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Making calls with my 2nd iPhone

I own 2 iPhones, one is an 11 Pro with a Sim, and one is a 15 Pro WITHOUT a sim.


Apple has a thread stating that you can link the phones to the same Apple ID, and using the calls on nearby devices feature, you can MAKE and Receive calls on your other devices.


This feature does work, and I can receive calls on my 15 Pro, but I can't MAKE calls on my 15 Pro using the sim on my 11 Pro. On my iPad, I can make calls as well, but for some reason on the iPhone, it just says call failed.


Please help me out on this.

iPhone 15 Pro, iOS 17

Posted on Jan 10, 2024 6:38 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jan 10, 2024 7:13 AM

Please re read the documentation you linked here. On the same page, where it shows how to link it to another iPhone, it specifically mentions MAKE and Receive calls.

12 replies

Jan 10, 2024 7:44 AM in response to AudacityEdits

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Jan 10, 2024 7:05 AM in response to AudacityEdits

AudacityEdits wrote:

This feature does work, and I can receive calls on my 15 Pro, but I can't MAKE calls on my 15 Pro using the sim on my 11 Pro. On my iPad, I can make calls as well, but for some reason on the iPhone, it just says call failed.

From Apple's documentation:


With the iPhone Cellular Calls feature, you can make and receive phone calls from your Mac or iPad when those devices are on the same network as your iPhone.


You'll note that it says nothing about being able to make calls from a iPhone. The fact that you can receive them is a by-product of sharing an Apple ID. But, no, you can't make a call from an iPhone without a SIM.


Make and receive phone calls on Mac or iPad - Apple Support

Apr 23, 2024 3:38 PM in response to AudacityEdits

I have been trying to understand and solve exactly the same problem. Apple clearly states that other devices can be allowed to make and receive calls using an iPhone with an active cellular account. Iphones are listed on the setting page and can be allowed. What is the point of being able to receive but not be able to make calls. I think it is just a software feature that Apple intentionally arranged that way.


I noticed that iPad pro uses face time to make calls, and there is a setting that needs to be enabled.

Jan 10, 2024 7:07 AM in response to AudacityEdits

Unfortunately, making a call from an iPhone 15 Pro without a SIM card using the SIM on an iPhone 11 Pro with Calls on Other Devices enabled is not possible directly.


Making calls directly from an iPhone 15 Pro without a SIM card using the SIM from an iPhone 11 Pro through "Calls on Other Devices" might not work. The "Calls on Other Devices" feature typically allows you to make and receive calls on other Apple devices using the same iCloud account and Wi-Fi network as the iPhone with the active SIM card. However, it usually requires both devices to have their own SIM cards or be connected to the same cellular network for this feature to function properly. Without a SIM card in the iPhone 15 Pro, the direct calling functionality might not be possible through this method.


Here's why:

SIM cards are essential for cellular connectivity:

The SIM card identifies your device to the cellular network and stores your service information like phone number and data plan. Without a SIM card, your iPhone 14 cannot connect to the cellular network and make or receive calls.


Calls on Other Devices works differently:

This feature allows you to make and receive calls on other Apple devices like iPad or Mac as long as they're signed in to the same iCloud account and connected to Wi-Fi or FaceTime over Wi-Fi. However, it still relies on the active cellular connection of the primary device, which needs a SIM card.

Jan 10, 2024 7:40 AM in response to AudacityEdits

Are you experiencing the 'Phone' option in Settings being disabled or greyed out on your iPhone 15 Pro? If so, it's important to note that the existing documentation might not cover this scenario. When creating the documentation, the author might not have considered the possibility that an iPhone user would be operating the device without a SIM card.


That is the reason Macs and iPads do not have Phone icon.

Jan 10, 2024 7:37 AM in response to AudacityEdits

AudacityEdits wrote:

Please re read the documentation you linked here. On the same page, where it shows how to link it to another iPhone, it specifically mentions MAKE and Receive calls.

Where does it say that? Can you copy and paste the passage (and provide a link if it's different than the one I posted) to which you are referring that explicitly states you can make calls from another phone?

Making calls with my 2nd iPhone

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