“Call Failed On IPhone” Issue: 15 Easy Solutions (2023)

Phones are invented with the sole purpose of making calls. Since Motorola first invented the portable call machine, phones have evolved into machines with multiple features. But the call feature still retains the first core position. So when your iPhone displays a Call Failed error, then you need to think or look for solutions that can fix this issue.

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Solutions To Fix: Call Failed On iPhone Error

Below is a list of various solutions that you can try, and fix this call failed error on your iPhone.

Toggle/Turn Airplane Mode On & Off
Restart Your iPhone Device
Check Date & Time Settings
Dial *#31# To Disable The Outgoing Anonymity Status
Disable LTE Mode
Check If The Contacts List Is Blocked
Check Whether The Call Forwarding Feature Is Turned On
Disable VPN Services
Reinsert Sim Card
Check For The Latest iOS Updates
Update Carrier Settings
Reset Network Settings
Reset All Settings
Erase All Contents And Settings On iPhone
Seek Assistance From Your Cellular Carrier
Visit Your Nearest Apple Store

1. Toggle/Turn Airplane Mode On & Off

Start with the easiest solution available. Enable Airplane mode on your iPhone. This feature cuts off all kinds of communication channels of the device. These channels include cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connections.

Open the Control Center of the iPhone device. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen.
Tap on the Airplane icon. It will turn orange when enabled.

Wait for a few seconds. Then tap again on the Airplane icon. This will disable the Airplane mode.

2. Restart Your iPhone Device

Restarting your iPhone can fix this issue if it stems from minor problems. Below is a detailed guideline about how to restart your iPhone device.

Restart Your iPhone X, 11, 12, 13

Press and hold the side/sleep/wake button and Volume Up button(any one of the two-volume buttons). Until the power-off slider appears on the iPhone’s display.

Diagram showing the Volume and side buttons on iPhone device

Drag the slider. It will shut down the iPhone.
Again press and hold the side button and Volume Down button until the Apple Logo appears on the screen.

Restart Your iPhone SE(2nd or 3rd Generation), 8, 7 & 6

Press and hold the side/sleep/wake button. Release it after the power-off slider appears on the screen.
Drag the slider and wait for 30 seconds.
After your iPhone device turns off, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Restart Your iPhone SE(1st Generation), 5 or earlier

Press and hold the top button. Release it after the power-off slider appears on the screen.
Drag the slider and wait for 30 seconds.
After your iPhone device turns off, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

3. Check Date & Time Settings

Any device stamps its action or process with the internal time & date. So if the internal time & date settings don’t match with the external(Internet), then an information mismatch will occur. And that can lead to a cellular connection issue with your iPhone.

Open the Settings app on your device.
Navigate to General-> Date & Time.

Tap on General in the Settings Menu. Then go to date & time tab.

Toggle On the option Set Automatically.

Toggle On the Set Time Automatically option.

4. **Dial *#31# To Disable The Outgoing Anonymity Status**

Another feature you might not be aware of is outgoing call anonymity. If you unknowingly enable this feature, then your outgoing or incoming calls may fail. To disable this feature, dial *#31#(hidden codes) on your iPhone device. This is the fastest way to do this.

Alternatively, you can also open the Settings app and navigate to Phone->Show my Caller ID. Check whether the button beside this option is green. Make it turn Green if it is not.

5. Disable LTE Mode

The vast majority of iPhone users opt for the LTE mode on their smartphones because of its superior performance. However, this feature has an impact on your phone’s battery life, text, and cellular data.

Check if LTE is the reason why your call fails on your iPhone device. To do this navigate to Settings->Cellular Data->Cellular Data Option->Voice & Data. Then choose the 3G option.

6. Check If The Phone Number Is Blocked

Your iPhone may also face the “Call failed” error if the dialed number is on your phone’s blacklist. So if you face the call fail error after repeatedly calling a certain someone, check the blacklist for that person’s name.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Go to General-> Phone.

Go to Blocked Lists in Settings-> Phone section.

Scroll down the page and tap on the Blocked Contacts option.

7. Check Whether The Call Forwarding Feature Is Turned On

You may face the call failed error if the Call Forwarding feature is turned On. Check if this is responsible for the error by disabling it in your iPhone’s Settings.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Navigate to Phone-> Call Forwarding.

Go to Settings-> Phone-> Call Forwarding. Check if this feature is turned On

The toggle button will be gray if the Call Forwarding feature is enabled.

8. Disable VPN Services

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Tap on General.
Scroll down the page and tap on VPN. The not connected status will be displayed if the VPN service is turned off.

Go to General-> VPN. Check if your device is connected to any VPN network

9. Reinsert Sim Card

Reinsert the Sim card. Your smartphone will re-read the data file and compile the cellular data. This will make your phone’s cellular connection start working properly again.

First of all, power off your iPhone device.
Use the safety pin, and remove the Sim tray.
Remove the Sim card.
Re-insert the Sim card into the tray(blow off any dust or dist present on the card).
Turn/power On your Apple device.

10. Check For The Latest iOS Updates

You can try updating your iOS version to fix this issue. The update contains fixes to various bugs and minor glitches. And the network issue may also get fixed with this software update.

Open the Settings App on your Apple device.
Tap on the General option.
Select Software Update.

Tap on Software Update in General section.

Check for the latest updates. If it is available, then click on the Download & Install option at the bottom of the screen.

Download & Install latest updates if it's available.

Note that you must connect your device to a Wi-Fi network. And keep it connected to the charger before starting the iOS update.

11. Update Carrier Settings

Carrier Updates contain small but important files for your iPhone, which improve the overall performance of your device network. Generally, the iPhone prompts users to install Cellular updates periodically. However, in this case, it is necessary to download and install carrier updates manually.

First of all, make sure that the iPhone is connected to a charging device and Wi-Fi network.
Open the Settings app.
Navigate to General-> About.
Scroll down the information list and locate the Carrier. You can observe the current version of the carrier. If an update is available, then it will be visible here.

12. Reset Network Settings

Resetting will wipe out all network data. That is, your phone will restore to its original form, which came out of the factory. The network data includes Wi-Fi, cellular as well as Bluetooth connections. So resetting can also fix issues related to networks, including the cellular connection.

Open the Settings app on your device.
Go to General-> Reset.
Scroll down the phone’s screen and tap on the “Transfer or Reset” option.
Tap on the Reset Network Settings option.

Go to Settings-> General-> Reset. Then tap on Reset Network Settings.

Enter the Apple password to proceed with the Reset.
Your phone’s screen will go blank for some time. And when the screen restores, the rest will be complete. Now check whether the issue is pestering your device.

13. Reset All Settings

The “Reset All Settings” option will only erase your settings data. No personal data will be lost during this process. If you fail to make a call on your iPhone, and the reason stems from a single setting. Then this option which restores all phone settings to factory default, may fix this issue.

Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
Go to General-> Reset-> Reset All Settings.

Go to Settings-> General-> Reset. Then tap on Reset All Settings.

Enter the Apple passcode for verification.

14. Erase All Contents And Settings On iPhone

After you have backed up your important data, you can proceed further with the factory reset. This will erase all personal contents, apps, and settings data. Apply this solution if the previous one doesn’t fix the issue. Here’s a detailed process on how to factory reset your Apple device.

First of all, connect your device to the charger.
Open the Settings app. Tap on the Gear icon on your device screen.
Go to General. Then scroll down and tap on Reset.
Tap Erase all contents and settings.

Go to Settings-> General-> Reset. Then tap on Erase all content and settings.

Enter your Apple passcode when prompted.
The process will initiate after the passcode verification. It will take time to reset your device. After completion, the device will restart and be restored to its original form.

15. Seek Assistance From Your Cellular Carrier

If you are unable to fix the issue with the above solutions, then it is time to get in touch with your Cellular Carrier. If the issue stems from the sim card, the carrier also confirms this speculation.

Then you will surely get assistance in replacing the Sim card for free. Note that you must have an active account with the carrier before seeking assistance.

16. Visit Your Nearest Apple Store

If any of the previous solutions don’t work for your device, then as a final resort, you can reach out to the nearest Apple Genius Bar. Describe the issue to the Apple technicians and leave the rest to them.

If the issue arises from hardware, then the fixes will become invalid. Also, you will get free repair or replacement if the warranty period hasn’t expired.