Fixed: iPhone calls going straight to voicemail without ringing
Picture this: You’re eagerly awaiting an important call, and your phone is right beside you. Yet, somehow, you miss it because the call goes straight to voicemail without ringing. Frustrating, right?
Don’t worry; you’re not alone. This issue has left many iPhone users feeling disconnected and anxious. In this article, we’ll share why iPhone calls go straight to voicemail and provide some easy solutions to fix it.
There could be several reasons why your iPhone calls are going straight to voicemail. It could be because of a simple setting that’s turned on accidentally, or there might be a more technical issue at play. Let’s break down the possible causes:
Below are some fixes you can try when your iPhone calls keep going to voicemail.
Sometimes, restarting the iPhone can do wonders. When you do this, it clears the memory and resolves minor glitches that may cause your calls to go straight to voicemail.
It might sound obvious but ensure Airplane Mode isn’t turned off on your iPhone. Airplane Mode cuts off your phone’s connection to all wireless and cellular networks. This means your phone won’t be able to receive calls, and by default, the calls will go to voicemail without ringing.
If Airplane Mode is enabled, you’ll see an airplane icon in the status bar. To turn it off, access the Control Center, long-press the connectivity tile, and tap the airplane icon.
If it’s not enabled, you may turn on the Airplane mode for a few seconds and disable it to refresh the network connection.
If you’ve accidentally blocked a contact or number, their calls won’t come through and may end up in your iPhone voicemail. Unblock the number to see if that helps.
On iOS 18:
On iOS 17:
The iPhone has a spam protection feature, Silence Unknown Callers, that silences incoming calls from unknown numbers. If calls in your voicemail only consist of people you don’t know and those not saved in your contacts list, it’s possible that the Silence Unknown Callers feature is enabled.
On iOS 18:
On iOS 17:
When you enable Do Not Disturb or any other Focus Mode, it silences the calls, alerts, and notifications to avoid distractions. You’ll still get calls, but your iPhone doesn’t ring, vibrate, or light up, so they eventually go to your voicemail. It’s best to customize the Focus mode settings or turn it off to avoid this.
To turn off a Focus mode, open the Control Center and tap the Focus button (with eclipse icon). This will open the Focus list. Finally, select the Focus name to disable it.
If you want to keep the Focus mode turned on to prevent notifications from bothering you, but still want to be reachable—at least to certain people—you can do so. Here’s what you need to do:
Additionally, you may toggle on Allow Repeated Calls. This makes sure iPhone won’t silence a second call from the same person within the next three minutes.
It’s common for iPhone users who set their phones to silent or vibrate mode to miss calls, especially when in busy environments. In such cases, ensuring that notifications are audible can prevent you from missing your calls.
When enabled, the Announce Calls feature on the iPhone announces incoming calls so you won’t miss them. You can specify if you only want your iPhone to announce calls when in your car, using your headphones, or all the time.
On iOS 18:
Tap Announce Calls, then select when you want your iPhone to announce your calls.
On iOS 17:
Outdated carrier settings may prevent your iPhone from connecting to your carrier’s network, which can cause your calls to go straight to voicemail. Try manually updating your iPhone’s carrier settings to see if this improves your voicemail situation.
Sometimes, spam-blocking apps may also interfere with your calls by mistakenly tagging calls as spam and blocking them from reaching you. Consider removing these apps to see if it solves the problem.
Ensure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS, as software updates often include bug fixes for issues like this.
If you’ve tried the methods above, but all your incoming calls still go straight to your voicemail, you must contact your carrier. There could be an issue with your number that only they can resolve. If you’re not the only one in the area having the issue, you can ask your carrier if there’s a problem with a nearby tower.
Get your iPhone ringing again
iPhone calls going straight to voicemail without ringing can be incredibly frustrating. Fortunately, you can resolve the issue using the above steps and ensure you never miss an important call again. If the problem persists, contact Apple Support for further assistance.