Your Phone Drops Calls How to Fix it.
Does your phone end incoming calls as soon as you answer them? Or at random moments during a telephone conversation? The problem may be poor cellular reception, an outdated operating system, or problems with the SIM card.
This guide shares 12 possible ways to get rid of call dropping problems permanently. We cover troubleshooting for Android and iOS devices.
1. Boost Cellular Network Reception
Poor cellular signal strength is one of the main reasons phones drop cellular calls. Check your phone’s status bar and make sure there are at least two signal lines. If you have less than two signal bars on your phone, you are probably far from the nearest cell tower.
The farther you are from a cell tower, the weaker the reception of the cellular network on your phone. Other factors affecting network quality include temporary network congestion and extreme weather conditions (thunderstorm, heavy rain, wind). Try moving around your location to improve cellular reception. On the upper floors of a high-rise or high-rise building, the quality of the cellular signal may be better.
Physical obstructions (tall buildings, hills, and trees) can also block network signals and create dead zones—areas without cellular signals. If your home or office is in a cell dead zone, a signal booster could be a good investment. Cellular signal boosters (also called cellular repeaters) overcome physical obstacles and amplify weak signals.
Note that cell phone boosters only amplify weak signals. If your carrier doesn’t have cellular coverage in your area, using an amplifier doesn’t matter.
2. Try the Airplane Mode Trick
Switching your phone to airplane mode and back can solve the call drop issue.
On iOS devices, open the Settings app, turn on Airplane mode, wait 30 seconds, then turn it off again.
On Android, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced, turn on Airplane mode, and turn it off after 30 seconds.
3. Make Your Caller ID Visible (on iPhone)
Depending on your carrier, hiding your caller ID may prevent your device from receiving incoming calls. If you end up getting incoming calls, your phone may drop them. Check your phone settings and make sure your caller ID is visible.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Show My Caller ID and turn on Show My Caller ID.
4. Check Your Internet Connection
Internet voice calls may continue to drop if your cellular or Wi-Fi connection is slow or does not have internet access. Check your connection and make sure your internet is working. Open a web browser, visit any website and monitor the page loading speed.
If your cellular connection is slow, check out our guide to improving your mobile data speed to fix your internet. If apps drop calls when connected to a Wi-Fi network, restart your router and reconnect your phone to the network. You should also check out other ways to boost your Wi-Fi signal for faster internet. Contact your service provider if your connection is still slow or not working.
5. Update Date and Time Settings
Incorrect time and date settings can disrupt the cellular service on your phone. Check your mobile device settings to make sure it uses the date and time provided by the network.
On Android, go to Settings > System > Date & Time and turn on “Use network-provided time” and “Use network-provided time zone”.
For iOS devices, go to Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Automatic.
6. Check for Carrier Settings Update
Cellular service providers often release carrier settings updates that fix issues that affect phone calls and cellular services. Although most smartphones automatically install these updates, you may need to initiate the installation manually.
If you have an Android device, go to Settings > About phone and wait for the carrier settings update pop-up. On some Android devices, you can update your carrier settings in Settings > Cellular > Carrier Settings. Contact your smartphone manufacturer or carrier for detailed instructions on installing carrier settings updates.
On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and wait at least 30 seconds.
Your phone is set to the latest carrier settings unless you are prompted to install a new carrier settings update.
7. Reopen or Update the App(s)
Mobile apps sometimes malfunction if they are outdated or contain bugs. If your Internet is working properly, but the calling app keeps dropping calls, close and reopen the app.
If the issue persists, update the app to the latest version from your device’s app store. This should fix the problem, especially if the app is outdated or has a bug. Otherwise, contact the app developer if the voice or video calling app keeps dropping calls on your phone.
8. Remove and Reinsert SIM Card
If your SIM card is not inserted correctly, your phone may have trouble sending or receiving text messages and calls over the cellular network. A dirty or damaged SIM card can also interrupt the cellular signal on your phone.
Remove the SIM card and gently wipe the metal contact with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth. Also, blow compressed air through the SIM card port several times to remove dust and dirt. If you notice any physical damage or severe scratches on your SIM card, contact your carrier for a replacement.
Re-insert the SIM card into the port and see if this stabilizes cellular calls on your device. For dual SIM devices, try inserting the SIM card into a different port and see if that improves the call quality.
SIM cards have a lifespan. Cellular signal strength and reception quality may decrease on older SIM cards, especially if they no longer receive carrier settings updates. If your SIM card is about 5-10 years old, you should probably get a new one. Otherwise, you may experience slow data transfer rates and communication problems.
Check with your carrier if you are unsure about the lifespan of your SIM card or cellular reception in your area. Also, check out other fixes for when your SIM card is not working.
9. Restart Your Phone
Rebooting the system can fix SIM card issues and call failures on iOS and Android devices. If the problem persists after removing and reinstalling the SIM card, turn your phone off and on again.
10. Update Your Phone
The call drop issue is common on several Android and iOS device models. Interestingly, though, Apple and Google frequently release software updates that fix glitches affecting cellular calls and other issues. For example, iOS 15.1.1 was released by Apple specifically to “improve call drop speed on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13.”
Update your phone’s operating system if none of the suggestions above resolve the issue.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update and click Download and Install to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS.
To install an Android update, go to Settings > System > Advanced > System Update and tap Check for Updates.
The steps to install Android updates may vary depending on the model of your Android smartphone. Contact your phone manufacturer for detailed instructions on installing Android updates.
11. Reset Network Settings
Conflicting carrier or network settings can ruin phone calls on your smartphone. Resetting your device’s network settings to factory defaults may solve the call drop issue.
Reset iPhone network settings
To reset network settings on an iPhone running iOS 15 or later, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset. Select “Reset Network Settings”, enter your iPhone’s passcode and tap “Reset Network Settings” in the confirmation.
If your iPhone is running iOS 14 or earlier, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings and enter your password.
Reset Android Network Settings
Open Android settings, go to More > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth settings and tap Reset settings.
12. Use Wi-Fi Calling
If your phone keeps dropping calls due to signal issues, try using Wi-Fi calling instead. This is a feature that allows you to make phone calls without being connected to a cellular network. When Wi-Fi calling is enabled, it routes phone calls over the Internet.
You don’t need third-party Wi-Fi calling apps. Connect your phone to a Wi-Fi network and you’re done. If your carrier’s network supports Wi-Fi calling, see our guide to using Wi-Fi to make calls. This post covers everything you need to know about enabling and using Wi-Fi calling on Android and iOS devices.
Your Phone Drops Calls How to Fix it
Your Phone Drops Calls How to Fix it