How to Turn On Ringtone on iPhone: A Definitive Guide

So, your iPhone is silent, and you’re missing calls like a secret agent avoiding HQ. The good news is, bringing back the audible ring is usually a simple fix. Here’s the direct answer: To turn on the ringtone on your iPhone, ensure the Ring/Silent switch on the left side of your phone is flipped so that orange is NOT showing. Then, check your volume settings in Settings > Sounds & Haptics to make sure the ringer volume is turned up. Let’s dive deeper into the specifics and troubleshoot any potential issues.

Checking the Ring/Silent Switch: The First Line of Defense

This little switch is the culprit in most cases. Located on the upper-left side of your iPhone, it’s a physical toggle that directly controls whether your phone rings or stays silent.

• Ring Mode: When the switch is pushed towards the screen (meaning you don’t see orange), your iPhone is in Ring Mode, and calls and alerts will make noise.

• Silent Mode: When the switch is pushed towards the back of the phone (revealing an orange indicator), your iPhone is in Silent Mode. It will vibrate (if vibration is enabled), but it won’t ring.

Simply flip the switch to ensure the orange indicator isn’t visible. Test it by calling yourself from another phone or asking a friend to call.

Adjusting the Volume: Hearing is Believing

Even if the Ring/Silent switch is correctly positioned, the volume could be too low to hear. Here’s how to check and adjust it:

1. Navigate to Settings: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

2. Find Sounds & Haptics: Scroll down and tap on Sounds & Haptics (or just “Sounds” on older iOS versions).

3. Ringer and Alerts Volume: Look for the Ringer and Alerts slider.

4. Increase the Volume: Drag the slider to the right to increase the volume. As you drag, you should hear a sample ringtone playing, allowing you to gauge the loudness.

5. “Change with Buttons” Toggle: Pay attention to the “Change with Buttons” toggle below the volume slider.

   • On (Green): If this is ON, you can use the physical volume buttons on the side of your iPhone to adjust the ringer volume. This is generally recommended.
   • Off (Gray): If this is OFF, the volume buttons will only control media volume (e.g., music, videos) and not the ringer volume. You’ll need to adjust the ringer volume through the Settings app as described above.

Do Not Disturb: Silence on Purpose

Do Not Disturb (DND) is a feature that silences all calls, alerts, and notifications. If DND is enabled, your iPhone won’t ring, even if the Ring/Silent switch is in the correct position and the volume is up.

• Check the Control Center: Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen (on iPhones with Face ID) or swipe up from the bottom of the screen (on iPhones with a Home button) to open the Control Center. Look for the crescent moon icon. If it’s highlighted, Do Not Disturb is enabled. Tap the icon to turn it off.

• Check Settings: You can also manage Do Not Disturb from the Settings app. Go to Settings > Focus > Do Not Disturb. Ensure the toggle is off and check the Schedule to see if Do Not Disturb is automatically turning on at certain times.

Focus Modes: Beyond Do Not Disturb

Introduced in iOS 15, Focus modes offer more granular control over notifications. While Do Not Disturb is a simple on/off switch, Focus modes allow you to customize which notifications and calls are allowed during specific times or activities.

• Access Focus Settings: Go to Settings > Focus.

• Review Active Focus Modes: Check if any Focus modes other than Do Not Disturb are active (e.g., Work, Personal, Sleep).

• Customize or Disable: If a Focus mode is active, either customize it to allow calls or disable it entirely if you want all calls to come through.

Bluetooth Interference: When Your iPhone Thinks It’s Connected

Sometimes, your iPhone might think it’s connected to a Bluetooth device (like headphones or a speaker) even when it isn’t. This can cause the ringer volume to be routed to the non-existent device, resulting in silence.

• Turn Off Bluetooth: Open the Control Center and tap the Bluetooth icon to turn it off temporarily. Alternatively, go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle the switch to off.

• Check AirPlay Devices: Make sure your audio is not going to an AirPlay device. Swipe down from the top right-hand corner and press the Airplay icon, and select iPhone.

• Test the Ringtone: Try calling yourself to see if the ringer now works. If so, the issue was likely Bluetooth related. You can then re-enable Bluetooth.

Software Glitches: The Tech Gremlin

Rarely, a software glitch can prevent the ringer from working correctly.

• Restart Your iPhone: A simple restart often resolves minor software issues. Press and hold the side button (and either volume button on iPhones with Face ID) until the power-off slider appears. Drag the slider to power off your iPhone. Wait a few seconds, then press and hold the side button again to turn it back on.

• Update iOS: Ensure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check for updates.

Contact Customization: Silent Treatment for Specific Callers

You might have accidentally set a specific contact to have a silent ringtone or no ringtone at all.

• Check Contact Settings: Open the Phone app, go to Contacts, and select the contact who seems to be calling silently. Tap Edit in the top-right corner. Scroll down to Ringtone and Text Tone. Ensure they are set to a tone other than “None” and that the volume is audible.

FAQs: Your Ringtone Questions Answered

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify how to manage your iPhone’s ringer:

1. Why is my iPhone vibrating but not ringing? Make sure the Ring/Silent switch is set to Ring Mode (no orange showing) and the volume is turned up in Settings > Sounds & Haptics. Also, check if you have accidentally set the ringer to vibrate only, in the same settings.

2. How do I set a custom ringtone? You can purchase ringtones from the iTunes Store or create your own using GarageBand or other ringtone-making apps. After creating or downloading a ringtone, sync it to your iPhone using iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later) and then select it in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.

3. My iPhone only rings once, then stops. Why? This is likely due to the Attention Aware Features. Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode) and disable Attention Aware Features. This feature lowers the ringer volume when it detects that you’re looking at your phone, and sometimes it prematurely silences the ringtone.

4. How do I stop my iPhone from vibrating when it rings? Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and toggle the “Vibrate on Ring” switch to off. You can also disable vibration in Silent Mode by toggling “Vibrate on Silent” off.

5. Can I set different ringtones for different contacts? Yes! Open the Phone app, go to Contacts, select the contact, tap Edit, and then tap Ringtone. Choose a custom ringtone for that specific contact.

6. Why is my ringtone volume low even though the slider is at maximum? Check if Attention Aware Features are enabled (Settings > Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode). Disable it to see if it resolves the issue. Also, try restarting your iPhone.

7. My iPhone is connected to CarPlay, and I’m not hearing calls. What’s wrong? When connected to CarPlay, calls are usually routed through your car’s audio system. Ensure your car’s volume is turned up and that the car’s system is not set to mute.

8. How do I silence calls from unknown numbers? iOS has a feature that silences calls from numbers not in your contacts. Go to Settings > Phone and enable Silence Unknown Callers. These calls will go directly to voicemail.

9. I accidentally set my ringtone to “None.” How do I get it back? Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone and select a ringtone other than “None.”

10. Does airplane mode affect my ringtone? Yes, Airplane Mode disables all wireless communication, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Therefore, your iPhone won’t receive calls or ring in Airplane Mode.

11. How do I use Focus mode but still get calls from important contacts? When setting up a Focus mode (Settings > Focus), you can customize which people and apps are allowed to send you notifications and calls. Select the Focus mode you want to customize, tap People under Allowed Notifications, and add the contacts you want to receive calls from.

12. What do I do if none of these steps work? If you’ve tried all of these troubleshooting steps and your iPhone still isn’t ringing, there might be a hardware issue. Contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store for further assistance. They can run diagnostics to identify any potential hardware problems with your iPhone’s speaker or other components.

By following these steps and troubleshooting tips, you should be able to successfully turn on and customize the ringtone on your iPhone, ensuring you never miss an important call again.