Top 9 Ways to Fix Apple Watch Not Ringing for Incoming Calls

While the Apple Watch mostly delivers a smooth watchOS experience, glitches like Always On Display not working, Wi-Fi network errors, and the Watch not ringing for incoming calls can spoil your mood quickly. The latter can be quite irritating, and here are the top ways to fix Apple Watch not ringing.

You may miss important calls when the Apple Watch stops ringing for no reason. Several factors can break your Apple Watch’s integration with the iPhone. Let’s start with the basics and move to the advanced tricks to receive call alerts on your wrists instantly.

1. Restart Apple Watch and iPhone

You should reboot your Apple Watch and iPhone and try receiving incoming calls on the wrists.

iPhone

Step 1: Keep pressing the side and volume buttons simultaneously. Use the slider to turn off the iPhone.

Step 2: Wait for few minutes and press the power button again until you see the Apple logo.

Apple Watch

Step 1: Press the Digital Crown to head to the home screen and open Settings.

Step 2: Scroll to General.

Step 3: Select Shut Down.

Step 4: Press the hold the Digital Crown to switch on the Watch.

2. Turn Off Focus on Apple Watch and iPhone

An active Focus mode on your iPhone can be the main culprit behind the Watch not ringing issue. You need to disable Focus from Settings or Control Center.

You can swipe down from the top-right corner to open the Control Center. Disable the Focus mode, and also syncs to the connected Apple Watch.

3. Check Apple Watch Notification Settings

If you have enabled the notification privacy option on Apple Watch, you may face issues receiving call alerts.

Step 1: Launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Scroll to Notifications and disable the Show Summary When Locked toggle.

You can also open Settings and scroll to Notifications to disable the Notification Privacy toggle.

Check Phone Notifications

You need to check the Phone notifications for your Apple Watch.

Step 1: Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. Scroll to Notifications and select Phone.

Step 2: Tap ‘Mirror my iPhone’ and you are good to go.

4. Unpair and Pair Apple Watch

Do you still face issues with the Apple Watch not ringing on iPhone? You need to unpair the Apple Watch from the iPhone and pair it again.

Step 1: Place your Apple Watch beside the iPhone.

Step 2: Open the Watch app and tap All Watches at the top.

Step 3: Tap the info button beside your Apple Watch and tap ‘Unpair Apple Watch.’

Step 4: Confirm your decision and enter your Apple ID and password to authenticate.

Turn on your Apple Watch and place it beside the iPhone to start setting up the Watch.

5. Switch Off Passcode

Many Apple Watch users were able to receive calls by turning off the passcode on their Apple Watch. Here’s what you need to do.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your Watch.

Step 2: Scroll to Passcode and disable the toggle.

6. Allow Calls on Other Devices

You need to allow calls on other devices from your iPhone Settings. That way, your incoming iPhone calls should ring on the connected iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and scroll to Phone.

Step 2: Select Calls on Other Devices and toggle on Allow Calls on Other Devices.

7. Enable Wake Screen

Does your Apple Watch ring without waking up the screen? Make a tweak from Watch Settings and you are good to go.

Step 1: Press the Digital Crown on the Watch and choose the Settings app.

Step 2: Select Display & Brightness.

Step 3: Enable the Wake on Wrist Raise toggle.

8. Update Apple Watch and iPhone

You should update your Apple Watch and iPhone to the latest version to receive calls as usual.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and scroll to General.

Step 2: Select Software Update and install the latest iOS build.

Now, use the steps below to update your Apple Watch.

Step 1: Press the Digital Crown on the Watch, choose the Settings app and choose the General menu.

Step 2: Tap Software Update and install the latest watchOS version.

9. Reset Apple Watch

When none of the tricks work, it’s time to reset Apple Watch and set it up from scratch.

Step 1: Press the Digital Crown on the Watch, open the Settings app and select General.

Step 2: Tap Reset.

Step 3: Hit ‘Erase All Content and Settings.’

Follow the on-screen instructions to reset the Apple Watch and set it up again with your iPhone.

Never Miss a Single Incoming Call

Apple Watch is undoubtedly the most popular smartwatch out there. The company frequently updates it with new software builds and hardware refreshes. Issues like the Apple Watch not ringing when the phone rings defeat the purpose of using a smartwatch in the first place. Which trick worked for you? Share your findings in the comments below.