How to fix call failed on iPhone? 12 Ways explained

Have there ever been instances where you are amidst an important phone call, but you end up running into the ‘Call Failed’ error on your iPhone? If you think this is really frustrating, you’re not alone. Luckily, I have come up with a list of quick and easy solutions to help you resolve the Call Failed error on your iPhone.

1. Force close and relaunch the Phone app
2. Check your iPhone’s cellular reception
3. Force restart your iPhone
4. Turn off Wi-Fi calling
5. Check for carrier updates
6. Enable automatic network selection
7. Select the correct network mode
8. Check if the correct SIM is selected
9. Remove and reinsert the SIM
10. Check for iOS updates
11. Reset Network Settings
12. Perform factory reset

1. Force close and relaunch the Phone app

One of the simplest solutions you can employ to fix any app-related issues on your iPhone is to force close and relaunch the app. Here’s how you can force close and relaunch the Phone app to resolve the issues you’re facing.

1. Open the App Switcher on your iPhone.
2. Swipe up on the Phone app to close it.
   
   
3. Then, relaunch the Phone app to see if you can place calls again.

2. Check your iPhone’s cellular reception

If relaunching the Phone app didn’t help eliminate the ‘Call Failed’ error on your iPhone, you must check your iPhone’s cellular reception to ensure that you are not unreachable and have at least three bars of signal strength.

In case you have weak cellular reception, you can try moving to a different room or location to see if that helps. However, if you continue to face issues, follow the steps given below to reconnect your iPhone to cellular services.

1. Open the Control Center on your iPhone.
2. Tap and enable Airplane mode for a few seconds → Then turn it off.

3. Force restart your iPhone

If the preliminary fixes didn’t help resolve the issue, you should force restart your iPhone.

This will help you resolve temporary glitches that may prevent your iPhone from working correctly. However, if you don’t know how you can do this, check out our in-depth guide on how to hard reboot any iPhone.

4. Turn off Wi-Fi calling

Turning off Wi-Fi calling can also help you stamp off the ‘Call Failed’ error on your iPhone. This is because the Call failed error can sometimes be caused by issues with your internet network.

If you turn off Wi-Fi calling, the calls will be routed over the mobile network instead, which might resolve the issue.

1. Go to Settings → Cellular.
2. Tap Wi-Fi Calling  → Toggle off Wi-Fi Calling on This iPhone.
   If you have dual SIMs, you must select a SIM to access these options.
   
   

5. Check for carrier updates

In case you didn’t know, most telcos deploy regular carrier updates that can help improve your iPhone’s connectivity and make it compatible with newer technologies. However, if you have never installed a carrier update, there’s a possibility that you may end up running into the Call Failed error.

1. Go to Settings → General → About.
2. Tap Update if a carrier update is available.
   
   

6. Enable automatic network selection

The ‘Call Failed’ error on iPhone can also occur due to a weak or congested cellular network. However, enabling automatic network selection can help eliminate this issue by allowing your iPhone to automatically switch to a different network in case the current network fails to work as expected.

1. Go to Settings → Cellular.
2. Tap Network Selection → Toggle on Automatic.
   If you have dual SIMs, you must select a SIM to access these options.
   
   

If automatic network selection is already enabled, you can try turning it off to select a mobile network manually to see if that can help you fix the issue. However, if even that doesn’t work, you should move on to the next solution.

7. Select the correct network mode

The Call Failed error can also occur because your iPhone is connected to the wrong network mode. For example, if your iPhone is set to 5G mode, and you are in an area with only 4G coverage, you may get the Call Failed error.

To prevent this issue from occurring, you should select the correct network mode to ensure that your iPhone is connected to the network that has the best coverage in your area, as I have detailed in the steps listed below.

1. Go to Settings → Cellular.
2. Tap Cellular data options → Voice & Data.
   If you have dual SIMs, you must select a SIM to access these options.
3. Select 5G or any other network mode supported by your SIM.
   You may disable VoLTE if you’re using 3G instead of 4G or 5G.
   
   

8. Check if the correct SIM is selected

If you are using dual SIM on iPhone wherein only one SIM supports calling while the other SIM is only reserved for data, you must ensure that you’ve selected the correct SIM or Default Voice Line that can be used for calls.

1. Go to Settings → Cellular → Default Voice Line.
2. Select your preferred SIM for voice/call.
   
   

Although the steps above can help you choose the default voice line, you can still change the SIM you’re using for specific contacts in the Phone app. Here’s how to ensure you’ve selected the correct SIM before placing calls:

1. Open a contact in the Phone app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the always use option above the contact’s name.
3. Select your preferred SIM for calls → Tap Done.
   
   

9. Remove and reinsert the SIM

If you’ve never removed a SIM card since the day you completed setting it up, then there’s a possibility that the SIM card simply needs to be removed and cleaned before it can start working again. But if you have an iPhone which uses eSIM, you can delete the eSIM and add it again to fix the issues.

Aside from iPhone 14 models sold in the United States, all iPhones have a physical SIM card slot on the left side. Use the ejector tool or a pin to remove the SIM card. Then, clean it with a soft dry cloth before reinserting it.

In case your iPhone uses an eSIM, follow these steps to delete and re-add it:

1. Go to Settings → Cellular.
2. Select the eSIM you want to Delete → Tap Delete eSIM.
3. Tap Delete eSIM again to confirm your action.
   
   
4. Tap Add eSIM → Follow the instructions to set up the eSIM again.
   
   

10. Check for iOS updates

Glitches in iOS can also cause calls to unexpectedly fail on you. If you think that’s the case with your iPhone, follow the steps given below to check if Apple has issued a software update with bug fixes to patch the issue.

1. Go to Settings → General → Software Update.
2. Tap Update Now if an update is available.
   
   

11. Reset Network Settings

Unnecessary changes you might’ve made to your iPhone’s network settings can also cause calls to fail unexpectedly. If you think this could be the case with your iPhone, you must reset the network settings to their default values.

1. Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone.
   
   
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2. Tap Reset → Reset Network Settings.
3. Enter your iPhone’s passcode.
4. Tap Reset Network Settings again to complete the process.
   
   

12. Perform factory reset

If the previous fixes didn’t work for you, your best bet would be to perform a factory reset on your iPhone. This will delete the user data and preferences to restore your iPhone to factory settings and fix any issues along the way.

1. Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone.
2. Choose Erase All Content and Settings.
   
   
   ‍ 
3. Tap Continue → type the iPhone Passcode. Then you may follow the on-screen instructions once the automatic iCloud backup completes.
   
   

Contact your carrier or Apple for support

If none of the previously mentioned solutions were able to help you resolve the issue, you will have to contact your carrier to see if they can assist you. Additionally, you can also place a request for a replacement SIM card for your existing number to phase out the possibility of SIM card-related issues.

In case even your carrier isn’t able to do much, you should contact Apple Support to schedule a Genius bar appointment at a nearby Apple Store. This way, you can get your iPhone diagnosed for potential hardware and software issues that might be causing the calls to fail unexpectedly.

Wrapping up…

Calls failing on iPhone can be a really frustrating issue when you’re in the middle of an important conversation. However, the fixes listed in this guide should help you resolve this issue quickly. If you found this guide helpful, let us know which solution did the trick for you in the comment section below.

Also read:

• iPhone Cellular Update Failed? Quick ways to fix it!
• How to transfer eSIM to new iPhone
• How to activate and use eSIM on iPhone: A detailed guide