Technician helping troubleshoot a Samsung phone not receiving calls

Steve H.

Reviewed for technical accuracy

Specialities: Samsung call reception problems (not receiving calls, call forwarding issues, do not disturb settings), network connectivity (airplane mode, signal strength), and Samsung-specific call filtering features

Samsung phone not receiving calls, missed calls, or incoming calls going straight to voicemail — safe checks before changing settings

Technician avatar Technician
I understand how frustrating it is when your Samsung phone stops receiving calls. You might miss important messages, and it can feel like something is seriously wrong.

Trust moment: let’s not panic or change settings randomly. We’ll start with the safest checks first, and you can stop at any point if you’re uncomfortable.

Quick start: when someone tries to call you, do you see a missed call notification, or does it seem like the call never happened at all?
Customer
I see missed calls in the log, but I don’t hear the phone ring. My daughter called three times yesterday and I had no idea. Is my phone broken?
Technician avatar Technician
That’s actually a good sign — if you’re seeing the missed calls in your log, it means your phone is receiving the calls. The issue is likely that the ringer is silenced or do not disturb is turned on, not a hardware failure.

Let me ask a few quick questions: First, is your Samsung in airplane mode (check the quick settings panel by swiping down from the top twice)?
Customer
No, airplane mode is off. I checked. The signal bars show I have service.
Technician avatar Technician
Good. That rules out airplane mode. Now, the most common reason for missed calls with no ring is Do Not Disturb (DND). On Samsung, this can be turned on accidentally and it silences calls unless they’re from your favorites.

Trust moment: I don’t want you turning off important safety features. We’re just checking what’s on, not disabling anything yet.

Can you swipe down from the top twice to open Quick Settings and tell me if you see “Do Not Disturb” or a moon icon? Is it highlighted or grayed out?
Customer
I see a moon icon and it looks highlighted in blue. That must be it, right?
Technician avatar Technician
That’s very likely the culprit. Do Not Disturb is on, which is why calls come through but don’t ring. Before we change it, let me explain what it does so you understand.

Do Not Disturb silences notifications and calls, but Samsung usually lets through calls from people in your Favorites or Contacts depending on the settings. That’s why you see the missed calls — they arrived, but silently.

One more check: do you remember turning this on, or did it happen on its own?
Customer
I don’t remember turning it on. Maybe I accidentally hit it or my grandchild was playing with the phone.
Technician avatar Technician
That happens often — the quick settings are easy to tap by accident. The good news is this is completely reversible and not a phone problem at all.

If you’re ready, you can tap that moon icon once to turn Do Not Disturb off. The phone should then ring normally for all calls again. Does that sound okay?
Customer
Yes, I’ll try that now. I’m tapping the moon. It’s no longer blue. Is that right?
Technician avatar Technician
Perfect. Do Not Disturb is now off. Your phone should ring normally for incoming calls now. The missed calls in your log will stay there as a record, but new calls should come through with sound and vibration.

A quick follow-up: while we’re looking at settings, let me ask — is your ringer volume actually turned up? Sometimes the volume is muted separately. Can you press the volume up button on the side of the phone and check if the volume slider appears?
Customer
I pressed the volume button and a slider showed up. It looks like it was at the bottom, almost silent. I moved it up to the middle. Is that enough?
Technician avatar Technician
That’s good — middle is usually a safe level. Some people prefer it higher for calls so they don’t miss anything, but middle is fine for most situations. If you want it louder, you can always raise it more later.

Trust moment: I don’t want you worrying about perfect volume settings. As long as it’s not at the bottom and not on mute, you should hear calls coming in.

Now, one more thing to check: on Samsung, there’s a feature called Call Blocking or Call Filter that can silently block certain numbers. Have you noticed if the missed calls are from unknown numbers, or are they from people you know like your daughter?
Customer
They were all from my daughter and my son. People I know. So it’s not blocking them.
Technician avatar Technician
That’s helpful — so it’s not a call filtering issue. You’ve already fixed the two most common problems: Do Not Disturb was on, and the ringer volume was low.

One final check before we wrap up: Samsung phones sometimes have a setting called “Quiet mode” or “Bedtime mode” that can also silence calls. Can you go to Settings (the gear icon), then search for “Bedtime” or scroll down to see if there’s a mode like that turned on?
Customer
I’m in Settings. I don’t see Bedtime mode. I see “Do Not Disturb” in the menu and it shows as off now. I also see “Sound and vibration” — should I check that?
Technician avatar Technician
Yes, that’s a good idea. Tap “Sound and vibration” and look for “Ringtone” or “Call ringtone.” Make sure it’s set to something (not “Silent” or “None”). Also check that “Vibration” is turned on — that way, even if the sound is low, you’ll feel the phone buzz when someone calls.
Customer
I see “Ringtone” and it’s set to “Default.” Vibration is on. I think I’m all set now. Should I test it with someone?
Technician avatar Technician
That’s a great idea. You could call your daughter or son and ask them to try calling you back. You should now hear the ringtone and feel the vibration. If everything works, you’ve solved it. If you still don’t hear anything after testing, we can look into other possibilities like call forwarding or network issues, but I’m confident this will fix it.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted first fix for Samsung phone not receiving calls (safe approach): 1) turn off Do Not Disturb mode by tapping the moon icon in Quick Settings, 2) increase your ringer volume by pressing the volume up button on the side of the phone and moving the slider to at least middle, 3) confirm Vibration is enabled in Settings > Sound and vibration, and 4) verify your Ringtone is set to something other than “Silent” or “None.” Most Samsung phones that don’t ring for incoming calls have Do Not Disturb accidentally turned on or volume set too low. Test with a friend or family member to confirm calls now come through with sound and vibration.

Why Samsung phones stop ringing for calls (and why it happens suddenly)

When a Samsung phone receives calls but doesn’t ring, the problem is almost always one of three settings: Do Not Disturb is on, the ringer volume is too low, or a call-related mode like Bedtime mode is active. The phone itself is working correctly — it’s receiving the calls and logging them — but something is silencing the notification. This can happen accidentally when someone taps the quick settings, or if a family member borrows the phone. It can also occur after a software update if Samsung changes the default Do Not Disturb behavior. The good news is that all of these are completely reversible and don’t require any technical repair.

What to check first (safe checks before changing any other settings)

Start with the quickest check: swipe down twice from the top to open Quick Settings and look for the moon icon (Do Not Disturb). If it’s highlighted in blue, that’s your answer — tap it to turn it off. Next, press the volume up button on the side of your Samsung and make sure the ringer volume slider is at least in the middle, not at the bottom or muted. Then, go to Settings > Sound and vibration and confirm that your Ringtone is set to something other than “Silent,” and that Vibration is turned on. If you still don’t hear calls after these checks, test with a family member or friend calling you. If the problem continues, it might be related to call forwarding or a network issue, which we can investigate further.

Samsung call reception troubleshooting — calm, senior-friendly guidance

Focus on the three most common causes: Do Not Disturb, ringer volume, and ringtone settings.

If your Samsung phone is not receiving calls or you’re missing calls silently, don’t assume the phone is broken. The most likely cause is that Do Not Disturb is on, which silences calls but still logs them as missed calls. The second most common cause is that the ringer volume has been accidentally turned down or muted, often by a family member or a pocket press. The third possibility is that your Bedtime mode, Quiet mode, or another Samsung feature is active. All of these are easy to fix and completely reversible. Once you’ve checked these three areas, your phone should ring normally for all incoming calls from family and friends.

Disclaimer: This information is AI-generated and intended for general guidance only. Avoid changing network settings or disabling safety features unless you are sure. For model-specific features and screens, use official Samsung documentation or contact your carrier for network-related issues.

If the issue continues

Getting Started Is Easy

Ask for help, 24/7

If your Samsung phone isn’t ringing for incoming calls, start with the safest checks: turn off Do Not Disturb, raise your ringer volume, and confirm your ringtone is set. Most issues are solved in minutes.

Expert will respond in minutes

Most “not receiving calls” issues on Samsung phones come down to Do Not Disturb, low ringer volume, or an active call-related mode. These are all easy to fix without technical knowledge.

Stop missing important calls

Once you’ve confirmed Do Not Disturb is off and your ringer volume is set correctly, you’ll hear all incoming calls from family and friends. Test with someone you know to make sure everything is working.

FAQ

Why is my Samsung phone receiving calls but not ringing?

The most common reason is that Do Not Disturb mode is turned on. This silences calls and notifications, but your phone still receives them and logs them as missed calls. Other causes include ringer volume being too low or muted, or a Bedtime/Quiet mode being active. All of these are easy to fix by checking Quick Settings and Sound settings.

How do I turn off Do Not Disturb on my Samsung?

Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open Quick Settings. Look for the moon icon — if it’s highlighted in blue, Do Not Disturb is on. Tap it once to turn it off. Your phone should then ring normally for all incoming calls. You can also turn it off by going to Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and toggling it off.

What if my ringer volume is too low?

Press the volume up button on the side of your Samsung phone. A volume slider will appear on the screen. Move the slider to at least the middle position, or higher if you want to hear calls more clearly. You can also go to Settings > Sound and vibration to adjust the call ringtone volume there. Make sure Vibration is turned on as well, so you’ll feel the phone buzz if the sound is low.

Could call filtering or call blocking be causing this?

It’s possible, but less common. Samsung has a Call Filter feature that can block spam or unknown numbers. If you’re missing calls from people you know (like family), it’s unlikely to be call filtering. If you’re missing calls from unknown numbers, check Settings > Apps > Phone > Caller ID and spam protection to see if call filtering is turned on. For calls from known contacts, Do Not Disturb or low volume is almost always the cause.

Sources

Filed under: Mobile Call Issues

Matt Verified Icon
Matt ● replies in < 1 min
Technician Expert
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Trusted by 27,000+ customers
Avatar
Alex · Expert's Assistant
5 Tech Support Specialists are online right now.