There are many reasons that your Verizon phone may not be receiving calls, including network disruptions, account issues, your location, and phone settings, and they can all be fixed with the right steps.
I have plenty of technological experience with different mobile carriers. My own knowledge of the brands and their products allowed me to properly cover the topics throughout the following guide.
The below sections look at why some Verizon customers might have trouble receiving calls. They do so by studying why such issues arise in the first place, as well as the best ways to fix them when they do.
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Key Takeaways
- Many Verizon callers who are unable to receive calls are likely experiencing issues from network disruptions, natural disasters, or account settings.
- Before going into larger solutions, always restart or update your phone to see if that fixes any call-related problems.
- There are several methods you can use to fix your call-related issues, including contacting Verizon’s customer service, changing locations, or performing a factory reset.
Why Your Verizon Phone Can’t Receive Calls
Verizon is one of the biggest and most reliable networks on Earth. However, as with any wireless service, it’s not perfect. The tech giant still goes through issues every now and then, and there may be times when your phone can’t receive calls.
There are several reasons you may not be able to receive calls with Verizon, and they range from aspects both within and outside of your control.
1. Network disruptions
Though Verizon does a lot to ensure their service is up to speed, unreliability happens.
Networks can go down due to factors like outages. Not only could there be issues with Verizon’s service or equipment, but natural disasters or strong weather events like fires, tornadoes, or hurricanes can affect your calls as well.
If a third party experiences issues, or if any towers/wires go down, that can also cause you to not receive calls. Luckily, in such cases, Verizon commonly responds in a timely manner and gets everything else up and running as soon as they can.
2. Your Signal May Be Too Weak
If you’re in a rural area you may not have enough bars to receive calls. The same goes if you’re far away from cell towers or in a remote region. Underground locations like basements can also make it so your calls don’t come through.
3. Wrong Settings on Your Phone
Check your personal settings too. If your phone is, accidentally or purposefully, set on Do Not Disturb Mode, Airplane Mode, or Call Forwarding, you won’t be able to get calls. When you see issues in that regard, check those modes first.
4. Issue with Your Verizon Account
Another aspect that could be influencing your ability to receive calls is your account. Any issues you might have with your Verizon account could impact your service.
For instance, if you’re signed up for Verizon Smart Family there’s a chance that one of the parent lines put up restrictions to prevent your call from going through. It’s also possible the person calling you might be having trouble on their end as well.
What to Do When You Cannot Receive Calls
Not being able to receive calls is an incredibly annoying process. Still, all is not lost. There are quite a few things you can do to mitigate any of the problems from the above section.
First and foremost, you should always restart your phone. While that won’t always do anything towards fixing your issues, if it does it will save you a lot of time and energy. Just call your number from another line to make sure it’s fixed.
If that doesn’t work, you next want to look at any of the modes that could interfere with your calls and turn them off. Airplane Mode and Do Not Disturb both need to be shut off for your phone to work. Resetting your network settings can help in that regard as well.
Update your phone too. No matter what type you have, iPhone or Android, a new update can solve any bugs or glitches within your system that could be causing the issue that’s messing with your calls. Just go to settings, scroll down, and check for updates.
Of course, contacting Verizon customer service is a great option too. Though most problems you can solve on your own, sometimes you need outside help. Verizon’s support should be able to help you understand and solve any problems that arise.
If all else fails, you have the option of resetting your phone back to factory settings. This is absolutely a last-resort option, but it can work if nothing else does. To do this, you want to back up or save all of the data on your phone.
Once that’s done, go to settings, find backup and reset, and then press “Factory Data Reset.” While that will usually solve the problem, you should only take it if you have absolutely no other options.
FAQs
This section breaks down some of the biggest questions customers have about Verizon’s wireless service.
Why Does My Call Go Straight to Voicemail?
If you call someone and their phone goes straight to voicemail it typically means that your number is blocked or their calling is on do not disturb mode. Their phone may be turned off as well.
How Do I Unblock Incoming Calls?
If you want to unblock a number, all you have to do is go into settings, then phone, and find blocked contacts. That will then give you the ability to either block or unblock calls as you see fit.
Why Are My Verizon Calls Not Getting Through?
While Verizon is normally reliable, if your calls aren’t getting through it’s typically due to the strength of Verizon’s network coverage at your location. Weak signals, or ones caused by unforeseen natural issues, are typically to blame.
Final Words
Most of the time, you won’t have any problems receiving calls with Verizon. However, every now and then problems do arise. As long as you understand why your calls aren’t coming through, you should be able to handle the issues as they come about.
Have you had any issues with receiving calls while with Verizon? If so, how long did they last and how did you fix them? Let us know below!