Why can't I call with iPhone? 8 ways to solve

Grab your iPhone and dial a number or try to call a contact in your address book. The call fails and a Call Failed error message appears on the screen. Try again but you are shown the same error. Why does this happen? And what could be responsible for the malfunction? We explain everything to you in this guide.

It may also happen that this error message appears in the middle of an ongoing call. This problem is usually due to poor signal strength in your location. Incorrect system configurations and call settings may also be responsible. Call failed. Fortunately, you can easily fix it yourself. We are sure that at least one of the solutions listed below will allow you to make calls on your iPhone.

1. Use Airplane mode

Simply activating Airplane Mode on your iPhone (or iPad) and turning it off after a few seconds can do the magic. I've used this method a couple of times and it works. You should try it too. Open your iPhone's Control Center and tap the airplane icon. Wait a couple of seconds and tap the icon again to turn off airplane mode.

Alternatively, launch the iOS settings menu, turn on Airplane Mode and turn it off. If you still see the error message Call failed, move on to the next solution.

2. Find out the caller ID

Having your iPhone caller ID hidden is another reason why outgoing calls are sometimes not made. If the Call Failed error occurs frequently, verify that the Caller ID is visible. A quick way to find out caller ID on iOS devices is to dial the code * # 31 # in the Phone app. This will make your caller ID visible and resolve the Call Failed error on iPhone.

You can also change the visibility status of your iPhone's caller ID in the iOS settings menu. Follow the steps below to do this.

Step 1: launch the Settings app and select Phone.

Step 2: tap "Show Caller ID".

Step 3: check that the “Show Caller ID” option is enabled.

3. Unblock the contact

You may encounter the Call Failed error if you call a number that you have blocked. If you only get the error message when calling a certain number, it's possible that you can't get in touch with the person because they've been blocked. The best move, in this case, would be to check your iPhone's blocked contacts list.

Step 1: go to Settings and select Phone.

Step 2: Scroll to the bottom of the Phone menu and select Blocked contacts.

Step 3: select Edit and then touch the icon with the red minus sign to remove a contact from the list of blocked contacts.

Step 4: Then select Unblock.

Another way around this is to open your contact information and select Unblock Contact.

4. Disable call forwarding

This is another solution that many interested users have called an effective solution to the call failed error. Apart from this issue, call forwarding is also responsible for other call related malfunctions on your iPhone. Go to Settings> Phone> Call Forwarding and make sure the option is off.

5. Restart your device

If the error persists after trying all of the above, restarting your iPhone may work as a solution. For iPhone X and newer generations, touch and hold the power button and one of the volume buttons until the power off slider appears on the screen. For older iPhone generations (iPhone 8 or earlier), simply press and hold the power button for about 3 seconds until the cursor appears on the screen.

Move the slider to the right to turn off the device. Wait a couple of seconds and turn your iPhone back on.

6. Reinsert the SIM card

If restarting the phone does not produce positive results, another thing you can do to fix this is to remove and reinsert the SIM card into the phone. It is recommended to clean the SIM card contact panel with a dry cloth before reinserting it into the iPhone.

7. Reset your network settings

This is another solution to try to solve this problem. This guide will walk you through the entire process to do this.

Suggestion: Go to Settings> General> Reset> Reset Network Settings to reset your iPhone's network settings. You will also be asked to enter your phone passcode.

8. Update iOS

Running an outdated, faulty or damaged iOS version on your iPhone could also be responsible for this error. If nothing fixes the error, updating your iPhone to the latest iOS version might help. To do this, go to Settings> General> Software Update and install the updates in the section.

Conclusion

The iPhone call failed error could sometimes be due to connectivity issues or malfunctions on the part of your carrier. Therefore check the operation of your telephone operator.