How to fix “Call Failed” error on your iPhone 16 Pro

Learn how to fix Call Failed error on your iPhone 16 Pro

By Moses Johnson - Editor
6 Min Read

It can be frustrating when you attempt to make a call on your iPhone 16 Pro and you’re presented with an error message that says “Call Failed.” If you are struggling in fixing the iPhone 16 Pro call failed error, here are several simple steps you can try to fix the problem for good!

Note: information in this article apply to iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

This error occurs when you are trying to make a phone call, but your iPhone 16 Pro says “call failed”, as has been reported by many users. Some iPhone 16 Pro owners said they found the error in the middle of having a conversation. When the iPhone 16 Pro is dropping calls, it is usually because the signal in the particular area is weak. Even though the poor signal is the most common reason why the issue occurs, sometimes the SIM card that is damaged or not properly placed or some software bugs are to blame.

Ways To Fix iPhone 16 Pro Call Failed Error

Before you start troubleshooting, try making the call again. Often, a call will fail on iPhone 16 Pro thanks to an intermittent network glitch, and the call will work just fine a minute later. Before you do anything else, tap the dial button to redial your last number.

1. Call failed on iPhone 16 Pro? Turn On and Off Airplane Mode.

One of the most common reasons a call fails on iPhone 16 Pro is because of a glitch with your cellular connection. You can generally fix this by toggling Airplane Mode off and then back on again.

  1. Swipe down from the top right of your screen to bring up the Control Center.
  2. Next, tap the Airplane icon located at the upper-left-hand side corner to turn it on.
  3. Finally, wait a few seconds, tap it again to turn it off. Make sure that Airplane mode is off, which is indicated by the presence of a signal bar at the top left side of your Display.

After applying this fix, try calling someone to see if your call still fails. If You are still experiencing issues, chech the next solutions to try and fix your calls.

2. Call failed on iPhone 16 Pro? Move your location

It’s possible that you’re in a location that has poor service — good enough that your phone thinks it has cellular service, hence you’ll see a bar or two of signal strength at the top of your phone – but bad enough that it can’t actually complete a connection. If you’re indoors, go outside, or otherwise try to change your location and dial again.

3. Call failed on iPhone 16 Pro? Check your Caller ID.

Chances are your number could be hidden, thereby causing your calls to fail.

iPhone lets you call other numbers without revealing your caller ID or phone number. This sneaky trick can sometimes compromise your calls and cause them to fail.

To unhide your phone number and show your caller ID, follow these steps:

  1. Open Settings and tap on Apps.
  2. Next, scroll down and tap Phone.
  3. Finally, Show My Caller ID should be on your screen, set the button to On position.

4. Call failed on iPhone 16 Pro? Change the Date and Time Settings.

Some users manually set their clocks 15 minutes ahead of time to help them be punctual.

Whether you’re that kind of person or not, ‘Date and Time’ settings can often malfunction or glitch for no reasons. This is a weird solution, but more often than not unusual solutions like this can fix your issue.

Follow these steps to change your Date and Time Settings:

  1. Launch the Settings app from your home screen.
  2. Next, tap on General.
  3. Next on, tap Date & Time.
  4. Turn on ‘Set Automatically‘ and configure your Time Zone to your geographical location.
  5. Now if your settings are already set to automatic, try to disable and enable ‘Set Automatically’ to refresh your settings.

Whether it works or not, reverting to your normal 15-minute advance time settings should not cause this issue.

5. Call failed on iPhone 16 Pro? Restart Your iPhone.

There are a number of easier fixes you can try on this guide that involve configuring your settings, but if you’re impatient and want to take a quick break; restarting your iPhone will often resolve most minor errors while you’re free to do a quick 5-minute task.

Follow these steps to restart your iPhone:

  1. First, hold the Side and either of the volume buttons on your iPhone until you see a red power slider
  2. Now, swipe the power off slider to the right and wait for your device to turn off completely.
  3. Turn your iPhone back on by holding down the Side button.

6. Call failed on iPhone 16 Pro? Reset your SIM card

It’s possible that there’s a problem with the way your iPhone’s SIM card is seated in its tray, and the phone can have trouble reading all the contacts on the card. As long as you are careful, it’s not hard to remove the SIM card from your phone — pop it out, gently dust it off, and then place it back on its tray and re-insert it in your iPhone.

7. Disable Dial Assist.

Most cellular calls are made in the same region, while international calls are commonly connected through Wi-Fi. Every country has a different prefix (the first two numbers of your phone number, like 1 for the US). Because of this, whenever you dial a phone number there is an automatically assigned local prefix. This is what ‘Dial Assist’ does.

The automated feature can be an issue when you’re trying to contact someone with a foreign number or a different prefix. By disabling ‘Dial Assist’, it gives you the guarantee that the number you dial is the one that’s going to receive your call.

Follow these steps to disable Dial Assist on your iPhone:

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap Phone.
  3. Now toggle off the switch next to Dial Assist.
  4. Finally, restart your iPhone

After restarting your device, dial-in or choose through your contacts the full number of the person you wish to contact. Your iPhone should now dial the numbers of your contact without any automated interventions.

8. Check for Carrier Settings Update.

Maybe your carrier settings are out of date, which may cause an error in your calls.

Just like iOS updates, it’s a good idea to keep your carrier settings up to date. Updating your carrier settings is quick and easy however, speeds vary depending on your Wi-Fi network.

follow these steps to update your carrier settings:

  1. Launch the settings app on your iPhone
  2. Next, tap General.
  3. Now, tap on About.
  4. Finally, if an update is available, you should see a notification.

However, if the problem persist, you can check the next solutions to try and fix your iPhone 16 Pro call failed problems.

9. Check Your Wi-Fi Calling Options.

‘Wi-Fi Calling’ gives you the ability to receive and make calls over a Wi-Fi connection instead of your phone’s cellular network.

This can come in handy when you want to make a call and are connected to a Wi-Fi network. However, this can get in the way of making regular cellular calls.

Disabling or enabling this setting has worked for most users. Follow these steps to enable/disable ‘Wi-Fi Calling’:

  1. launch the Settings app on your iPhone
  2. Now, scroll down and tap Phone.
  3. Next, press Wi-Fi Calling and disable/enable it. (whichever is the opposite of the current setting).
  4. Finally, restart your iPhone.

Now your calls should be made entirely through your cellular network or with the help of your Wi-Fi connection.
iPhones.

10. Update iOS.

Any iOS device can start to get bugs and problems if its software is out of date.

Often enough updating your iOS fixes most problems, including failed calls. Because bugs, glitches, and other performances require monthly updates and changes in code; regularly updating your iPhone’s iOS is a great way to avoid most errors and bugs.

Before updating, make sure your phone has more than 40 percent battery life and is connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection. Updating can take as little as 5 minutes to an hour depending on the speed of your Wi-Fi network and hardware of your device.

Follow these steps to update your iOS:

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone
  2. Now, tap on General.
  3. Next, tap on Software Update.
  4. If there is an update available, simply download and install .

Updating your iOS should ensure that you are running the latest operating system on your iPhone. Try to make a call and see if the problem is fixed.

11. Reset Your Network Settings back to Default.

If you’ve tried everything else and you can’t make a phone call due to the Call Failed on iPhone 16 Pro error, you might need to reset your phone’s network settings. Save this as a last resort, because this troubleshooting step will erase all your network settings, including saved Wi-Fi network passwords and paired Bluetooth devices, so in some ways it’ll be like you have a new iPhone again. But if you’re ready to try this fix, it might get your phone up and running again.

  1. start the settings app on your iPhone
  2. Now, tap General.
  3. Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone
  4. Next, tap on Reset.
  5. Next on, tap Reset Network Settings.

Your networking settings should be reverted back to its default state from when it was produced and should be functioning like factory-quality

12. Contact your carrier

You might need to contact your service provider for assistance; this can typically be done by calling 611 or *611 on your iPhone. In the event that you are unable to call them using your iPhone, you might need to visit the provider’s store.

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Moses Johnson is the Editorial Director of GeeksChalk.com, who has a keen eye for news, rumors, and all the unusual stuff around Apple products. Moses is commonly referred to online as The Professor, with decades of experience in tech under his belt.
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