iPhone not ringing for incoming calls? 10 settings to check

The fix

Check these 10 things in order

1. 1

   Turn off Silent mode.

   On models with a switch above the volume buttons, push it toward the screen so no orange shows. On iPhone 15 Pro and later, and iPhone 16 and later, press and hold the Action button or open Control Center to switch Silent mode off.

2. 2

   Turn off Do Not Disturb or Focus.

   Open Control Center and tap Focus. If one is on, tap it to turn it off. Check Settings › Focus for schedules that turn one on automatically, such as Sleep.

3. 3

   Raise the ringtone volume.

   Go to Settings › Sounds & Haptics and drag Ringtone and Alert Volume up. If Change with Buttons is off, the side buttons only change media volume.

4. 4

   Make sure a ringtone is selected.

   In the same menu tap Ringtone and pick a sound. “None” means silence.

5. 5

   Disconnect Bluetooth devices.

   AirPods, a car or a speaker can take the ringtone. Turn off Bluetooth in Control Center for a moment and test with a call.

6. 6

   Check how unknown callers are handled.

   Go to Settings › Apps › Phone. On iOS 26 check Screen Unknown Callers; on earlier versions check Silence Unknown Callers. These stop numbers that are not in your contacts from ringing.

7. 7

   Check the caller’s own ringtone.

   Open the contact in the Phone app, tap Edit and look at Ringtone. A custom ringtone set to None silences only that person.

8. 8

   Turn off call forwarding.

   Go to Settings › Apps › Phone › Call Forwarding and make sure it is off. Not every carrier shows this option.

9. 9

   Restart the iPhone and update iOS.

   A restart clears audio glitches. Then install any update in Settings › General › Software Update.

10. 10

    Test the speaker.

    Play a video or music without headphones. If you hear nothing or it crackles, the speaker needs repair. If music plays fine, try Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset All Settings.