Phone can't make calls, calls drop, calling not working

Your phone might not be able to make calls for reasons including:

• Signal level - We strive to provide the strongest coverage possible to everyone, but at times factors beyond our control can affect your experience. Factors can include being far from network cell sites, electronic device interference, obstructions, building materials or construction, terrain, geography and even heavy foliage. These can all contribute to signal blockage and result in dropped or failed calls.
• Network resources - Occasionally our network resources can be taxed beyond their limits, especially when many people come into an area at once (e.g, sporting event, concert, festival, etc.). This increased network traffic can cause congestion, which can cause dropped or failed calls.
• Mobile account issues - If you switched to Verizon recently it’s possible that your service transfer isn’t complete. Or you may have made account changes that mean service features need to be restored. Or, your mobile account may be disconnected or suspended.
• Mobile phone plan change - An online plan change can sometimes cause phone performance issues that restarting your phone usually solves.
  
• Smart Family restrictions - If you have Verizon Smart Family on your account, restrictions may be in place that keep your calls from going through.
• Phone settings - When enabled, Airplane mode stops your device from connecting to cellular and Wi-Fi networks. Or, if you aren’t able to make calls over Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Calling might be turned off.
• The number you’re calling isn’t working - Any of the issues above could also prevent the people you’re calling from receiving calls on their devices.  

Here’s what you can do if your phone isn’t making calls or your calls are failing

• Signal level:
  • If you’re in an area with heavy network usage (e.g., sporting event, concert, etc.) you may have slow data speeds until the network congestion clears or you reach an uncongested cell site.
  • If you’re indoors, our solutions like a Network Extender or Wi-Fi Calling can help you use your service. You can even send messages and place HD voice and video calls using apps like Skype™ and Hangouts™ over our network or your own Wi-Fi network.
  • If you’re making calls over Wi-Fi but your Wi-Fi signal is poor, try moving closer to your router.
  • If you have weak signal everywhere, your device might have an issue. Use our troubleshooter to help solve the issue.
• Network disruptions – When our network experiences an outage our goal is to restore service as quickly as possible. These disruptions tend to affect a certain geographic area or a certain type of service. When resolved, all affected customers generally see their service restored at the same time.
• Mobile account issues:
  • If you’re transferring from another wireless carrier, allow up to 72 hours before your number is active on our network.
  • If you transfer from a landline phone provider, transfer can take up to 10 business days. During this time, you may be assigned a temporary number. You won’t be able to make calls using your transferred number unless it’s already active. And you won’t be able to receive calls using your transferred number until all carriers have updated their call routing to reflect that your number now belongs to Verizon.
  • Account suspensions may result in your outgoing calls being directed to a Verizon representative so account issues can be addressed by Verizon personnel and your service can be brought back online as quickly as possible.
  • Missing service features - Contact us to get missing features added back so your service can be restored.
• Mobile phone plan change - Did you change your Verizon phone plan online then have phone issues? Restarting your phone is most often the solution. Turn off, wait several seconds, then turn back on.
  
• Verizon Smart Family restrictions - If you have Smart Family on your account, check with the owner of the Parent lines to see if restrictions are preventing your calls from going through.
• Device settings:
  • Check that Airplane Mode isn’t enabled.
    
  • If you aren’t able to make calls over Wi-Fi, check if the Wi-Fi Calling setting is turned off.
  • If voice quality on your calls is poor but your phone’s connection to the Verizon data network is stable, you may be able to turn on Advanced Calling (also known as HD Voice or VoLTE) so your calls process over the data network instead.
  • If the number you’re calling isn’t working - Try verifying that the same number can be dialed from another phone. If not, the problem may be with the number or device you’re calling.

If you can’t make calls and none of the issues listed above apply to you, try restarting or resetting your phone.

Restart your phone - Many basic problems can be solved by turning your phone off and back on again. The same way you reboot your computer as the first step to fix a problem, restarting your phone can have a similar effect.

Check settings - If the issue is due to a setting, try to narrow it down to a particular app or phone function. For example, If you’re not able to call a number but you can send text messages to the number, try deleting the contact entry and dialing manually. If the call goes through, the issue was with how the contact was saved. After verifying that the call completes if you dial manually, save a new contact entry and try again.

Check apps - Android devices have a built-in Safe Mode that lets you test your phone in a state where no third-party apps or Home screen widgets are allowed to start. If you start your phone in Safe Mode and then don't have the same problem making calls, a third-party app is causing the issue. You can remove the app or report the issue to the app developer so they can investigate.

Factory reset - This may be needed if we’re unable to determine exactly what setting is causing the problem, or if some essential function was deleted or hidden from the phone. A reset erases data on your phone. Make sure that anything you don’t want to lose is backed up (with Verizon Cloud, Google Drive, etc.) before you reset. Once the phone is reset, it’s configured in the same way it was the first time you took it out of the box. Any settings that may have been changed in the time since will be reverted and your phone’s functionality should be restored.

Here's what to know about emergency SOS service:

• You can use Emergency SOS by satellite on Apple® iPhone® 14 or newer models to text emergency services for help when you don’t have outside cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Visit the Emergency SOS via satellite Support page for more details.
• The Emergency SOS feature on your Apple® iPhone® allows you to contact emergency services (e.g., 911) using a button combination.

If your iPhone detects a severe car crash, your device can help connect you to emergency services. Visit the Crash Detection Support page for more info.

You can also add emergency contacts to receive an alert with a text message after the emergency call is ended. Visit the Apple Emergency SOS support page for more info.

For help with this issue, follow these steps:

1. Access the Troubleshooting Assistant or click the Get started inside the Troubleshoot your device tile.
2. Click Troubleshoot on your phone model tile.
3. Click iPhone SOS only.
4. Click next step.
5. Review and complete the tasks in each step.
6. If these steps don’t resolve your issue, review the Apple support article for No Service, Searching, or SOS on your iPhone or iPad.
7. If the troubleshooting steps or the Apple support article don't resolve the issue, visit the article What are some reasons my phone won’t make calls?