Why is my iPhone silencing calls?

That is not the right solution. Check your ring tone setting in Settings/Sounds & Haptics and while there select a ring tone and choose Classic→Old Phone, as it is the loudest; when you tap it you should hear it. Also check the Mute switch on the left side of the phone near the top; it should be towards the screen. Then, while on the Home screen, press the Volume Up button until the “thermometer” shows maximum volume. If the volume button does not display the volume level go to Settings/Sounds & Haptics and make sure Change with Buttons is on.

My iPhone 11 sucks. It’s a piece of crap. Silenced calls and no text notifications have cost me money because of me not being able to respond in a timely manner. Called Apple Support who could not fix it. They offered to replace with a refurbished iPhone. Please give me a break. Why would I want a refurbished one when the new one I purchased less than two years ago is a piece of crap. Fed up with iPhones. I must say I am fed up with the Apple Watch also.

I had this same problem. I finally found the answer - under settings - scroll down and click on "Phone", then scroll down to "Silence Unknown Callers." Mine was set to "on" so I changed it to "off" I have mixed feelings about this, but I keep missing calls from contractors that I don't know, so I really don't have a choice.

If everything is perfectly fine, then check for the following setting:

Settings ➤ Phone ➤ Silence Unknown Callers ➤ make sure it's toggled off.

Additionally, if nothing seems to work then try force restarting your iPhone a couple of times. If that still doesn't work, contact Apple Support.

Moreover, the image which you've attached regarding Do Not Disturb doesn't have a problem. It'll remain checked and only works when you turn on Do Not Disturb. Once you turn it on, then you can decide whether to Silence it 'Always' or 'While iPhone is locked. It doesn't have to do anything when Do Not Disturb is turned off.

Hope this helps you out.

I am missing calls because phone the phone is locked. I have tried these fixes. I have accept calls from everyone. Do not disturb is not on and the volume is all the way up. Very important to fix as doctors and nurses are trying to call me and I am missing their calls.

I am replying to this issue about unknown callers being silenced. My reply relates to Silent mode, not unknown callers, but it may help those confused by online instructions to use the Do Not Disturb settings in relation to Silent mode:

The Do Not Disturb settings, such as Allow calls from Favorites or two calls in a row WILL NOT work when you have switched your phone to Silent. It will only work when you are in Do Not Disturb mode—if you don’t also have it on Silent.

I think this is a terrible thing—that whenever we put our phones on Silent using the switch absolutely NO-ONE can get through with an audible ring NO MATTER WHAT. At most you’ll hear a vibration. Per Apple Support, there is NO way to get an audible ring from either Favorites, Emergency Contacts or Groups while in Silent mode.

The only way to get around this is to NEVER switch your phone to Silent at night, but to use the Do Not Disturb feature instead. But that takes extra steps. 

If you have any questions about this please ask me. Online articles will contain the wrong information.

If you want emergency calls to always be audible start using Do Not Disturb instead of the Silent switch. In that mode you can hear even the first call from Favorites, or Contact Groups if you choose those in the Do Not Disturb settings.

Apple should really allow some exceptions to Silent mode similar to the exceptions for Do Not Disturb.

This automatic setting can be really dangerous. I’ve just had to call emergency services for a very ill child and no one could get through to me because all their calls were silenced. Because I don’t often get other calls outside my contacts this was not the best way to find out my phone doesn’t work when I really need it.

The very same thing happened to me. Calls from the doctors and hospital were not coming through. In the middle of the night I was so worried I got up and added the ICU number to my contacts hoping that would help and luckily the ICU call came through the next morning.

I lost a client, missed a meeting call, and got fired over this happening 3 times in a 24 hour period while I frantically tried to find a solution. I didn't sleep, appealed the reactions by admitting an disability, and despite all the humiliation- was seen as somehow "tech-stupid". apple plows ahead with no regard for the ripple effects of what appear to be draconian, confusing, and frankly stupid features with default settings that are buried.

I had to suffer a humiliating public lecture on how "do not disturb" works from a 20 something, while biting my tongue because of course that wasn't the cause.

at last count, there were more than 22 possibilities currently that could cause this through various settings, toggles, and combinations. Some of which no normal human being could imagine actually turns the actual simple ring tone telling you you have a **** call - to simply.not.ring.

good luck all. iOS 15 is filled with traps, and wait until your Health App lowers your volume by 50% based on knowing your year of birth (age) to protect your hearing, while not knowing you're a 60 year young DJ playing music for 10k crowd - not ear buds- and you can't turn your volume up. 11 steps it requires to fix that - and it only stays fixed 7 days.

Siri is your mother.

If you’re not not getting calls try this:

go to Settings, then Phone and scroll down to Silence Unknown Callers and make sure that it is turned off ( not green) touch the > and make sure it is turned off ( not green) on the next page as well.

I cannot take my phone off of silence when locked. The only alternative is to always silence. I have checked all the recommended settings and I am unable to change this feature. The previous suggestions do not solve this problem. I would appreciate a solution. Thank you

check the simple stuff first - is your silent button on - see side of your phone - the top little button should be switched up toward the screen and not down. "Bang" phone can be heard ringing now. Or power off and then on can also do the trick

Man this was so frustrating to fix on my end.

My problem turned out to be that the silent switch on the iPhone was broken the whole time. The phone was muted because of this and did not unmute even if I flicked the switch up. Took me a while to figure this out.

Based on internet suggestions…I turned on Assistive Touch and found the mute toggle to unmute my phone. Hope this helps for the small number of people who encounter the same issue as I did.

My husband iPhone 6s is silencing calls some time it will not it silencing my cell and house phone but every once in a while it won’t what’s going on Ivwas on phone with apple secersl days ago for 4 hours they though it had something to do with updates but or force but we did update and force and now having same issues

How about not putting in features that don’t change what we have already setup when you get a f’ing update?

You guys are seriously destroying what used to be a great experience and all I wanna do is go back to android after six years of your mismanaged garbage.