iPhone 17 Pro – Frequent call drops since iOS 26.5.1

emsezgo wrote:

My sister does not have a VPN. I do, but I have had it disabled since before this issue started.

Don't disable it. REMOVE it completely in Settings > General > VPN & Device Management. Remove any associated app as well as any anti-virus or cleaner apps. Then Force Restart your iPhone --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

I have not.

Since iOS 26.6 was released today, have you tried updating to see if it resolves the issue?

Otherwise, if you're convinced it's software related, the next step would be to restore (not just erase all content and settings, but restore using Mac or PC) the device.

Hopefully the update resolves it, but if not unfortunately restoring would be the next troubleshooting step, given what you've already tried. You could also make an appointment with the Apple Store so they can run cellular tests just to rule out any other issues: https://getsupport.apple.com

Same! My old iPhone 15 was several times better. Since I got this 17, dropping calls like made and the battery life is no better than the 15 was. I switched off 5G and will test a couple days worth of LTE only 🤦🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

maren197 wrote:

I will update 26.6 for sure. However, setting up the phone from scratch is an hassle I would like to avoid. To get everything (e.g. banking, authenticators, MS Business) running again took me at least 4 weeks when setting it up the first time.

If you need to have it looked at by Apple in their repair facility then backup and restoring to Factory settings is a necessary evil.

Provided you have apps like MS Authenticator and Banking apps set up on your spare 13 phone it should make the reauthorisation of those apps a mornings work.

The "Call Failed" issue typically applies to outgoing calls because it occurs when your phone attempts to establish a connection to the network and initiate a call. Incoming calls, on the other hand, are reliant on the network's ability to route the call to your phone, which is a different process.

It seems your iPhone is experiencing call connectivity problems, causing calls to abruptly end with "Call Back" or "Cancel" options on the screen, refer to the pics below. This happens when a call is failed which you forgot to mention in your post.

If you are experiencing intermittent silence or drop or the call itself is disconnected during voice calls on your iPhone, there are a few things you can try to fix the issue:

1. Poor signal strength can cause dropouts or silence during a call. Try moving to an area with better reception or switching to a different network if possible.
2. Restart your iPhone --> Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support
3. Force Restart your iPhone --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support)
4. This may help too. General Troubleshooting iPhone Issues: St… - Apple Community
5. Check if your audio is not connected to external Bluetooth speakers.
6. Few other reasons why your device keeps Muting / Dropping / Disconnecting Calls or encountering Call Failed.
   1. Your device's cellular signal Is weak.
   2. It's Raining (Cats & Dogs) in your area or in the area where your device is hooked.
   3. The Cell Tower is Overloaded / Heavy Traffic (Telecommunication)
   4. You've misunderstood your signal strength
   5. You are moving and the signal weakens while changing from one tower to another
7. Other culprits may include the following:
   1. Bad Weather: Precipitation can leak into phone cable lines and cause disruptions. Lightening, even at a distance, can disrupt the connection.
   2. Wireless interference: Power lines, radio, or television. transmitters, transformers, and other electronic devices may cause noise on the phone line. --> Resolve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth issues caused by wireless ...
   3. DSL services: The high-frequency signals coming from DSL (digital subscriber line) devices sharing the phone line can create problems for other technology connected to the line.
8. Try to turn on Airplane mode, wait for 10-15 secs, and turn off aeroplane mode.
9. Check the health of your device's Battery. Change if below 80%
10. Take the SIM out and Put it back again, Change your SIM, if it is damaged
11. Time to contact your Carrier / Change if required

emsezgo wrote:

Both myself and my sister are having the same issue, both on incoming and outgoing calls. So frustrating. We are both current on updates. Does anyone know if Apple is actively looking into this bug?

There will always be a subset of the more than 1.5 Billion users who have an issue. But that doesn't mean an issue is universal, nor necessarily caused by an update. Call issues are complex and usually require the carrier to either roll out an update or reprovision someone's account. I have had zero issues with any of the iOS 26 updates, including the newest iOS 26.6.1 update. No one I know is having call issues. If this was a universal issue, this forum would be blown up with people complaining, but it's not. The tech press would be all over this and reporting it on the national news, but they're not.

This is a user to user only forum. Since none of us work for Apple, we have no idea what Apple may be working on or not. But you can let Apple know you're having an issue by providing feedback here --> Feedback - iPhone - Apple

Since you are having an issue, you should be pushing your carrier for help. They are the ones who handle phone calls, not Apple.

maren197 wrote:

Since updating my iPhone 17 Pro to iOS 26.5.1•

Is anyone else experiencing frequent call drops since iOS 26.5.1, especially on an iPhone 17 Pro?

Not every issue an individual encounters on their device can be attributed to an iOS update. If the update itself were the root cause, then every device running that same version of iOS would exhibit the identical problem. In such a scenario, the forums would be flooded with countless posts reporting the same malfunction, creating an unmistakable wave of complaints that no one could possibly overlook. The absence of such widespread reports strongly indicates that the issue is not systemic, but rather specific to the device in question.

Both myself and my sister are having the same issue, both on incoming and outgoing calls. So frustrating. We are both current on updates. Does anyone know if Apple is actively looking into this bug?

emsezgo wrote:

Both myself and my sister are having the same issue, both on incoming and outgoing calls. So frustrating. We are both current on updates. Does anyone know if Apple is actively looking into this bug?

Did you install the same VPN on her phone as yours?

Same carrier?

Not the same VPN or carrier. Never had a problem and then it started for both of us around the same time. I did just update to 26.6.1 yesterday so I will update this thread with any changes in a week. I’m not a big phone talker but when this started it was almost every call cutting out so I should know soon.

emsezgo wrote:

Not the same VPN or carrier. Never had a problem and then it started for both of us around the same time. I did just update to 26.6.1 yesterday so I will update this thread with any changes in a week. I’m not a big phone talker but when this started it was almost every call cutting out so I should know soon.

Does that mean, you DO have a VPN on your phone? VPNs aren't needed unless required by a school of employer (who should provide it if they do), they don't provide the security people have been led to believe they do (unless you're OK with them selling your data to anyone willing to pay for it), but they DO cause all sorts of connectivity issues.