Help, please! Is there any way to configure my phone to ring even when it's face down? I keep missing calls! (And no, making sure it's always face up is not an option because $reasons.) On iOS 16.5, fwiw.
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iPhone 12 mini How to make phone ring even when face down?
- Thread starter splitpea
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Nope, no case. And where would I find the Always On Display feature? I'm not finding that in settings search.
Also, my display does already turn off automatically after a couple min, whether face up or down -- the battery doesn't last long enough to want to have it on all the time, and I find it distracting, anyway. But when face up, it turns back on when the phone rings.
I think you want the phone ring but you don’t want people know who is calling, right?
Maybe just put the phone in your pocket and with vibration? Or maybe there’s a setting to change phone call’s notification type? I don’t remember.
However, being receiving phone call and alerting people properly is The basic feature of a phone, I am not sure if your request can be achieved now or in the future.
Maybe just put the phone in your pocket and with vibration? Or maybe there’s a setting to change phone call’s notification type? I don’t remember.
However, being receiving phone call and alerting people properly is The basic feature of a phone, I am not sure if your request can be achieved now or in the future.
Better question is what did you change in settings to make it NOT ring in any position. My phone does not care about position and rings all the time. I do not know how you made it not ring when face down. If you cannot figure this out, you may want to reset the phone. Annoying, but shoudl fix it. Or you would have hardware issue.
I think you misunderstood me. I'm fine with the screen coming on when someone calls. I like the screen to turn off when unused because battery and distraction. I'm fine with people seeing who's calling. I just put my phone face down a lot of the time a) because I dislike the way it sort of balances on the camera; b) so it will distract me less; and c) out of a decade of habit/reflex.
The problem I'm having is that it doesn't make any sound to alert me to a call when it's face-down, nor does it vibrate. Thus, as you say, defeating the purpose of having a phone.
Yeah, I've been through every setting I could think of that might have affected this, but I can't find one that's clearly related, and was hoping someone could suggest one I've missed. I do usually (but not always) keep the switch on vibrate, but then it should at least vibrate when face-down (as it does when face-up), and it doesn't.
Face down to mute has been a thing before Face ID.
But worth trying nonetheless.
Nope, having your phone face down does not stop it from ringing. The “mute” when face down is only to save power by stopping the display from lighting up when you get notifications. It has no interactions with calls. On Face ID devices the ringer lowers when the phone is ringing annd it detects you looking ant it but it rings nonetheless.
Only the mute switch or assistive functions or enabling dnd in focus can do this, e.g. you enable a tap back to mute option.. If your phone doesn't ring when it is left face down it is likely that you have some debris in the mute switch itself. Toggle the switch on/off multiple times and use compressed air to blow it clean.
other than that go to settings > general > reset and reset all settings. This resets all phone settings only and you will have to re setup your passcodes etc but it keeps all your apps and files.
You used to be able to turn off the power saving features of having your phone face down, by turning off settings - privacy & security - motion & fitness - fitness tracking.
I wonder if that would help at all.
Flicking this switch used to disable the motion coprocessor, which meant the phone then has no idea of its orientation
I wonder if that would help at all.
Flicking this switch used to disable the motion coprocessor, which meant the phone then has no idea of its orientation
My phone (13 pro) rings just fine face down? It always has.
I've always laid my phones face down to prevent distraction.
I've always laid my phones face down to prevent distraction.
These are among the ones I went through. I turned off attention-aware features (😞) entirely last night, though that seems silly to have to do.
Nope.
I know it's not supposed to stop it from ringing, but that's what's been happening.
The mute switch is supposed to still leave vibrate working, though, and it doesn't vibrate when calls come in when it's face down, either. Tapping the back to mute a specific call isn't relevant either, since this is happening when I'm not touching my phone. (And the only accessibility feature I have enabled is reduced motion.)
Google suggested this too, so I switched this off last night as well (also 😞 - being able to track my steps was motivating).
The phone is way out of warranty. I'm nowhere near an Apple Store. Apple's community support site has two threads about this, one of which has a single response that's basically a list of reasons notifications might be silenced but not why they might be silenced only when the phone is face down... and the other thread has exactly one response -- from an official Apple Community Specialist -- which is basically a link to the unhelpful first thread.
Anyway, thanks for the ideas, folks! I haven't received any calls since making the settings changes above, so TBD whether any of this helps.
There should be no reason for this to happen and there’s no setting for it specifically anywhere.
Do the calls that didn’t ring when your phone was face down happen to be from numbers that are not saved to your contacts? If so, check whether Silence unknown callers in Settings > Phone is disabled.
If that’s not it, are you on the latest stable iOS release? If yes, the first thing I’d try is an IPSW update (even if you’re on the latest version just update through IPSW to the same) because it’s most definitely some bug.
P.S. The attention aware features others have mentioned for Face ID don’t mute the call, they just turn the volume down if Face ID detects a face.
Do the calls that didn’t ring when your phone was face down happen to be from numbers that are not saved to your contacts? If so, check whether Silence unknown callers in Settings > Phone is disabled.
If that’s not it, are you on the latest stable iOS release? If yes, the first thing I’d try is an IPSW update (even if you’re on the latest version just update through IPSW to the same) because it’s most definitely some bug.
P.S. The attention aware features others have mentioned for Face ID don’t mute the call, they just turn the volume down if Face ID detects a face.
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Nope, happened yesterday with someone in my contacts. I was pretty pissed.
I'm on 16.5 for the moment. 16.6 keeps failing to install because I forget to turn off low battery mode before putting it on the charger overnight. Fwiw, this has been happening for at least 6 mo now, tho.
What's IPSW?
IPSW is the iOS software. By updating manually through IPSW instead of through the Software Update menu, you get the whole iOS package and that sometimes clears up bugs that happen with cumulative updates over the air like through the software update menu in Settings (where you download just the update).
You can google “<your iphone model> ipsw” and download the latest signed IPSW for it. There’s tutorials on h ow to perform the update itself.
What's an IPSW File and How Do You Open One?
An IPSW file is an Apple device software update file. Here's how to open an IPSW file, either to actually use it or to view its contents.
you know that YOU can call your mobile to test it. Factory reset it, if it’s still not ringing then it’s broken.
If you do not like your phone face UP because of the Cameras, why not do as I do.
I have a piece of anti-slip mat cut to the same size as my phone and I simply place my phone face UP and have no camera wobbles/issues. Plus it also keeps the phone firmly at the place I placed it without being accidentally knocked away/Off the table.
I have a piece of anti-slip mat cut to the same size as my phone and I simply place my phone face UP and have no camera wobbles/issues. Plus it also keeps the phone firmly at the place I placed it without being accidentally knocked away/Off the table.
Got to be a setting as my phone lives on my desk, face down, and ring just fine. Every iPhone I have owned has done the same.