How do I get my Apple Watch to stop showing my calls?

Receive calls again from your wrist

Updated on December 17, 2021

If your Apple Watch isn't ringing when you're receiving a call, it can be easy to miss out on an all-important phone call. Fortunately, the solution isn't usually too hard providing you know what to look for. Here's a look at the reasons why your Apple Watch might not be ringing and how to fix the problem. 

Why Is My Apple Watch Not Ringing When I Get a Phone Call?

If your Apple Watch no longer rings when you receive a phone call, it can be very frustrating. Here's a look at the key reasons why this might be happening.

• Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode is switched on. If your Apple Watch and/or iPhone has Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode switched on, all notifications and possible disturbances are switched off. That means you won't receive call notifications. Switch Do Not Disturb or Airplane Mode off to restore the feature.
• Check that your iPhone is operational. Is your iPhone receiving calls? If not, then the Apple Watch can't receive them either.
• Call notifications are switched off. Check your Apple Watch notifications to confirm calls will be sent to your Apple Watch. They may be switched off meaning you don't receive notifications.
• Connection issues. Check your iPhone and Apple Watch are connected to each other. If the connection has failed, try restoring it or resync your Apple Watch.
• Wake Screen features are affecting things. The notification might be coming through but you might not be able to see it if you have the Wake Screen feature disabled on your Apple Watch. Check it's enabled.

How Do I Get My Apple Watch to Ring When Someone Calls Me? 

If your Apple Watch is no longer ringing when someone calls you, there are some fairly simple fixes that usually correct the matter. Here's what to check and do.

1. Check that you're wearing your watch correctly. It's a simple one. If you're not, the Watch may not receive any notifications, including calls. Check that the Watch fits snugly on your wrist. 

2. Check the connections. Check that your Apple Watch and iPhone are still connected to each other. If not, try restarting the devices to restore the connection. If that doesn't work, resync your Apple Watch.

3. Switch off Do Not Disturb and Airplane Mode. Check that Do Not Disturb and Airplane mode are both switched off so you still receive calls and notifications.

4. Restart your devices. Even if everything looks like it should be working correctly, try restarting your Apple Watch and iPhone. A restart can often fix many minor issues.

5. Update your devices. Update your Apple Watch and iPhone so that they're both running the latest software updates. Sometimes, if one or more is running an older OS, the connection can fail, meaning you don't receive calls correctly.

6. Switch off your passcode. If you use a passcode on your Apple Watch, disabling it temporarily can sometimes fix an issue with receiving calls. Go to Settings > Passcode > Turn Passcode Off to disable it. 

FAQ

• Why is my iPhone not ringing when it's linked to my Apple Watch?

  If your iPhone is locked or powered off, but your Apple Watch is unlocked, even if the watch screen is asleep, your notifications, including calls, will be received on your Apple Watch. If your iPhone is unlocked and it's still not ringing, make sure your iPhone isn't on Silent Mode or Do Not Disturb, and that the volume is turned up.

• How do I stop calls from ringing on my Apple Watch?

  To stop calls from coming to your Apple Watch entirely, go to your iPhone's Settings and tap Phone > Calls on Other Devices and toggle off Allow Calls on Other Devices. If you don't want your Apple Watch to ring or vibrate when you get a call, open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap My Watch > Phone. Under Ringtone, disable Sound. You can also disable Haptic if you don't want any indication that you have a call.

• Why is my Apple Watch vibrating but not ringing when I get a call?

  You may not have sound enabled on your Phone settings. To check, open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap My Watch. Scroll down and select Phone, then, under Ringtone, make sure both Sound and Haptic are toggled on if you want your Watch to both ring and vibrate.

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