on DND mode at a scheduled time.

The following are steps to turning the Bedtime Status feature off:

  • Go to the Health app.
  • Tap Browse that is at the bottom of the screen and select Sleep in the Health Categories.
  • Scroll down and select Full Schedule & Options.
  • Scroll down and tap on Options.
  • Turn off the toggle that is next to Turn on Automatically.

Get your iPhone ringing

You might ask yourself, “Why does an iPhone automatically silence calls?” Well, there are various reasons why your phone is acting like this. These problems, however, are easy to troubleshoot and get your phone ringing.