Why Is My Phone Not Receiving Calls?

When your phone is not receiving calls, the fastest fix depends on who is affected and what still works.

Start by asking:

• Can you make outgoing calls?
• Do all callers fail, or only some?
• Do calls go straight to voicemail?
• Does the phone show signal?
• Does the problem happen only with unknown callers?
• Are SMS and mobile data working?

Those answers quickly separate a phone-setting problem from a SIM, carrier, or coverage problem.

Start With the Symptom

1. Check Signal and Carrier Service

First confirm that the phone is actually connected to the carrier.

Look for:

• normal signal bars;
• carrier name;
• no No Service, SOS, Emergency Calls Only, or similar warning.

Move to another location and test again.

If several nearby phones on the same carrier are also affected, there may be an outage.

If Android shows Mobile Network Not Available, use Mobile Network Not Available on Android rather than treating it as an incoming-call setting problem.

2. Turn Airplane Mode Off and Reconnect

Airplane mode disables normal cellular service.

Turn it on briefly, wait a few seconds, then turn it off.

This forces the phone to reconnect to the carrier.

Apple currently recommends this as an early step when iPhone cannot make or receive calls.

Then ask someone to call again.

3. Restart the Phone

Restart once before making deeper changes.

A restart can recover from a temporary cellular-registration or Phone app problem.

If calls work briefly after every restart and then fail again, the issue is more likely to involve:

• carrier registration;
• SIM/eSIM;
• network settings;
• a third-party calling app;
• hardware.

4. Test Outgoing Calls

Try making a call.

Outgoing calls also fail

Focus on:

• SIM/eSIM;
• carrier service;
• coverage;
• network registration;
• account status.

Outgoing calls work

The phone is registered with the carrier, so incoming-only settings become more likely:

• call forwarding;
• blocked numbers;
• spam filtering;
• Focus or Do Not Disturb;
• Silence Unknown Callers;
• carrier-side incoming-call provisioning.

5. Check Do Not Disturb or Focus

Sometimes calls are arriving but the phone is not alerting you.

Android

Temporarily turn off Do Not Disturb and test again.

Review allowed callers and repeated-caller exceptions if only certain people get through.

iPhone

Open:

Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb

Turn it off temporarily.

Apple specifically recommends checking Do Not Disturb when calls fail or appear to go straight to voicemail.

If the issue is specifically iPhone Do Not Disturb behavior, see How to Turn Off Do Not Disturb on iPhone.

6. Check Blocked Numbers

If only one or a few callers cannot reach you, check the blocked list.

iPhone

Current iOS:

Settings > Apps > Phone > Blocked Contacts

Apple lists this as one of the main incoming-call checks.

Android

The path varies by Phone app, but usually:

Phone > Settings > Blocked numbers

Unblock the number and test again.

7. iPhone: Check Silence Unknown Callers and Call Screening

If saved contacts can reach you but unsaved numbers do not ring, this setting is a strong candidate.

On current iPhone software:

Settings > Apps > Phone

Review the unknown-caller screening or silencing option.

Apple says silenced unknown calls can be sent directly to voicemail and still appear in Recents.

This can look like the phone is “not receiving calls” when it is actually filtering them.

8. Check Call Forwarding

Call forwarding can redirect incoming calls to another number.

iPhone

Open:

Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding

Apple recommends checking that it is off when calls are not arriving normally.

Android

The path varies by manufacturer and Phone app.

Look under Phone settings for:

• Call forwarding;
• Supplementary services;
• Calling accounts.

Turn forwarding off temporarily and test again.

9. Check the SIM or eSIM

If calls and texts are failing more broadly, inspect the SIM side.

For a physical SIM:

1. Turn off the phone.
2. Remove the SIM.
3. Check for obvious damage or poor seating.
4. Reinsert it securely.
5. Restart.

For eSIM:

• confirm the line is enabled;
• confirm it is selected for calls;
• do not delete the eSIM profile casually.

If Android is not recognizing the SIM at all, use SIM Card Not Detected on Android.

10. Dual-SIM Phones: Check the Correct Voice Line

On dual-SIM phones, incoming-call problems can affect only one line.

Check:

• both SIMs are enabled;
• the intended voice line is active;
• the problem follows one SIM only;
• the carrier account for that line is active.

If one SIM works and the other does not, focus on the affected line or carrier instead of resetting the whole phone.

11. Check WiFi Calling

If normal cellular calls work but incoming calls fail mainly while connected to WiFi, test with WiFi Calling temporarily disabled.

This helps determine whether the problem is:

• poor WiFi;
• carrier WiFi Calling provisioning;
• failed handoff between WiFi and cellular;
• line-specific WiFi Calling configuration.

For Android-specific WiFi Calling problems, use WiFi Calling Not Working on Android.

12. Check Carrier Account and Provisioning

Contact the carrier if:

• the SIM was recently replaced;
• you switched to eSIM;
• the number was recently ported;
• the plan changed;
• incoming calls stopped after account changes;
• everything on the phone appears normal.

Ask the carrier to verify:

• the line is active;
• voice service is provisioned;
• there is no outage;
• the SIM/eSIM is correctly registered;
• no incoming-call restriction exists on the account.

This is especially important when outgoing calls work but incoming calls do not.

13. Update the Phone

Install available system updates.

On iPhone:

Settings > General > Software Update

On Android, use the manufacturer’s software-update menu.

Updates can include fixes for:

• modem behavior;
• carrier compatibility;
• SIM handling;
• call stability.

Do not assume every call problem after an update requires a factory reset.

14. Reset Network Settings Only After the Basic Checks

Use a network reset after you have already checked:

• signal;
• SIM/eSIM;
• carrier outage;
• blocked callers;
• forwarding;
• Focus/DND;
• WiFi Calling;
• account status.

Samsung

Current Samsung software separates:

• Reset mobile network settings
• Reset Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings

For call problems, use the mobile network reset.

See How to Reset Network Settings on Samsung.

iPhone

Apple currently uses:

Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings

Apple notes that this erases saved network-related settings such as WiFi passwords, preferred networks, VPN, and APN settings.

15. Test the SIM in Another Phone

If possible, place the physical SIM in another unlocked compatible phone.

Incoming calls work there

The original phone becomes more likely to be the problem.

Incoming calls also fail there

The SIM, carrier account, or carrier network becomes more likely.

This is one of the most useful tests because it separates the phone from the carrier side.

16. Test Another Active SIM in Your Phone

If another compatible active SIM works normally in the same phone, your original SIM or carrier line is likely responsible.

If no SIM can receive calls, focus on:

• phone network settings;
• antenna/modem hardware;
• software;
• previous liquid or drop damage.

17. Third-Party Call Apps Can Interfere

If the problem started after installing:

• call blockers;
• spam filters;
• call recorders;
• alternative dialers;
• security apps;
• device-management tools;

disable or remove the recent app and test again.

On Android, Safe Mode can help determine whether a downloaded app is involved.

If you have trouble exiting Safe Mode, see Android Stuck in Safe Mode.

When Hardware Becomes More Likely

Hardware is more plausible when:

• several known-good SIMs fail;
• signal is consistently much weaker than nearby phones;
• the phone was dropped;
• there was liquid exposure;
• the antenna or modem was previously repaired;
• calls fail across different carriers and locations.

If the phone was recently wet and the speaker is also muffled, see How to Get Water Out of a Phone Speaker, but do not assume speaker moisture alone explains a network-registration problem.