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You are here: Home / Not working? / iPhone 12 Pro Max Not Making Calls? Fix

iPhone 12 Pro Max Not Making Calls? Fix

Last Updated: July 14, 2021 by Kevin Shaw

It is frustrating when you are trying to make a call and your iPhone 12 Pro Max decided to have a mind of its own by not placing the call especially when it’s an urgent call

This call failure issue can be caused from different factors like poor network reception, or you mistakenly turned off your sim card from settings. Don’t worry today as we will be looking at some ways to fix the problem and get your iPhone 12 Pro Max calling in no time.

When your iPhone 12 Pro Max can’t make calls, you really notice the absence. This is especially the case if you want to make an important call or if you need your phone for work.

If this has happened to you, we’ve put together an outline of things you can try when your iPhone 12 Pro Max is not making calls. This spans everything from the simple to the more involved. Regardless of why your iPhone is acting up, it should get you back up and running again.

Why is my iPhone 12 Pro Max not making calls?

Check for signal

Assuming your iPhone is indeed switched on, you should check if it’s receiving a signal. This can be done easily on on an iPhone by looking in the corner of your phone at the signal indicator.

The signal indicator can be found in the top-right corner of the screen. Even a single bar should indicate enough of a signal to make calls. However, if the signal occasionally drops out so that you see “No Service”, you may find that calls don’t work.

If this is the case, you should try moving to an area or location with a stronger signal. Note that certain locations and premises — such as tunnels and underground car parks — will prevent you from receiving any signal. As such, look for places on or above ground that aren’t too remote (i.e., that aren’t out in the middle of nowhere).

Turn off Airplane Mode

When checking the signal bar, you may instead find a symbol indicating Airplane Mode (this will usually look like a plane). If you do, this means Airplane Mode is activated and that you can’t receive any kind of communications signal. It also means you’ll have to switch it off if you want to make or receive calls. You can do this on an iPhone by taking the following steps:

Step 1: Swipe down from the top-right of the display. Step 2: If the Airplane Mode symbol is orange, this means it’s on. Turn it off by tapping it so that it turns clear.

Step 3: Unselect Airplane Mode.

Check your phone contract/contact your carrier

One reason why your iPhone 12 Pro Max can’t make calls may be that there’s a problem with your carrier. For example, there could be a network outages. Alternatively, you can check sites such as Downdetector for third-party updates on network statuses.

Remove and reactivate SIM card

Similar to the perennial reboot advice you get from IT departments, it’s usually worth removing your SIM card and reinserting it again. Doing this effectively de- and reactivates the card, hopefully removing any issues that were preventing your iPhone 12 Pro Max from making calls.

Reset network settings

As with your SIM card, you can try resetting your network settings if you still can’t make calls on your iPhone 12 Pro Max. This clears your phone of any stored data that might potentially interfere with its functioning.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Software update

Yes, we’re starting to get a little desperate now, but updating to the latest available version of your iOS can often help in cases where your iPhone 12 Pro Max won’t make calls.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update. Your phone will then tell you if an update is available.

Update Carrier settings

Make sure that your phone is operating properly on your network, and do need to be updated from time to time. To update your carrier settings, simply go to Settings > General > About.

If there is an update available, the option to update will appear here. Also by going to Settings > General > About, you can see which version of your carrier settings that you’re running on your device.
Bear in mind that if you install a new SIM card, it’s necessary for phone functionality for you to update your carrier settings before making a call.

Factory resets and Apple fixes

If you’ve tried all of the above steps and you still can’t make calls on iPhone 12 Pro Max, you may want to consider a factory reset. This is basically the nuclear option as far as any problem or bug is concerned, but it can resolve issues in certain cases.

Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings.

Needless to say, you should always backup your device before performing a factory reset. However, if this and every other option fails, it may be time to contact Apple support and inquire into a potential repair or replacement.

About Kevin Shaw

Kevin Shaw is a tech writer at iPhoneArena covering news, how-tos, and user guides about iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.

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