Why is my phone not making a sound when I get a phone call?
Nothing is more frustrating than missing an important call because your phone didn’t ring. When your Android phone doesn’t make any sound for incoming calls, you’re left wondering why it suddenly stopped working.
A phone that doesn’t ring means you’ll miss calls from family, friends, work contacts, and others trying to reach you. This can lead to confusion, missed plans, lost business, and relationship problems. Having an unresponsive phone is not just inconvenient – it can have real social and professional consequences.
In this guide, we’ll explore the most common reasons an Android phone may stop ringing. By identifying the cause, you can take steps to get your phone’s ringer and notification sounds back up and running. With a few troubleshooting tips, you can stop missing calls and stay connected.
Common Causes
There are three common causes for your phone not making a sound when receiving calls:
Ringer/Media Volume Turned Down
One of the most common reasons a phone doesn’t ring is because the ringer or media volume has been turned down or muted. Check the volume buttons on your phone and make sure the ringer volume is turned up. Go into your phone’s Settings > Sounds (or Sound & Vibration on some phones) and check that the ringer and media volumes are set high enough to be audible.
Do Not Disturb Mode Enabled
Many phones have a Do Not Disturb or Silent mode that will mute sounds and vibrations. Check to make sure this mode is not enabled – you can find it in Settings. Turn off Do Not Disturb and Silent modes to ensure your phone can ring loudly again.
Software Bug or Glitch
Sometimes a software bug or glitch can cause calling issues like no ringtone. Try restarting your phone to clear any software problems. Check for available software updates and install any available. If issues persist, you may need to contact your cell provider or the phone manufacturer for troubleshooting help.
Checking Ringer Volume
To check your iPhone’s ringer and alert volumes, open the Settings app and tap Sounds & Haptics. Here you can adjust the volume slider for Ringtone and Alerts which controls the loudness for incoming calls and notifications 1. Make sure this slider is not set all the way to the left at zero volume. You can also toggle the Change with Buttons option to lock the ringtone and alert volume so it does not change when using the physical volume buttons on your iPhone.
The Ringtone and Alerts setting is separate from your iPhone’s media volume for music, videos, games etc. To adjust media volume, use the volume buttons on the side of your iPhone while playing audio or video content. Some third party apps may also have their own volume settings that can override the system volume.
If your ringer volume is set to an audible level but your phone still does not ring for incoming calls, Do Not Disturb mode may be enabled which mutes sounds. You can also try resetting all settings which will restore volume defaults.
Do Not Disturb Mode
Do Not Disturb mode is a setting on iPhones that mutes calls, alerts and notifications. When enabled, your iPhone will not ring or vibrate when receiving calls or notifications, essentially silencing your device.
To enable Do Not Disturb mode on your iPhone:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center.
- Tap the crescent moon icon to toggle on Do Not Disturb.
You can set a schedule for Do Not Disturb mode to automatically turn on and off during certain times, like at night when you’re sleeping. You can also create exceptions so that calls or notifications from certain people will still come through.
To disable Do Not Disturb mode:
- Open Control Center again and tap the crescent moon icon to turn it off.
- You can also go to Settings > Do Not Disturb and toggle it off there.
If your iPhone is not ringing due to having Do Not Disturb enabled inadvertently, simply toggle it off in Control Center or Settings to resume normal call alerts and notifications.
Software Issues
Software bugs in iOS can sometimes cause an iPhone to stop playing ringtones for incoming calls. This seems to be an issue primarily after major iOS updates, with users reporting the problem arising in iOS 14 and iOS 15.
According to discussions on Apple’s support forums, one of the main causes seems to be a bug in iOS preventing the selected ringtone from actually playing during calls. Even though a ringtone is set and volume is turned up, incoming calls simply vibrate with no audible ring.
The recommended fix is to try rebooting the iPhone and installing any available iOS updates. This often resolves the software glitch and restores normal ringtones. If the issue persists after rebooting, you may need to change the selected ringtone to another option and back again to reset the setting. As a last resort, resetting all settings can clear out any problematic configurations, but will also reset all other preferences.
Updating to the latest iOS version tends to prevent this issue from occurring again. However, new bugs invariably crop up after major iOS updates. Keeping iPhone software up-to-date and rebooting after updates can help minimize software issues leading to muted ringtones.
Other Sound Issues
Speakers damaged or faulty hardware can cause issues with sound coming from your phone. If the phone’s speakers are damaged due to wear and tear, exposure to moisture, or physical impact, it can prevent any audio from coming through properly. This requires repair or replacement of the speakers themselves.
Issues with the headphone jack like lint, debris, and corrosion can also block the connection between headphones/earbuds and your phone, resulting in no sound coming through the speakers. You can try cleaning out the headphone jack gently with compressed air or a toothpick. Severe damage to the jack may require replacement. See this guide for fixing headphone jack issues: https://www.cellphonerepair.com/how-to-fix-phone-sound-issues
Overall, hardware damage is often the culprit behind speakers not working properly. While software fixes may help initially, a damaged speaker or headphone jack needs repair or replacement to fully resolve no sound issues.
Contacting Support
If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps like checking Do Not Disturb settings, ringer volume, software updates, and the issue persists, it’s time to contact Apple support or your cell provider. According to this Apple discussion thread, getting in touch with Apple should be the next step when an iPhone is not ringing after updates.
When you contact Apple support or your cell provider, they will walk through some additional troubleshooting steps. This may include resetting network settings, restoring your device to factory settings, or even replacing your iPhone if hardware issues are suspected. Support can run diagnostics to check if there are any software bugs causing the no ring issue.
If you are within warranty, Apple or your provider may be able to offer a replacement device if they cannot resolve the no ring problem through troubleshooting. Contact support by phone, chat, email, or book an appointment at an Apple store for in-person troubleshooting.
Preventative Tips
There are a few things you can do to help prevent issues with your iPhone not ringing in the future:
First, make sure your ringer volume is set high enough that you’ll be able to hear it when a call comes in. You can adjust the ringer volume in Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Set it to a comfortable level where you’ll be sure to notice when a call is coming through [1].
You’ll also want to check your Do Not Disturb settings and schedule “downtime” when you don’t need notifications. Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb and configure your preferences. Set DND to turn on automatically during times like when you’re sleeping so it won’t interfere with calls during your waking hours [2].
By optimizing your ringer volume and DND settings, you can avoid many of the issues that can cause your iPhone not to ring. Just be sure to test it out occasionally by having someone call you to confirm it’s working as expected.
Third-party Apps
If the default ringtones and alert sounds on your iPhone aren’t enough, there are some great third-party apps that provide more options for customizing your ringtones and notification sounds.
Apps like Ringtones Maker – the ring app make it easy to turn any song or audio clip into a ringtone or text tone for your iPhone. You can trim audio clips, adjust volume, and export custom ringtones. The app provides a large library of ringtones and alerts to choose from as well.
Another top ringtone app is RingTune, which lets you create ringtones from songs in your iPhone music library. You can customize ringtones by selecting specific segments of songs. The app also includes a mixer to adjust audio settings.
These types of apps provide much more customization and personalization for your iPhone’s ringtones and notification sounds. If you want your phone to have unique tones that fit your style, third-party ringtone and alert apps are a great option.
Summary
In summary, there are several common reasons why your phone may not ring or make a sound when receiving calls, including low ringer volume, Do Not Disturb mode being enabled, software issues, or problems with the physical hardware. It’s important to troubleshoot and address this issue so you don’t miss any important calls. Key solutions include checking your ringer and media volumes, toggling on/off airplane mode, restarting your device, updating software, using safe mode, and contacting customer support if needed. With consistent testing and diligence, you should be able to resolve any incoming call sound problems. Just be sure to methodically try each fix one by one until your phone rings loud and clear again.