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iPhone: No Ringer Sound On Incoming Calls

May 14, 2017 by Mitch Bartlett 82 Comments

If you can’t hear the ringer when there is an incoming call to your Apple iPhone, there are a few things that can cause the issue. Here is a list of things to try.

1. Ring/Silent Switch

You may have overlooked whether or not the ring/silent switch is set to silence the ringer. The ring/silent switch is above the volume switch. If you can see orange on this switch, it’s set to vibrate. Switch it to ring and you should be all good.
iPhone ringer up

2. Turn Up the Volume

Be sure not to overlook that the volume buttons on the side of the iPhone controls the ringer. From the Home screen, press the “Volume Up” button and ensure the volume is set to an appropriate level.

3. Try a Reset

Sometimes you might need to reset the iPhone to get it working correctly again. You can do this by pressing and holding the “Power” and “Volume Down” buttons simultaneously (“Power” and “Home” on older devices) for about 5 seconds. After holding the buttons, the iPhone should shut off. From there, simply power it back on and give the ringer another try.

4. It’s Stuck in Headphones Mode

Another common issue with iPhone users who have ringer issues is that the device is stuck in “Headphones Mode”. This happens when the iPhone seems to detect headphones plugged into the device. Read our post, “iPhone or iPad Stuck with No Sound” for tips on how to fix this issue.

 

Hopefully at least one set of steps above has helped you fix your ringer sound issue. Please share your experience with this problem in the comments section below.

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Filed Under: iPhone

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Patricia says

    August 21, 2022 at 9:01 am

    Thank you for the help, switching it off back on again solved the problem

  2. Lev Cooper says

    April 22, 2022 at 4:00 am

    I just want to share an app that I used to fix my iPhone sound problem before. I used AceThinker Fone Keeper and I would recommend other users here to try it too.

  3. Rex Doty says

    April 21, 2022 at 2:15 pm

    Did not even know about ti silent switch!! Thank you! Tried other helpers and it was not even mentioned!!

  4. Adriana says

    March 3, 2022 at 12:58 pm

    God bless you I had the ringer on silent. Thankyou!

  5. Janice says

    January 27, 2022 at 6:57 am

    Brilliant, your suggestions worked. By resetting the phone all is now good. Thank you for your assistance.

  6. Emma says

    January 13, 2022 at 9:18 pm

    Thank you very much for sharing, I tried reset my iPhone, and it works! This article helped me a lot!
    By the way, I also saw some people introducing other fixes such as restoring iPhone via iTunes, using professional iOS system repair tools such as Joyoshare iOS System Recovery. Are they really works? Overall, your article is useful and I will share with other people in need.

  7. Rachael says

    December 8, 2021 at 4:24 pm

    I didn’t know about the little switch above the volume switch🤦🏻‍♀️ Thank you!

  8. Nita Patel says

    September 18, 2021 at 2:33 am

    When i ring out my phone sound button not highlighted can not hear ring. Any incoming calls cannot hear sound or someone talking. Tried all switch power off on etc nothing

  9. Sam says

    September 10, 2021 at 4:19 am

    Many thanks. I finally have a phone that rings!

  10. P Anuradha says

    July 26, 2021 at 2:28 am

    My I phone incoming call ringtone not audible
    I have checked volume buttons and all

  11. Emmanuel says

    June 26, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    My I phone is still silent! Have tried all but seems not to be assisting! It’s new I didn’t drop it,nothing has happened to it! It’s just silent

  12. Mike says

    April 27, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    I have a new IPhone XR I upgraded from IPhone 5se
    Never had an issue until now. I can receive calls from everyone but wife. When she calls it goes straight to voice mail. It seems to be only her.

  13. ans says

    January 28, 2021 at 12:11 am

    Thank you, thank you!

  14. Ranjith says

    January 17, 2021 at 2:39 am

    I tried everything that I know of to bring back the ringer on incoming calls. Finally, the orange switch flip above the volume buttons has fixed it. Until now, I never noticed this button was there and for what it is :-)

  15. Barry Graham says

    October 30, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    Thank you. Why on earth they NEED such a button is beyond me.

  16. Lynn Simmons says

    October 8, 2020 at 8:17 am

    My Dad’s phone wasn’t ringing. I went through everything and ended up fixing it by going to settings, sounds & Haptics, under ringer and alerts I turned off change with buttons. He had the volume all the way up above that but maybe he had the volume buttons down? I was helping him over the phone.. He said he had the volume button all the way up but I’m not sure either way, it worked.

  17. Beatriz M says

    September 4, 2020 at 4:36 pm

    Solved with nbr 1. Very helpful. Thank you!

  18. Marilynn says

    July 29, 2020 at 3:41 pm

    No my phone does sound when someone calls no sound at for a while please help

  19. Rasika kurupitage says

    June 10, 2020 at 2:38 am

    Tnx to u. No.1 solved the problem.

  20. Wixzy says

    April 13, 2020 at 4:10 am

    No.1 worked thank you.

  21. James says

    February 26, 2020 at 5:40 am

    New to iPhones. Therefore was unaware of this switch. Apparently so are Apple as there was no mention of this as a possible solution upon contacting their technical support line!
    Thanks for providing the solution Apple Support couldn’t.

  22. SStuart morrison says

    February 5, 2020 at 3:02 am

    Glad I’m not the only one who forgot about the mute button
    Thanks for the suggestion thought I was going mad.
    Maybe I am.

  23. Chichi says

    January 25, 2020 at 8:50 pm

    Number 1 worked. Thank you

  24. Diana Jacobs says

    December 9, 2019 at 7:30 am

    Thank you so much , I also forgot about that silent side button , a great help thank you

  25. Leanda says

    December 4, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    Solved with number 1.
    Thank you.

  26. Kelly says

    October 15, 2019 at 6:07 pm

    All of a sudden my iPhone isn’t ringing ONLY when unknown numbers are calling. I haven’t changed any settings and I.have answered phone calls from people in my contacts. Not sure why this is happening. Any insight is appreciated.

  27. Dave Jordan says

    September 6, 2019 at 9:43 pm

    Incoming calls will make the phone ring only once. The call is live when responding to it. How can I make the phone ring repeatedly until answered?

  28. James McFarland says

    August 8, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    Thanks I had forgot about the switch on the side. I had just replaced the case and must have moved the switch. That was the cause. it works fine now.
    JAMES

  29. Debbie Nelson says

    July 19, 2019 at 7:37 am

    Thank you so much had no clue about the silent switch. Put a new case on and then wouldn’t work. Thanks again!!

  30. Jessie Ong says

    March 21, 2019 at 8:08 pm

    Thank you so much Mitch. No. 3 works for me!

  31. Grace Pereira says

    March 19, 2019 at 8:04 pm

    Thank you. Your suggestions helped. What will I do without your help. You are a legend.

  32. Dolly Hines says

    February 19, 2019 at 8:21 pm

    Thank you Number one worked for me

  33. Claudette Arseneau says

    January 31, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    Thanks for the info. That small switch above the
    Volume buttons was in the wrong position due to the new cell phone case I just purchased. When snapped together the case moved the switch.

  34. Simon Clark says

    January 25, 2019 at 6:37 am

    Thanks, that worked straight away. I suppose l should of read the booklet first as l didn’t even know the phone had that option of a silent switch. Also it’s so easy to be taken in by other websites that predict doom and gloom

  35. Bea says

    January 23, 2019 at 4:32 pm

    ???thank u very muchhhhhh

  36. rhett says

    January 18, 2019 at 5:50 pm

    Thanks! #1 did it. Coming from the Pixel world, all these buttons feel really out of place!

  37. boggien says

    January 16, 2019 at 4:21 pm

    thanks, for my wife´s phone it was 1, too. drove me crazy that no alarm worked!

  38. Eddy says

    January 12, 2019 at 10:58 am

    Thanks for the info. That small switch above the
    Volume buttons was in the wrong position due to the new cell phone case I just purchased. When snapped together the case moved the switch.

  39. Daphne says

    January 7, 2019 at 10:22 am

    Reset my phone and it is now fine, thank you.

  40. Susanne Kimo says

    January 3, 2019 at 8:28 am

    All these steps failed for my phone but a total factory reset (Erase All Content and Settings) did the trick!

  41. Patricia Goffin says

    December 31, 2018 at 6:14 am

    Brilliant! I had no idea that existed. Problem solved.?

  42. Leona Kabir says

    December 30, 2018 at 10:55 pm

    Thank you!! It was number 1!

  43. Marshall says

    December 17, 2018 at 2:54 am

    Yes, thanks for that. Totally had the switch flipped.

  44. Mary says

    December 6, 2018 at 7:05 am

    Thank you so much I did not know what to do thank you

  45. Marie says

    October 21, 2018 at 9:14 pm

    Thank you so very much. ?

  46. Kevin says

    October 20, 2018 at 4:22 pm

    Very helpful. Fixed the problem on my wife’s iphone 7+.

  47. Dave says

    October 20, 2018 at 11:27 am

    Got my ringtone back! You showed, and explained it so much more plainly than even Apple’s own tech geebos did! Thanks!

  48. Ellen says

    October 9, 2018 at 8:56 pm

    Thank you! I saw the orange above the volume switch and moved it away and then I got the ringer back! I don’t know how it got to be orange but it’s back on ringer now!

  49. Jonathan Williams says

    October 4, 2018 at 6:16 am

    Solved my wife’s iphone issue. Ringer was accidentally switched.

  50. T. Papciak says

    October 3, 2018 at 6:35 pm

    Couldn`t hear ringer tone. Tried the silent to normal switch….BINGO. Outstanding.
    Thank you.

  51. Christopher says

    September 25, 2018 at 9:11 am

    The reset worked perfectly! Thank you!

  52. LKJain says

    August 19, 2018 at 6:05 am

    Thank you, very simple remedy’s but I was missing it and with your page I could fix it

  53. Cilla says

    August 18, 2018 at 1:32 am

    Really helpful thank you

  54. Beverly says

    July 25, 2018 at 4:31 pm

    Thank you I would have never thought about that little switch

  55. Cariann says

    July 17, 2018 at 8:14 pm

    I’ve done everything that I can to have my sounds come thru on my iPhone 8+ brand new and Idk but can’t hear rings but I have it all up and on it only vibrates

  56. Marlene Brace says

    June 8, 2018 at 4:24 pm

    Thanks so much, I didn’t know the switch on the side silenced the ringer, I obviously touched it when adjusting the volume. Superb advice, bless you!

  57. Robert Skillin says

    June 1, 2018 at 4:12 pm

    all i had to do was turn power off, then on. thx

  58. Dawn says

    May 31, 2018 at 10:43 am

    Thank you so much. II couldn’t understand why my phone didn’t ring. Checked everything and then you showed the little switch on side to switch from silent to normal.

  59. heidi says

    May 23, 2018 at 6:37 am

    brilliant, many thanks!!

  60. Phyllis says

    May 19, 2018 at 8:44 am

    Tried all three steps.I do not hear my phone ring. However, if I go to sounds I can hear the ring tones fine.

  61. Kim says

    April 19, 2018 at 6:56 am

    Clear and simple = fixed. Thanks

  62. Susan says

    March 22, 2018 at 7:11 pm

    Thank you so much.

  63. Michael Andre says

    February 24, 2018 at 9:30 pm

    I have an iphone 4s. I have checked all what was said to be done and did them but yet, I am not hearing the ringer for Watts App calls only. I hear it for other calls. I only hear the ringing when I plug in a headphone/earbud, I just reset my iphone completely tonight and it is the same. What can I do to resolve this issue?

  64. Pam says

    January 31, 2018 at 8:08 am

    Thank you very much, the ringer switch was off, this was extremely helpful and quick!

  65. Steve says

    January 31, 2018 at 5:21 am

    Phone would vibrate but not have sound. Reset did the trick. Thanks

  66. Sheila Smith says

    January 17, 2018 at 6:42 pm

    Can’t change the phone to answer when it rings after two times. I need it to ring at lease four times before Phone answers. How do you set this for I phone X?

  67. Desiree de Grandi says

    January 14, 2018 at 5:08 am

    When I am at home or work, my iphone 5s does not ring with incoming calls. I received a loan phone whilst mine went back to the store. The same is happening with the loan phone. If the caller rings for long enough, then I will only receive a sms stating “you missed a call from….”
    I do not receive a missed call notification.
    I can receive whatsapp calls.
    I have checked all the settings.
    I received a new phone as I was still under warranty. 10 days later the same thing happens to the new phone.
    When I am away from the work or home, I have no problem with receiving incoming calls.
    The cellular company has tested the signal and strength in both my home and work areas.

    .

  68. Ceri says

    November 29, 2017 at 11:43 am

    So simple when you know how, I had the button above the volume control switched to off!
    Thank You, saved the day??

  69. DU DO says

    November 15, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    Apple Support didnt even get this simple little fix right, thx guys!

  70. Steve says

    November 14, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    I’ve had my 5C for almost five years and never knew about the little switch. I have it in an otter case, took it apart to clean it and somehow shut that off.

  71. hc says

    November 8, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    apple support didnt even get this simple little fix right, thx guys!

  72. Clifford E says

    November 2, 2017 at 2:17 pm

    Please in the future remember to note that the mute switch is not a simple push-on push-off like many others, but a slide-toward-face, slide-toward-gack switch. It took me a long time to figure this out. Thank you.

  73. Aruna says

    October 30, 2017 at 9:56 pm

    Thank you a million times. Solution 3 worked-‘ Reset’

  74. Jane says

    October 27, 2017 at 5:21 am

    Thank you. Solution 1 sorted the problem in seconds!

  75. Natalia says

    October 2, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    Thank you sooooo much!!! It was the ring/silent switch!!! I never even knew it was there!!

  76. Marisa says

    October 2, 2017 at 9:50 am

    Thank you ….solution 3 worked for me

  77. jmuhj says

    September 19, 2017 at 7:46 pm

    THANK YOU SO MUCH! I haven’t had tones for months and I’ve visited apple community, various sites, etc. VERY frustrated. YOU just solved my problem. It’s my first iPhone so hopefully I may be forgiven. ;)

  78. Filip says

    September 2, 2017 at 11:12 pm

    Thanks so much. Solution #1 problem sorted.

  79. Jaya singh says

    August 5, 2017 at 7:42 am

    I have iPhone 5s iOS 10.3.3 ringer sound is not coming. I have cleaned earplug jack, reset my cell. Nothing works. Please help me with this

  80. Carrie says

    July 23, 2017 at 3:19 am

    Thanks so much – suggestion 1 worked!!
    Had no idea that button did anything.
    GREAT site by the way x

  81. John Kernot says

    July 6, 2017 at 6:49 am

    My iphone 4 sometimes has the ring tone muted. Can be restored using the volume button, but this is a problem if i haven’t noticed. Sometimes appears to happen after i have been in the car and bluetooth has connected to the car speakers. Any suggestions?

  82. Sravan says

    July 5, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    My iphone is ringing for network call
    But not ringing in whatsapp call?

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