iOS 26 includes a new ringtone that’s an alternative to the classic "Reflection" ringtone that Apple uses as a default on iPhones. However, if your iPhone is not ringing after iOS 26 update, it can quickly become a frustrating—and even serious—problem. You might miss important calls from family, work, or your doctor without even realizing it. Fortunately, there are several simple steps you can take to fix the issue. Whether your iPhone is completely silent, too quiet, or only sometimes rings, this guide will walk you through what to check and how to get your ringer working again.
Quick Answer:
If your iPhone isn’t ringing after iOS 26 update, check the silent switch, ringer volume, Do Not Disturb/Focus mode, and Call Screening settings. Also, try restarting your iPhone and checking for software updates. If the issue persists, contact Apple Support for further help.
1. Start with the Obvious: Mute Switch and Volume
It might sound too simple, but it’s worth checking:
- Mute switch: Make sure the physical switch above the volume buttons isn’t flipped toward silent mode. If you see an orange line, your phone is muted.
- iPhone Models with an Action button: These models replaced the mute switch with the Action Button, which can be customized. Make sure it’s not set to silent mode by going to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Silent mode. These iphone models include: iPhone 16e and iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
- Volume: While on the Home Screen, use the volume buttons to turn up the ringer. (The volume buttons only control the ringer volume when you’re on the Home Screen—not while inside apps.)
2. It Rings—But It’s Too Quiet?
If your iPhone rings but you can barely hear it:
- Test your speaker: Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone > Classic, then tap Old Phone to play a loud sample. If it works fine, choose a ringtone that’s easier to hear.
- Attention Aware Features: Your iPhone may lower the volume if it notices you’re looking at the screen. Check this by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and turn off Attention Aware Features if needed.
3. No Ring at All? Check for Missed Calls First
Open the Phone app > Calls. Do you see missed calls?
- If there are no missed calls, the calls may not be reaching your phone at all. This likely means a carrier or network issue. In that case:
- Contact your carrier like Verizon or T Mobile to check for local outages.
- Ask them to verify that Call Forwarding or instant voicemail forwarding isn’t active on your line.
- Some carriers enable features like No Answer Transfer, which forwards missed calls to another number. If you don’t want this, ask your carrier to disable it.
4. If Calls Are Reaching You (But Still No Ring)
If missed calls do show up in the Phone app, that means your phone is receiving them—but something else is preventing it from ringing. Try the following:
Disable Screen Incoming Calls setting
- Go to Settings > Apps > Phone. If Screen Incoming Calls is on, any caller who is not in the list of your contacts will be required to provide their name and reason for calling before iPhone rings.
- Turning this setting off can help avoid missing important calls.
Disable Send to Voicemail setting
- Go to Settings > Apps > Phone. If Send to Voicemail is on, any number not in your contacts will go straight to voicemail.
- If you choose to keep this setting enabled, make sure Dial Assist is turned on. This helps your iPhone match incoming numbers with contacts correctly.
- Tip: Doctors, banks, and delivery services may not call from their listed numbers. Keeping this setting off can help avoid missing important calls.
- Some users report that toggling this setting off and back on again can resolve iOS 26 ringing issues.
Disable Move to Unknown Callers setting
- Go to Settings > Apps > Phone. If Move to Unknown Callers is on, any call from a number not in your contacts will be silenced and moved to Unknown Callers list.
- Turning off Move to Unknown Callers setting can fix iPhone that’s not ringing after iOS 26 update.
Disable Call Forwarding setting
- Still in Settings > Apps > Phone, check if Call Forwarding is on.
- Even if it appears to be off, some carriers can override this setting—so it’s worth double-checking with your carrier.
Turn off Focus Modes
Swipe into Control Center and turn off the Focus mode if it’s active.
Check your Ringtone Settings
- Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and make sure a ringtone is selected. If no sound is assigned, your iPhone won’t ring.
Check Auto-Answer setting
- Check Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Call Audio Routing, and make sure Auto-Answer Calls is turned off.
Check Communication Limits (Screen Time)
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > Communication Limits.
- Tap each section and confirm that both are set to Everyone, so your iPhone can ring for all contacts.
5. Final Step: Restart Your iPhone
If everything looks right and your iPhone still won’t ring, try restarting your device. A simple reboot often clears up temporary glitches.
- Hold the side button and either volume button until the power slider appears.
- Slide to power off, wait a few seconds, then press and hold the side button again to turn it back on.
Still not ringing? If none of the above solutions work, you can try Reset All Settings by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings. This won’t delete your data but will restore system settings to default. If that doesn’t solve the problem, wait for the next iOS 26 update to see if it will resolve your issue. If the problem persists, contact Apple support for further help.