Can iPhone ring when locked?

Try plugging in your headphones. If your phone isn't ringing audibly with the headphones out but it does with the headphones plugged in, then it is an issue with the 3.5mm jack in your phone. I read all of the posts from you apple users and finally figured this out intuitively (you know, like Android users typically can do).

My phone was doing the same as the others in this thread & I was about to lose my mind with this issue. No indication that I had missed calls, yet on MyVerizon the log was FILLED with HUNDREDS of calls 'forwarded to voicemail' - no record of who those calls were from, unless the caller DID leave a VM - silly me, I thought that since I had DND turned off it didn't matter which choice (Always or When iPhone is Locked) because I assumed that OFF meant OFF. Not quite the case, apparently. I changed it from where it was (when Locked) to Always, and so far it seems to have fixed the problem.
Thanks Chris!

SpoiledRotties wrote:

silly me, I thought that since I had DND turned off it didn't matter which choice (Always or When iPhone is Locked) because I assumed that OFF meant OFF. Not quite the case, apparently.

Yes, it is the case. I have "Always" set and DND turned off. I've never had a problem with my phone ringing. I'm glad your problem has been resolved but that's not the reason why.

Reset all settings.

Check if it worked.

Just a thought, has anyone checked the forwarded call settings? This could be sending the calls to voice mail when locked. (actually also when it is not locked as well, but carriers behaviour may differ)

The forward calling settings are carrier dependent, not IOS dependent. The carrier should have a code sequence to check on and off something like hash0000Hash (which is not a code BTW)

I'm sorry but it's really not true. I have not have DND enabled and I've been missing phone calls. Finally decided this morning to try to figure out what's going on. Don't want to leave the phone unlocked (which I used to do) because it uses up too much juice!

I'll try the Assistive suggestion.. But it's annoying to have the small moon on the screen.

Don't leave it unlocked. but find out what is wrong with your phone. Perhaps take it to an Apple store for evaluation. My 5 iPhones all ring when locked, and always have for 8 years.

Here is the problem: if you are using lock screen plus password then there is a good chance you won't hear your phone ring. If you are using lock screen but no password the problem still exists however the odds are a little better that you will hear the ring. The problem is not hardware but entirely software. It has been rampant since the release of IOS 9. This isn't something that can be fixed at the Apple Store or the Genius Bar. If you go that route they will only try to sell you a new phone. They can't fix it because they don't control the IOS code. They are just salespeople. I have tested and managed hardware for over two decades and as a IT Director I am going to take our organization to another brand of phone. Apple won't fix so we move on.

boblarrance wrote:

The problem is not hardware but entirely software.

If that were true, the symptoms would be quite universal (or at least close to it).

I have no problem with ring volume at all, whether the iPhone is locked or unlocked. I do use a passcode.

I believe you have reached an incorrect conclusion.

Enjoy your "move on".

Thanks for your wishes regarding our 'move', much appreciated. I'm not one to flame others on this board so I will take the comment in the same manner I behave in this forum. Here is my problem with your answer. First, there are literally thousands of posts regarding this problem online and while I haven't read even a fraction of those I have read many. In each post that cites the circumstances of the error the poster cites a recent IOS upgrade. Second, as I said there is a good chance it will happen. If it didn't happen to you then you fall on the other side of my observation. In no way am I saying that it will happen in any certain way. Frankly, it looks like you post a lot and I am assuming you care about your hardware, so I am happy that it hasn't happened to you. Third, there is no recourse via a visit to an Apple store or 'genius bar' for 'repair'. In fact, I cannot find one documented case online where this particular problem has been fixed by Apple staff. If you can find a real solution via a store visit please share. There are many of us that need it. Fourth, I do this for a living. I test and distribute hardware and software. I know an OS problem when I see it. Finally, I'm kicking myself because as a professional I never should have allowed us to become hooked on a free operating system running on hardware we own. It was a mistake. For example, we only use the version of Windows 10 that is purchase, the LTSB version. I feel very bad for my users.

boblarrance wrote:

Here is the problem: if you are using lock screen plus password then there is a good chance you won't hear your phone ring. If you are using lock screen but no password the problem still exists however the odds are a little better that you will hear the ring.

Whether or not the phone is locked or has a passcode has nothing to do with the volume of the ringer.

Hi, Meg. As I pointed out I have researched this error and found that the way I am describing it is exactly as it occurs for many users. It isn't a 'volume' problem. All sounds cease, entirely. The volume doesn't diminish. There simply is no sound. At first blush it shouldn't happen. But it does. And it is happening for many, many users that have upgraded to the most current IOS. Maybe it is something that happens in an upgrade? I have seen that over the last 2 1/2 decades of testing hardware. Perhaps it is a bug that only affect certain hardware sets, and by that I mean that IOS 9 might not be a perfect fit for all IPhones. I have found and confirmed that it was present in IOS 9 Beta testing and the problem was documented then, online, by reputable sources. After IOS 9 was found to be stable and released to the 'market' it was reported immediately in forums. It happens on lock screen for certain phones. Not all phones, but certain phones. It isn't a ringer 'volume' problem. Please see my other posts in this thread. At no time have I thought it might be volume. The ringer appears to be off, or silenced. All volume ceases, including notifications for IChat. Ever since the introduction of Digital Signal Processing on a wide scale most hardware has been dependent on software instructions. The alternative would be five pound phones. If software that determines the function of a particular chipset 'misfires' then things like this happens. It is similar to a PC that might have sound but no LAN, or LAN but no mouse. Etc. In lay terms, computer users talk about 'bad drivers'. If you are older then you might recall IRQ problems back in the day. It is roughly the same problem. That is what happens quite often with bad version upgrades. I think something similar is happening, here. I think it can be fixed however it hasn't been, yet, and many are suffering. For professionals that depend n their phone for critical client care it has the potential to cause liability claims.

Thank you!!

You da' man!! This worked for me as well, even after I went back in and turned "Assistive Touch" off.

This seems to be a bug of the silence button. After you turn it off and turn it back on (red hidden), you would have to

go to settings and unlock the sound as following:

settings--> sound-->lock sound

turn it off, and then turn it on.

The sound will come back.

I missed a month of my incoming calls before I finally figure out the problem.

Ray