With cellular service available, ask a saved contact and someone whose number is not saved to call you. If only the unsaved caller goes to voicemail, check the Phone app’s unknown caller settings. If neither caller rings, turn off the active Focus briefly and test again before checking call forwarding or calling your carrier.
01Run a quick test with two callers
Section linkTurn off Silent mode so you can hear the test, then leave the iPhone locked and have each person call. Check whether the call appeared on screen, showed up later in Recents or only left voicemail. A call that appears on screen without a ringtone points to an alert issue; it does not prove the call was routed away.
02If only unsaved numbers go to voicemail
Section linkOpen Settings → Apps → Phone. Where Screen Unknown Callers is available, choose Never for the test. Silence sends calls from unsaved numbers to voicemail; Ask Reason for Calling screens the caller before the phone rings. Some versions show Silence Unknown Callers as a switch instead. Call Filtering can move missed calls into a separate list, so check the Unknown Callers list too. If you are waiting for a specific call, save the number when you have it.
03If saved contacts are affected too
Section linkOpen Control Center, turn off the active Focus, and repeat the test. If that helps, adjust which people the Focus allows or when it turns on. If only one caller is affected, look for that number in Blocked Contacts. If several callers still go to voicemail, check Settings → Apps → Phone → Call Forwarding if your carrier exposes it. On a Dual SIM iPhone, check the line the callers are dialing.
04When to ask the carrier
Section linkIf calls still go straight to voicemail after the settings checks, ask your carrier to check the affected line for outages, forwarding and call routing. Tell them whether outgoing calls work and whether the issue follows one line or location. If the iPhone shows SOS or No Service, troubleshoot the cellular connection first.