iPhone Won't Ring, Delayed Voicemail Indication

I'm having the same problem, but if I can't find the answer here I'll be calling AT&T next. I had another issue a couple of weeks ago so I called tech support at AT&T and the lady stayed with me until she knew for sure the problem was resolved.

You're correct about the phone being the problem and not ATT. The tech support person was nice enough to take it upon herself to help. I haven't had the time to troubleshoot this ring problem the last few days but I thought I'd check this forum right now before doing a reset, a restart and any thing else that is advised on the Apple web sites.

Walter,
I have some information that may help.
My iPhone, on average, takes about 10 minutes to register a voicemail. If the phone rings at 1:24, the voicemail may show at 1:34. But the time stamp on the voicemail is still 1:24. So it's being recorded correctly, just not displayed.
I talked to a media contact at AT&T -- I am the iPhone blogger at the Chicago Tribune -- and he told me that because visual voicemail is a feature that requires EDGE/AT&T, that sometimes there is a delay when on Wi-Fi.
This is true because if I have wi-fi off when I get the voicemail, it's almost immediate.
Supposedly, even when Wi-Fi is on, the phone is supposed to access EDGE to get voicemails, etc., but the delay is still there. I'm told it depends on towers and geography.
So while it's annoying, there's nothing technically wrong with your iPhone.
I hope that helps put your mind at ease.

Scott Kleinberg
editor
iPhone, Therefore I Blog
Chicago Tribune

<Edited by Moderator>

I guess that makes some sense when it comes to voicemails. Unfortunately delayed voicemail happens to me whether I'm in a WiFi enabled area or not. Most of the time voicemail is delayed on my phone by 24 or more hours.

The fact that my phone doesn't RING most of the time is most disturbing to me - AND the people trying to reach me. I have to continually check my phone to see if I've missed a call. The phone unreliability factor is really getting to me. I've never had this problem with ATT before and I've used the service for years.

Karrie

24 hours? Definitely not normal by any stretch of the imagination. What does AT&T tech support say? It sounds like your voicemail needs to be reset.

And you don't get any calls? What kind of signal strength do you have in general?

<Edited by Moderator>

I have experienced the few minute delay that Scott mentions, but never 24 hours.

As for the ring or not ring, missed call scenario, it could either be the phone, or the network in your area. If voicemails are taking sonetimes a day to get to you, this sounds to me like more of a network thing.

Think it has already been said, but Visual Voice Mail works over Edge only thus must have an Edge signal. Problem with Edge is it can only do one thing at a time. If long message and then you hit your check mail interval, they collide and voice mail is delayed while it checks mail. Not sure if it has to start over. Same with phone calls, it cannot get a call and download voice mail at same time. It does sort of suck but it is about Edge. Now not sure if the phone can prioritize which takes priority or not. I belive since the phone starts the mail check it can stop the Edge download of voice mail to check, but not sure if while downloading voice mail if it can ever be told a call is coming in (thus you miss it while a voice mail is being downloaded).

Since Edge is so bad inside office buildings, a bad signal with a large voice mail could take a long time. I myself would like to see it show you have a voice mail then start downloading. So if you try to play and see it is not fully downloaded, you can just go press 1 and hold to call voice mail and hear it over the phone instead. I have actually seen it do this for me but not always. May be a 1.1.2 update that wasn't mentioned because that setup just happened the first time for me this past Sun. Got notified, went to play, I saw progress icon instead of playing icon. I waited but never played. So I called voice mail instead. Heard the message. A bit later went to check visual voice mail again and it played right away (but also showed that it was already listened to via no blue ball next to it). I can live with that setup if it always works like that from now on.

Just got my iPhone a week ago. I'm experiencing the same problems and it is awfully annoying. I couldn't figure out why I was missing everyone's calls for about 4 days and then decided to search here. There are a number of other threads on here discussing this issue, and the only resolution seems to be getting a new phone (someone even had their phone sent out for repair and it behaved the same when the received it after being "fixed"). I spend 2 hours on the phone with both AT&T and Apple this past weekend and determined that the problem is definitely not with AT&T and definitely IS with my iPhone (specifically with either the hardware or my SIM card---those are the only two possibilities left). I tried every solution the iPhone specialist could think of (he was very helpful and patient) including restoring the firmware and resetting it completely, but nothing fixed the problem. I've got a genius bar appointment at my local Apple Store for tomorrow evening to get a new iPhone.

The threads I've read have provided the following information/temporary solutions, but you should definitely get a new phone:

The phone won't ring if it is in standby mode (the default behavior that occurs after 1 min where the screen turns off and the phone locks itself) or if you tap the top button to put it in standby mode. Note that I don't mean I'm turning the phone off by holding the top button, and I'm also not setting the passcode lock in Settings/General.

The phone will ring/receive SMS messages if it is plugged in (either to a computer or a power outlet).

The phone will ring/receive SMS messages if you start a song playing on the phone, pause the music, and then put the phone in standby. I just tested this and it works.

Guess the iPod/pausing solution isn't failsafe. I just had a friend tell me that his call went straight to my voicemail while my phone was sitting right in front of me.

Argh, can't wait until my genius bar appointment...

Edit: Btw, I have experienced this both with only an Edge connection and when connected to a WiFi network, and with full cellular signal strength in both situations.

Message was edited by: Matt M.

My iPhone worked fine until the software was updated.

The phone won't ring (no, it is not on vibrate), sync, some many other issues, etc.

It is the only phone I have. AT&T and Apple want me (you) to call in using another phone. If I wanted a land line, I would have got one. Since I didn't want a land line I got an iPhone that does not work and the Apple tech rep that I spoke to at length had a thick Asian Indian accent, so communicating was a struggle. He was not able to help. He suggested I call back in.

Between AT&T reception problems and the iPhone not ringing, and poor technical support from both companies, I have resorted to trying to find the answer online for the iPhone not ringing, etc. I find no definitive answer here. Where can I find one online?

AT&T said that they would give me a call on Tuesday (a week after I called into them) after a technical rep comes out to check my reception problems, so that would make it Christmas?

You may be asking how did I manage to get an At&T technical rep comes out to check my reception problems? I've been complaining about the poor reception monthly for about 6 months! They need to find the problem or let me out of my contact! Ah, but are they really coming out or giving me "lip service?"

I guess then I stuck with an iPhone that doesn't work as a phone! I am fed up!!!

Feeling a little stupid but happy.

In the "Setting" --> "Sounds" setting: The "Silent" setting does not change when you toggle the "Silent Button" just above the volume up and down (on the left side of the phone). Since I did not toggle the "Silent Button" intentionally, I did not know it was in "Silent Mode" since the "Silent" setting does not change when you toggle the "Silent Button" when looking at the "Setting" --> "Sounds" setting.

Why didn't the Apple service tech know to tell me to check this button which is so poorly designed in placement that it can be accidently toggled? He had me look at my "Sounds" setting.

Why doesn't toggling the "Silent" button show up in the "Sound" settings as being toggled? If it did, then it would be a no brainer for people to figure out why your iPhones aren't ringing.

Probably the reason people haven't posted the solution to this problem is that are too embarrassed to admit it was so simple. I'll get over it but I hope this helps someone!

I'm still experiencing an assortment of error messages about syncing, etc:

The iTunes Library file cannot be saved. An unknown error occurred (-48).

iTunes could not connect to iPhone. "Pat McClendon's iPhone" because of an unknown error occurred (OxE8000025).

etc.

My iPhone doesn't ring! I have called Apple twice. I've been to the Apple store...I am going back today to get a service phone and they are saying they will send my phone in for repairs. (From what everyone else has said the repair service won't fix it either.) That is pretty annoying! I checked the settings and everything and it still doesn't ring! I've done a restore and a reset and that doesn't solve the problem either! I am frustrated right now with this phone and the run-around I am getting! The stupid thing is that they have dealt with a lot of problems like this and they just play dumb when you call and say that "I shouldn't believe what I read on the discussion boards." You know they have had to replace several phones because of this same issue! GRRR!! I love Apple but I feel like my phone is a Dell or an IBM at this point.