Phone Can’t Receive Calls but Can Make Them: Troubleshooting Guide

If your phone can make calls but can’t receive them, try your SIM card in a different phone. If it works, your original phone may need checking for hardware or software issues. If it doesn’t, consider getting a new SIM card or checking your network. Other common issues include a damaged or incorrectly inserted SIM card, or an old SIM card. If the problem persists, try restarting your phone, ensuring Airplane Mode is off, disabling “Do Not Disturb” mode, resetting network settings, and checking if you’ve accidentally blocked the number. Remember, resetting network settings will erase your Wi-Fi passwords and other network settings, but not your personal data.

Follow the steps below to troubleshoot and fix the issue of your phone being unable to receive calls but Can Make Them:

Trying Your Sim Card In A Different Phone

Trying your SIM card on a different phone can be a great step to figure out why your phone can’t receive calls but can make them.

There are a couple of outcomes when you try your SIM card on a different phone:

1. If Your SIM Card Worked in the Other Phone: You may need to get your original phone checked. It could have a hardware problem or a software issue that needs fixing.
2. If Your SIM Card Didn’t Work in the Other Phone: Try getting a new SIM card from your network provider. If the new SIM card doesn’t solve the problem, the issue may be with your network.

Try Using a Different SIM Card

Why might a SIM card cause your phone to stop receiving calls? Here are some common reasons:

1. The SIM card is damaged: Just like a scratched DVD might not play correctly, a damaged SIM card might not work properly.
2. The SIM card isn’t inserted correctly: If the SIM card isn’t in its slot correctly, your phone might not be able to read it.
3. The SIM card is old: Sometimes, older SIM cards can cause problems. It’s a bit like an old key not fitting into a lock properly.

if you discover that the SIM card is the problem, you can get a new one and have your phone back to normal in no time.

Steps to Try a Different SIM Card

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Find a Different SIM Card: Ask a family member or friend if you can borrow their SIM card for a little while. Make sure their SIM card is working properly.
2. Switch Off Your Phone: Before you start changing SIM cards, always remember to switch off your phone first.
3. Change the SIM Card: Remove your SIM card and replace it with the other one.
4. Switch On Your Phone and Test: Now switch on your phone and check if you can receive calls.
5. Switch Back: Don’t forget to give back the borrowed SIM card and put your own one back in!

Now you’ve tried a different SIM card, but what does the result mean?

• If you can receive calls with a different SIM card, your own SIM card might be the problem. Contact your network provider and they can help you fix or replace it.
• If you still can’t receive calls, there might be a problem with your phone itself. It’s best to take your phone to a service center for a check-up.

Restart Your Android Phone

This is often the easiest and quickest solution. It’s like giving your phone a little nap and can often fix small glitches.

Turn Off Airplane Mode on Your Android Phone

Airplane mode is a setting on your phone that stops it from connecting to networks like cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. This is helpful when you’re on a plane because it can stop your phone from interfering with the aircraft’s system. But when you’re not flying, you’ll probably want to turn this mode off so you can make calls, send texts, or surf the web.

Here are the steps to turn off Airplane Mode on your Android phone:

1. Wake up your phone by pressing the power button or tapping the screen.
2. Swipe down from the top of your screen. This will open the notification panel.
3. Look for the airplane icon. It’s usually among the first few icons.
4. Tap on the airplane icon. If it’s turned on, it will be highlighted or a different color.
5. When you tap it, the icon should change. This means airplane mode is turned off and your phone is reconnected to wireless services.

Here are the steps to turn off Airplane Mode on your iPhone:

1. Wake up your iPhone by pressing the power button or tapping the screen.
2. Swipe down from the top right corner of your screen to open the Control Center.
3. Look for the airplane icon. It’s usually in the top row of icons.
4. Tap on the airplane icon. If Airplane Mode is on, the icon will be highlighted or a different color.
5. When you tap it, the icon should change, showing that Airplane Mode is now off and your phone is reconnected to wireless services.

Disable “Do Not Disturb Mode” on Your Android Phone / iPhone

Smartphones come with a “Do Not Disturb” mode, which is designed to silence incoming calls, notifications, and alerts. If this mode is enabled on your device, it can prevent your phone from ringing or vibrating when a call comes in. Make sure to check your phone’s settings and disable the “Do Not Disturb” mode if it’s turned on.

Android Phones: Turning Off ‘Do Not Disturb’

Turning off ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode on your Android phone is super easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Wake up your phone and slide down from the top of the screen. This is your phone’s ‘Notification Shade’.
2. Look for the ‘Do Not Disturb’ button. It usually looks like a circle with a line through it.
3. Tap this button to turn off ‘Do Not Disturb‘ mode. If the button isn’t colored or lit up anymore, you’ve done it right!

iPhones: Deactivating ‘Focus’ Mode

On iPhones running iOS 15, ‘Do Not Disturb’ has been replaced with ‘Focus’ mode. But don’t worry, turning off ‘Focus’ mode is just as easy as deactivating ‘Do Not Disturb’. Just do the following:

1. Wake up your iPhone by pressing the home button or the side button.
2. Once the screen is awake, swipe up from the bottom of the screen if you’re using an iPhone 8 or earlier. If you’re using an iPhone X or later, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen. This action will open the Control Center.
3. Look for the ‘Do Not Disturb’ button in the Control Center. The ‘Do Not Disturb’ button looks like a moon.
4. Tap the moon icon. When ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode is off, the moon icon will be grayed out.
5. And there you have it! You’ve successfully turned off ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode on your iPhone.
6. Now, your phone will ring or vibrate when you receive calls or notifications.

Reset Network Settings on Your Android Phone

If your phone can’t receive calls but can make them, resetting network settings can often fix this issue. It’s an easy process that you can do yourself.

Resetting Network Settings on Your Android Phone

1. Open your phone’s Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap on System.
3. Tap on Reset Options.
4. Select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth.
5. Finally, tap on Reset Settings.

After doing this, your phone will take a minute or two to reset everything. Once it’s done, you’ll have to re-connect to your Wi-Fi networks and re-pair any Bluetooth devices.

Important Note: Different Android phones might have slightly different steps to reset network settings. If these steps don’t match your phone, try searching for “reset network settings” in the search bar of your phone’s settings app.

Resetting Network Settings on Your iPhone

1. Open your iPhone’s Settings app.
2. Tap on General.
3. Scroll down and tap on Reset.
4. Select Reset Network Settings.
5. You will be asked for your passcode. Enter your passcode.
6. Finally, confirm by tapping on Reset Network Settings again.

Important Note: Always remember your Wi-Fi passwords before resetting network settings, as you will need to enter them again to connect to Wi-Fi.

Remember, resetting network settings won’t delete your personal data like photos or messages, but it will erase your Wi-Fi passwords and other network settings.

Check if You’ve Blocked the Phone Number

If your phone isn’t receiving calls but can make them, check if you’ve accidentally blocked the number.

Finding Blocked Numbers on an Android Phone

On an Android phone, checking for blocked numbers is as simple as ABC! Let’s see the steps:

1. Open the Phone Settings.
2. Search for blocked numbers setting.
3. Here, you’ll see a list of all the numbers you’ve blocked.
4. Tap on “-” to remove blocked number.

Checking for Blocked Numbers on an iPhone

On an iPhone, the steps are a bit different, but they’re still easy peasy! Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to the Settings app. This is like the control room of your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Phone.
3. Tap on Blocked Contacts.
4. Here, you will see a list of all the numbers you have blocked.
5. To unblock a number, click on the “Edit” button, then remove it from the blocked contacts list by tap on the red icon and then clicking “Unblock.”

Just like on Android, if the number that should be calling you is on this list, it’s probably blocked. You can unblock it by swiping left on the number and then tapping Unblock.

If your number is blocked by someone, you may get a message The Person You Are Calling Cannot Accept Calls At This Time.

Contact Your Service Provider

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it’s recommended to reach out to your service provider’s customer support. They can further investigate and assist you in resolving the problem, especially if it’s related to network coverage or specific account settings.

List of mobile phone providers in the U.S with their contact number and website url.

Name	Contact Number	Support Page
Verizon	1-800-922-0204	Verizon Support
AT&T	1-800-331-0500	AT&T Support
T-Mobile	1-800-937-8997	T-Mobile Support
Sprint	1-888-211-4727	Sprint Support
U.S. Cellular	1-888-944-9400	U.S. Cellular Support
Cricket Wireless	1-800-274-2538	Cricket Wireless Support
Metro by T-Mobile	1-888-863-8768	Metro Support
Boost Mobile	1-866-402-7366	Boost Mobile Support
TracFone	1-800-867-7183	TracFone Support
Mint Mobile	1-800-683-7392	Mint Mobile Support

Conclusion

Experiencing the issue of a phone not receiving calls while still being able to make them can be frustrating. However, by following the troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, you can identify and resolve the underlying causes of the problem