Level 1

96 points

Why is my iPhone silencing calls?

After the last iOS update, my iPhone 11 Pro Max (iOS 13.6) has decided to silence calls from any number outside of My Favorites list, and it will also not ring/vibrate when receiving ANY texts, regardless of who they are from. This only appears to happen when the phone is locked.

In settings, "Do Not Disturb" is turned off, but the checkbox under "Silence" is still on (see image). The only choices there are "Silence Always" or "Silence When Phone is Locked." Calls are being allowed from Everyone.

On the phone itself, side switch is up, and volume is at full.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 11 Pro Max

Posted on Aug 7, 2020 6:54 AM

Top-ranking reply

Lawrence Finch

Community+ 2026

Level 10

239,260 points

Posted on Jan 20, 2021 6:40 AM

FIRST: Are the missed calls in Phone/Recents on the phone? If they are not the problem is in the network, because the calls aren’t getting to your phone. Contact your carrier:

check with your carrier that they don’t have a local outage, and that you didn’t have any settings that would have immediately invoked voicemail
check up on them at Down Detector - outages

If they are in Recents here’s what to check:

Check the MUTE switch on the left side of the phone, above the volume buttons. It should be towards the screen
Check the volume setting. With the Home screen displayed, press the VOLUME UP button on the left side of the phone. It’s above the VOLUME DOWN button.
Go to Settings/Do not Disturb. Turn it off if it is on. Also turn off Scheduled. With both off none of the other switches there matter.
Go to Settings/Phone. There’s a switch for Silence Unknown Callers. If it is on any calls from numbers not in your contacts will go directly to voicemail.
Also in Settings/Phone: Make sure Call Forwarding is off.
Go to Settings/Sounds & Haptics. Make sure there is a sound assigned to Ringtone.
Go to Settings/Screen Time/Communications Limits. Tap each of the 2 entries and make sure both are “Everyone"
Restart your phone-->RESTART your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

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Similar questions

290 replies

Jul 23, 2021 9:31 AM in response to normafromdorchester

Phone it after doing a "search" for Silence Unknown Calls.

jlw2271

Level 1

8 points

Sep 26, 2021 6:00 AM in response to 334Good

I READ THRU & TRIED ALL OF THESE TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS!!!!! Finally figured it out it was my sim card-my carrier company gave me a new one -works now!

jlw2271

Level 1

8 points

Sep 27, 2021 4:36 PM in response to zinhle273

Try changing your SIM card. That worked for me.

Nov 7, 2021 7:33 PM in response to dromanell

I did all the steps and have one more to add. Hopefully this will work! Set the ‘announce calls’ to ALWAYS. Otherwise I noticed that my setting said ‘NEVER’. Good luck.

dromanell Author

Level 1

96 points

Aug 7, 2020 10:25 AM in response to SravanKrA

All of these were OFF: Bedtime Status, Call Audio Routing, Auto Answer Calls. Bluetooth was not streaming to any devices. Ringer switch was on, and volume was up. And the phone is not stuck in Headphone Mode.

Mar 17, 2021 9:16 AM in response to outdoorlover

outdoorlover wrote:

These suggestions did not fix the problem for me. as the Silence While iphone is locked is still checked even though "Do Not Disturb" is off.

That is not the reason. Silence while phone is locked only applies if DND is on.

Mar 23, 2021 6:24 AM in response to RisingPh0enix

RisingPh0enix wrote:

What helped me fix the problem for my iphone was, with all due respect, not the list provided by two Level10 members nor any of the solutions in other replies, some of which worked for others.

So this update had automatically changed my Settings>Phone>Announce Calls> NEVER (!!!!) (I’ve attached the screenshot)

I changed ‘Never’ to ‘Always’, which is what it ought to have been by default !

OK, I tried that. Announce Calls simply announces the name of the caller; it has nothing to do with ringing. My phone rings regardless of the setting of Announce Calls. I can set it to Never and the phone still rings. And the default of Never is probably a sensible one; if you are in an important meeting and you get a call from someone you are intimate with you really don’t want everyone in the meeting to hear the announcement.

May 5, 2021 2:56 PM in response to sertcelik

Me too... I fixed once by turning phone off then on now happening again after 7 years buying apple I’m going to go back to Samsung. I can fix a loose charging port but if I keep missing calls I ll get fired. Thx apple your update just lost you a customer.

Oct 25, 2021 2:56 PM in response to donine_

donine_ wrote:

OMG!!! This was it the entire time!!! Of course, no info about that stupid button anywhere in any of my iPhone 11 ProMax literature. THANK YOU!!

You mean like here:

How to put your iPhone on vibrate, ring, or silent mode - Apple Support

Fly3010

Level 1

8 points

Nov 10, 2022 12:41 PM in response to dromanell

Mine just started doing this recently and I figured it out by going to Settings >Phone >Call Blocking & Identification. I’d checked that Silence Unknown Callers was off already but there’s another step that could help someone else out there.

Sep 21, 2020 10:35 AM in response to dromanell

My phone is doing the same thing! 🤬

Mercy3

Level 1

15 points

Sep 28, 2020 8:29 PM in response to dromanell

out of blue all my calls and texts are being silenced!! very frustrating

dromanell Author

Level 1

96 points

Sep 30, 2020 7:29 AM in response to amymnic

That didn't fix the issue. Silence Unknown Callers is off, and no one is being blocked.

Sep 30, 2020 2:39 PM in response to amymnic

Thanks for that, we'll see if it works.

Oct 9, 2020 6:02 AM in response to dromanell

I will try this too it sounds like the best answer that I have seen so far. I will let you know if I have any problems with it but, I think that this is the solution to my problem. Thanks

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Why is my iPhone silencing calls?