Our phones have become such a multipurpose tool that we sometimes forget what they were originally designed for. Imagine this scenario – you’re was well into the afternoon before you realized that your iPhone wasn’t able to dial out. You’ve been heavily relying on data and WiFi, using a variety of texting apps, checking your email, and searching the internet for a whole slew of unimportant trivia before even noticing the glitch. If your iPhone SE 2022 won’t make calls, use these troubleshooting steps to fix it.
Are you unable to get in touch with friends and family because your iPhone SE 3 won’t make phone calls? You probably find that you can’t hear the outgoing dial tone or the call attempt ends abruptly. Your screen may also show an error message, saying Call Failed. Whatever the cause, here are all the different ways to fix your iPhone SE 2022 when it won’t let you make phone calls.
How To Fix iPhone SE 2022 Not Making Calls Issue: 11 Ways
Here are some of the best troubleshooting tips you can try out to fix the iPhone SE 3 not making calls problem:
1. Toggle Airplane Mode
When Airplane mode is enabled on your iPhone, the feature disables both incoming and outgoing texts and calls. This is important to prevent interference if you’re on a plane. But if you don’t need to use Airplane mode right now, make sure it is turned off by accessing your iPhone’s Control Center and tapping the Airplane Mode icon.
Toggling Airplane Mode on and off can also fix seemingly unrelated calling issues.
2. Check Your Mobile Plan
To make a call using your iPhone’s Phone app, you need an active mobile plan with sufficient credit or minutes. Check with your network to see if your mobile plan has expired or if there’s insufficient credit left. If this is the case, simply reload your account and you should be able to start making calls again.
3. Check Your Phone Signal
If you’re at a remote outdoor location, or if it’s raining or snowing in your area, you may experience poor cell reception. Check the cell signal icon in your iPhone’s status bar to find out. If there’s only one vertical bar filled in, you can try moving to another location to get a stronger signal in order to make a call. For example, if you’re in your bedroom, simply going to other areas in your house such as the kitchen or garden may get you the signal you need.
If there are no bars at all, or If Your iPhone SE 2022 Says No Service in the status bar, visit your network provider’s website and look for a coverage map to find out if you’re supposed to get any signal in your current location.
4. Check for a Carrier Settings Update
To check if your carrier provider has network-related updates, first connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi or enable cellular data. Then, go to the Settings app. Select General and tap About. If an update is available, you’ll see a Carrier Settings Update prompt. Tap Update to begin the installation.
5. Restart Your iPhone
A common but effective fix for most tech issues is to simply restart your device.
6. Remove and Reinsert Your iPhone’s SIM Card
The SIM card tray is located on the side of your iPhone. To eject the tray, you can use the SIM-eject tool that is included in your iPhone box (or a straightened paperclip). To avoid causing damage to your device in the process, you can refer to our detailed tutorial on how to safely remove the SIM card from your iPhone.
After removing the SIM card, gently wipe it with a soft, lint-free cloth. Then, place the SIM card back into the tray and slide it carefully into your iPhone.
7. Update Your iPhone’s iOS
Updates to iOS often come with bug fixes and the like. Sometimes, you can resolve your iPhone SE 3 not making call issue by simply keeping your device’s iOS up to date. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to look for new updates.
8. Reset Network Settings
Your iPhone SE 2022 won’t make calls if there are network-related problems. So, the next solution is to reset network settings on your iPhone.
Rest assured that this is not a factory reset. It simply deletes network data, such as Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth device connections—all of which can be easily set up again later on. All the content on your iPhone should be totally fine—like your apps, photos, and music.
To reset network settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings. Then, tap Reset Network Settings when the confirmation alert appears on the display. Your iPhone will reset and turn back on once it’s finished.
9. Reset All Settings
The last solution you can attempt if your iPhone SE 2022 won’t make calls is to reset all the settings on your phone. As long as you follow the guided steps correctly, you still won’t lose any data from resetting your iPhone. Just make sure you don’t choose the option to Erase All Content and Settings.
However, this process can take a long time if you have a lot of data on your device. Before trying this solution, remember to consider whether the problem could actually be with the person you’re trying to call. You may want to find another way to reach out to them to ensure their phone is working before spending more time resetting settings on your own device.
To reset all settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset all Settings. Then, tap Reset all Settings when the confirmation alert appears on the display. Your iPhone will reset and turn back on once it’s finished.
10. Contact Your Wireless Carrier
It’s time to get in touch with your wireless carrier if your iPhone SE 2022 still won’t make phone calls. Even if your signal looks good, there could be an issue with your cell phone plan.
We recommend contacting your wireless carrier before Apple. If you go to an Apple Store and tell them your iPhone is not making calls, they’ll probably tell you to go talk your wireless carrier first!
11. Visit The Apple Store
If you’ve contacted your wireless carrier and they can’t help you, your next step would be to take your phone to a nearest Apple Store so the Genius Bar can conduct some troubleshooting. In rare cases, an iPhone SE 2022 may stop making calls because of damage to one of its antennas.
Your iPhone May Not Be the Problem
There are a few reasons why your target recipient’s device may be unable to receive your call. For example, they may have poor signal, even if you don’t. Or perhaps they put their phone into Do Not Disturb mode to block all calls.
There’s a quick way to confirm whether the problem lies with your iPhone’s functionality. You can try calling someone in the same room as you, or someone else whom you know is available to pick up your test call. If the call goes through successfully, this shows that your iPhone can make an outgoing call without issues, so the problem must be with the other person you’re trying to call.
Alternative Ways to Call Someone
If you suspect the problem is with your device, the Phone app isn’t your only option when you need to call someone. Here are some alternatives you can use to make a call from your iPhone.
Use FaceTime
Try using the FaceTime app to call your contact instead of the Phone app. Whether you enable video or not, this will force your iPhone to make a call over your internet connection—instead of your cell network—which may allow it to go through.
Use Third-Party Apps
If you can connect to a Wi-Fi network, you can make a call using third-party apps, such as WhatsApp and Messenger instead. These apps enable you to make free calls over an internet connection. However, the limitation is that your contact must be a user of that app as well. Also, they need to have Wi-Fi or cellular data enabled on their device to receive the incoming call notification.
Use Another Phone
Another option is to simply borrow another person’s phone to make a call. If they’re using a different carrier, they may have a stronger cell signal than you do. Be mindful of your call length and the potential cost of the call, though. You don’t want to end up with your friend receiving high call charges after they let you use their phone!
Solved: iPhone SE 2022 not making calls
We hope this list of fixes and suggestions has helped you to fix any phone call problems you were experiencing with your iPhone SE 3. If the issues persist, it’s better to contact your mobile carrier or Apple Support for further assistance. In the meantime, make sure that your iPhone can receive calls. This way, you can still speak to people on the phone if they call you instead.