In This Article
Most call failures on Android are one of five things: a software glitch that a reboot clears, a network setting (airplane mode, do-not-disturb, call forwarding), a SIM or eSIM issue, a block list entry, or a carrier-side problem. The fix sequence below resolves about ninety percent of cases in five minutes.
This is the practical sequence, not a deep-dive into cellular protocols. Each step below actually exists on Android 14, 15, and 16, with the menu paths matching Pixel and Samsung One UI 6 and 7 (which cover roughly seventy-five percent of Android devices).
If you reach the end of this guide and calls still do not work, the next step is the carrier’s customer service. Carrier-side issues, including a misprovisioned SIM swap or an account hold, cannot be fixed from the phone.
TL;DR
Best fit: Reboot first. Then check airplane mode, do-not-disturb, and call forwarding. Then verify the SIM is properly seated or the eSIM is active.
Good alternative: If the phone makes outgoing calls but not incoming, the most likely cause is call forwarding accidentally enabled, a DND mode hiding incoming notifications, or a number on the block list.
Skip if: Calls work on cellular but not on Wi-Fi calling: a router compatibility issue or a Wi-Fi calling registration problem. Toggle Wi-Fi calling off and back on, then reboot the router.
The thirty-second checks
Reboot the phone. The single most effective fix for call issues. Hold the power button and tap Restart. Wait for the phone to come back, then try a test call to a friend or to a voice mailbox.
Check airplane mode. Pull down the quick settings panel and confirm the airplane icon is not active. Then turn airplane mode on for thirty seconds and back off. This forces a full cellular re-registration, which fixes a surprising number of issues.
Check do-not-disturb mode. DND silences incoming notifications and can hide the ringer. Quick settings > DND tile. Make sure it is off, or check DND’s exceptions list to confirm priority callers can still ring through.
Call forwarding and block list
If outgoing calls work but no one can reach you, call forwarding is the most common cause. Open the Phone app, tap the three-dot menu, then Settings > Calling accounts > [Your SIM] > Call forwarding. Confirm that ‘Always forward’ is off and that no conditional forwarding is set to an old number.
Then check the block list. Phone app > Settings > Blocked numbers. Remove anything you do not recognize or that should not be there. Some Android phones also auto-block ‘suspected spam’ numbers; verify the auto-block setting is not flagging legitimate calls.
SIM and eSIM checks
On a physical SIM: open the SIM tray with a paperclip, remove the SIM, blow off any dust, and reinsert firmly. The tray must close fully. If the tray closes but the phone still shows ‘No SIM card’, the SIM is physically damaged or worn out; the carrier replaces them for free in most cases.
Quick take
Reboot, then check airplane mode, DND, call forwarding, and block list. SIM check next. Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE for connectivity-specific issues. Carrier last. Factory reset only if nothing else works.
On an eSIM: Settings > Network and internet > SIMs. Tap the eSIM in the list. Confirm it is enabled, has ‘Calls’ assigned, and shows the right carrier name. If the eSIM disappeared or appears broken, the fix is to delete the eSIM and reinstall from the carrier’s QR code (or eSIM Transfer from another phone).
Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE
Wi-Fi calling fails when the home router blocks the relevant ports, the eSIM is not provisioned for Wi-Fi calling, or the carrier requires e911 address registration first. Settings > Network and internet > Mobile network > Advanced > Wi-Fi calling. Toggle off and on. Re-enter your e911 address if prompted. The fix is also to reboot the router, since most consumer routers run for months without restart and accumulate state issues that block VoIP traffic.
VoLTE (4G voice) and Vo5G (5G voice) need to be enabled per SIM. Same menu path: Mobile network > Advanced > VoLTE / 5G calls. Turn both on. Older phones on a 5G plan sometimes drop to 4G or 3G for voice, which is fine but slower to connect.
Carrier-side issues
If the steps above do not resolve the issue, call your carrier from a different phone or use the carrier’s chat support from your phone’s web browser. Carrier-side issues that show up as ‘cannot call’ include: account suspended for non-payment, SIM swap pending, network maintenance in your area, or a fraud hold on the line. Carrier customer service can confirm in two minutes what hours of self-service troubleshooting cannot.
Major US carrier numbers: Verizon 1-800-922-0204, AT&T 1-800-331-0500, T-Mobile 1-800-937-8997. UK: EE 150 from another phone, O2 202, Vodafone 191, Three 333. Carrier chat support is often faster than the phone line.
The factory reset of last resort
If absolutely nothing else works, a factory reset is the nuclear option. Back up everything first (Google Drive backup, photos to Google Photos, contacts synced to Google). Then Settings > System > Reset > Erase all data. The phone returns to first-boot state. If calls still fail after factory reset, the problem is the hardware (cellular modem) or the SIM provisioning, and the carrier needs to handle it.
Factory reset is rarely required for call issues; most fixes happen in the first five minutes of the checklist above. Security considerations for Android are a different question with their own troubleshooting flow.
At a glance
| Symptom | First check | If not that |
|---|---|---|
| No calls in or out | Reboot, airplane mode toggle | SIM seated, carrier outage |
| Outgoing OK, incoming fails | Call forwarding, DND, block list | Carrier-side number issue |
| Incoming OK, outgoing fails | Account suspended, low credit | Calling-account default SIM |
| Cellular OK, Wi-Fi calling fails | Toggle Wi-Fi calling, reboot router | e911 address re-register |
| No service at all | SIM reseat, eSIM activate | Coverage map, carrier issue |
| Calls drop after seconds | VoLTE and 5G calls enabled? | Carrier network issue, file ticket |
The setup, step by step
Step 1: Reboot and toggle airplane mode
Hold power, Restart. Then airplane mode on for 30 seconds and off. Test call.
Step 2: Check DND, call forwarding, and block list
Phone app > Settings > Calling accounts and Blocked numbers. Confirm nothing is unexpectedly active.
Step 3: SIM or eSIM check
Reseat physical SIM. For eSIM, confirm it is enabled and assigned for calls.
Step 4: Wi-Fi calling and VoLTE
Toggle Wi-Fi calling. Reboot the router if Wi-Fi calling is the only path failing.
Step 5: Call your carrier
From another phone or web chat. Carrier confirms account status, network outages, and provisioning issues.
FAQ
Why can I receive calls but not make them?
Account suspended for non-payment, low prepaid balance, the calling-account default SIM is wrong, or outgoing call restriction set on the line. The carrier-side check is the fastest path.
Will airplane mode delete my data?
No. Airplane mode only toggles cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth radios on or off. Your data, apps, and settings are untouched.
Does removing the SIM card delete contacts?
Modern Android phones store contacts in your Google account, not on the SIM. Removing the SIM does not delete them. If you ever stored contacts only on the SIM (old phones did this), the SIM removal would temporarily hide them but the SIM itself still holds them; reinsert and they come back.
What is Wi-Fi calling and should I enable it?
Wi-Fi calling routes voice over your home internet instead of cellular. Useful where cell signal is weak indoors. Free on most plans; check with your carrier for the specifics. Generally yes, enable it.
Is the ‘Suspected Spam’ filter blocking real calls?
Occasionally. Phone app > Settings > Caller ID and spam. Toggle ‘Filter spam calls’ off if real callers are getting blocked. The filter is generally helpful but does have a small false-positive rate.
Why do calls work on cellular but drop on Wi-Fi calling?
Most often the home router’s NAT timeout is too short for the SIP signaling Wi-Fi calling uses. Reboot the router. If the problem persists, look in router settings for SIP ALG and disable it (some routers’ SIP ALG breaks Wi-Fi calling rather than helping).
The verdict
Call failures on Android split into software (reboot, settings) and network (SIM, carrier) categories. The thirty-second checks fix the software side; the SIM and carrier checks handle the network side. The fix sequence resolves the vast majority of cases in five minutes.
The single biggest mistake is jumping to factory reset before working through the checklist. Reset only after every other path is exhausted, because reset wipes data and rarely fixes call-specific issues. Carrier customer service is faster.
How we put this guide together
Tested on a Pixel 8a, Galaxy S25, OnePlus 12, and Motorola Edge 50 running Android 14, 15, and 16 during April and May 2026. Each fix verified against a deliberate misconfiguration (toggle call forwarding, enable DND, disable Wi-Fi calling) on each device. Carrier-side timing observed across three US carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T) and one UK carrier (EE).
