Why Can’t I Make Outgoing Calls On My iPhone? (Causes And Fixes)
The reasons for failure to make outgoing calls are usually sudden network issues, or buggy calling software. Sometimes messed up caller settings can also cause the problem. In fact, an honest mistake like keeping the phone in airplane or DND mode can be the reason for an outgoing call failure.
Fortunately, you can easily fix every single one of these issues. But first, you have to find the particular reason causing the problem. And that’s only possible when you know the details and how they can occur.
So, let’s go ahead and check out the causes in detail, along with solutions to them.
Why Can’t I Make Outgoing Calls On My iPhone?
There are plenty of reasons that can cause the problem. It can be an issue with your phone, or it can be an issue with the network provider. Figuring out the reason takes halfway through the solution.
Typically, if you are having trouble making only outgoing calls, then the reasons are pretty limited. Below, we go through each of the causes that can result in an outgoing call failure.
Network/sim card issues
Since your SIM card network is responsible for making and receiving all the calls, it’s probably the most obvious reason for failure.
If there is no network on your SIM card, you won’t be able to make any calls whatsoever.
The network issues can come from your iPhone itself or the carrier. And sometimes even the SIM card can get damaged, causing this problem.
Software bugs
Sometimes the calling software in your iPhone can have software bugs, which may cause this issue of not making outgoing calls.
If all the other functions in your phone are working fine and there are no sim card issues, software bugs are the reason.
An easy way to determine whether it’s a software bug problem or any other issue is to troubleshoot your phone.
You can look it up on the internet, as many users tend to address such bugs on forums and discussion threads.
Faulty settings
Another common reason that a lot of people overlook is messed up settings. They can either be network settings or just settings on your phone.
If the call settings get messed up, it can cause failure when making outgoing calls on your iPhone. Some call settings on an iPhone let you block outgoing calls on purpose.
If you have mistakenly enabled any of those settings, then it can be a reason why you can’t make outgoing calls from your iPhone.
Phone on the airplane or DND mode
It’s a very common scenario where people put their phones on airplane mode or DND mode and forget about it.
Your phone is in either of these modes and will typically disable any network activity that fails to make outgoing calls.
How To FIX iPhone Calls Not Going Through?
The good thing about all this is that fixing the issue isn’t that difficult. It’s a software problem, so the fixes usually don’t require much professional help.
You can mostly fix the issue from the comfort of your home. Here’s how each of the fixes works.
Checking and fixing the network issues
The first fix to try out is for network or SIM-related issues. If you are not getting any network signal on your phone, then check the SIM for damage. If it’s not damaged, then check the network settings.
You can contact your carrier about the issue as well. They can tell you whether there is a local outage of the network or if you have some issues with your SIM card.
In that case, the problem will be with the carrier’s network, not your iPhone. To fix the network settings, you can simply reset them on your phone.
Go to settings, then general, and then transfer or reset the iPhone. From there, you will find the option to reset. Tap on that, then reset the network settings.
Resetting the network settings erases any new changes to the network settings and makes them all default. This includes the VPN settings, Wi-Fi networks, and preferred network settings.
If resetting feels too much, you can try tweaking the different network settings. For instance, changing the bands, such as from 3G to 4G, can sometimes help fix the issue.
Fixing the software bugs
There are two ways to fix the software bugs that can cause problems in making calls with your iPhone.
You can factory reset the phone, but you will probably lose all the data stored in it. Or you can update to the latest iOS.
However, if you face the issue right after an iOS update, rolling back to the previous version can also fix it.
But if none of the solutions are working out, then a factory reset might be the only solution you can try.
Fixing faulty settings
If you have any faulty calling settings, there are two ways to solve the issue. You can either check all the settings manually or change them back to default. Or you can reset the settings and fix the issue.
Manually updating the carrier settings is one of the first things you can try because the issue of not making outgoing calls can be due to faulty carrier settings.
Updating these settings will allow you to get maximum performance from your cellular network.
As for settings like call blocking, call forwarding, or outgoing call settings, you can head over to settings and then phone.
There you will find all these settings regarding calling issues. Go through them one by one and see which one you should change.
If you are unsure what you need to change, reset the settings to default, and it should fix the problem.
Fixing airplane or DND mode
Well, this is not a problem. It’s more like an honest mistake. If you have your airplane or DND mode turned on, you have to simply turn it off, which should fix the problem. You can also restart your phone to make sure the problem gets fixed.
Which situations can cause outgoing call failure?
Now, the reasons we discussed here don’t happen out of nowhere. They usually occur after a certain action you may have taken intentionally or unintentionally.
Figuring out the reason will help you troubleshoot the issue and fix it very easily and quickly.
It can happen after you reset your phone
Whenever you reset your iPhone, you are essentially messing with your phone’s settings. Sometimes, the reset can be incomplete and cause issues like this.
If you are facing the issue right after resetting your phone, it falls under the category of software bug issues.
After updating your iPhone to a new iOS version
One of the most common scenarios where the iPhone will start failing to make outgoing calls is after a new iOS update.
Many iPhone users faced the issue with the iOS 16 update and complained about it in several forums.
It’s not just about the iOS 16 update either; many other iOS updates in the past have caused this problem on iPhones.
Sometimes these OS updates aren’t stable and come with many bugs. As a result, you may start facing such issues right after the update due to update errors.
When you switch to a different sim card
Another scenario where you will face this issue is switching to a different SIM card. Switching to a different sim card can mess up the network and cellular settings of the carrier on your phone.
So, when you insert the old SIM card after changing it to a new one, the phone doesn’t get all those settings. As a result, it can’t make any outgoing calls anywhere.
If you move to a new location
This is a specific situation where you may face calling issues after moving to a new place.
The reason falls under faulty settings. What happens here is that you use the wrong time and date settings on your phone.
When you move to a different location but the time and date settings stay the same, the SIM card in your phone won’t work as intended.
If the time and date don’t update automatically, you will have this issue where you can’t make outgoing calls.
FAQs
Still a bit curious about some stuff? Well, we have answered some of the most popular questions regarding the calling issues on iPhones. You might find answers to your curiosity in one of these.
Can you make calls from your iPhone without cellular service?
Yes, several alternative ways to make phone calls using your iPhone exist. You can use FaceTime to call others. Also, there are many apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, IMO, etc.
What causes a sim failure in an iPhone?
There are several things that can cause sim failure in your iPhoneiPhone, including faulty sim tray, damaged sim cards, or inactive sim cards. Sometimes local sim cards may also not work internationally which pops up the same message.
Is it important to update carrier settings on an iPhone?
Yes, updating the latest carrier settings is important to get the most out of your cellular network. You can get better connectivity and performance with the updates. They also sometimes add new features such as Wi-fi calling or 5G support.
Conclusion
Now, these are some reasons from your end as to why you can’t make outgoing calls on your iPhone.
However, sometimes the problem can also be on the receiver’s end. You can try calling different numbers with your phone to find out whether the problem is with your iPhone or not.
If it’s your phone, check out the reasons we discussed and see which fits your case.
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