How to fix an iPhone 11 that cannot make but can receive phone calls after updating to iOS 13.2.3

Having an iPhone that cannot make phone calls is really a downer. Nonetheless, there are many factors that can make these problems arise regardless of the iOS device you’ve got. Network connectivity issues, account-related issues, software-related issues including post-update bugs and worst, hardware damage can be the underlying cause. Tackled in this post is a relevant issue on the iPhone 11 that cannot make but can receive phone calls after updating to iOS 13.2.3. Basing on the onset, this is more likely a post-update problem attributed to an iOS bug. However, it is still imperative to rule out other factors and possible triggers. Read on to find out what to do if you’d encounter a call failed error and your iPhone cannot make but can receive phone calls after updating iOS.

Troubleshooting an iPhone 11 that cannot make phone calls after installing iOS 13.2.3 update

Before troubleshooting, check and ensure that your iPhone is getting a good network signal. The network signal that your iPhone gets is usually weak and unstable if you are too far away from your network coverage area. In this case, the only way to resolve the problem is to make the call when you’re already within your network coverage and your iPhone is getting a strong cellular network signal. 

If signal strength isn’t an issue, try the following methods to rule out common software-related factors including post update bugs that might have caused minor inconsistencies on the phone’s outgoing call functions.

 

First solution: Force close Phone app then restart your iPhone.

Like any other apps, built-in iOS apps including the Phone app can also end up acting up from an update. This is usually what happens if you’ve left the app open or running in the background during the update. In normal cases, the transpiring symptoms are just minor and therefore can easily be rectified by ending the application. If you’ve used the Phone app before the update and forgot to close it, there’s a good chance that the app had crashed during the update and therefore it stops working. The easiest way to solve this problem is to force close the app. Here’s how:

1. From the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and then pause slightly in the middle. Doing so will show up the most recently used apps.
2. Swipe right or left to locate the Phone app preview.
3. Then swipe up on the app’s preview to end the app.

Repeat the same steps to close all other background apps to prevent any of them from causing conflicts to the Phone app, next time you launch it to make a phone call. After ending all background apps, restart or soft reset your iPhone to dump junk files and to refresh the operating system. Just continue with these steps:

1. Press and hold both the Side button and Volume Up button for a few seconds.
2. Release both buttons when the Slide to Power off bar appears.
3. Swipe or drag the bar to turn your device off.
4. After about 30 seconds, press and hold the Side button and then release when the Apple logo appears.

Wait for your iPhone to finish its boot sequence and then re-acquires stable cellular network signal. Once the signal has stabilized, try placing a phone call and see if it’s already working fine.

 

Second solution: Toggle Airplane Mode on and off.

Another simple solution to minor iPhone problems affecting wireless services is the so-called Airplane Mode trick. It works by simultaneously restarting and refreshing wireless radios of your iPhone. Many iPhone owners have found wonders from carrying out this trick so it wouldn’t hurt if you’d try it as well. Here’s how the Airplane Mode trick is done on your iPhone 11:

1. From the Home screen, tap Settings.
2. Scroll down and tap on Airplane Mode.
3. Toggle the Airplane Mode switch to turn the feature ON. Doing so disables your iPhone’s wireless radios and associated features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. 
4. While Airplane Mode is turned on, reboot or soft reset your iPhone to clear out network cache.
5. After it reboots, go back to Settings-> Airplane Mode menu.
6. Then toggle the Airplane Mode switch to turn it OFF again.

It will take a few moments for your device to re-establish wireless signal so just wait for the cellular network signal to become stable and then retry placing a phone call.

ALSO READ: How to fix iMessage that’s not working at all after updating iOS to version 13.2.3

Third solution: Update carrier settings on your iPhone 11 that cannot make but can receive phone calls.

Network problems including those affecting calls can also be remedied by updating the carrier settings on your iPhone. Carrier settings updates are created and rolled out by your carrier or network service provider as their way of ensuring optimum network performance on your device. These updates may also contain the required fix patch to post-update network bugs that triggered a call failed error and prevented your iPhone from making phone calls. Just follow these steps to check for and install new carrier updates for your iPhone:

1. Connect your iPhone to the computer and then open iTunes. Be sure to use the latest version of iTunes app to avoid bumping into some system conflicts.
2. Wait for your device to sync and back up with iTunes.
3. Click to select your iPhone 11 Pro when it appears in iTunes.
4. Navigate to the Summary section and then hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and click Check for Update. Doing so will prompt iTunes to install an iOS image (*.ipsw).
5. Change the file type to iPhone/iPad Carrier Configuration File (*.ipcc).
6. Select the desired file and then follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to complete the process.

If your iPhone has no problem connecting to the internet and your internet connection is stable, you can check and available carrier update straight from your iPhone settings. Just follow these steps:

1. Tap Settings from your Home screen.
2. Select General.
3. Tap About.

You will see a notification if a new carrier update is available. If there is, simply follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the new update.

 

Fourth solution: Manually change and select other network bands.

Applying this solution also denotes disabling LTE functions on your device. That said, this can only be deemed among the temporary solutions because LTE is needed for faster internet connection. Just refer to these steps:

1. Tap Settings from your Home screen.
2. Tap Cellular.
3. Select Cellular Data Options.
4. Tap Voice & Data.
5. Select your preferred network band to use such as 2G, 3G or 4G. Available options may vary from carrier to carrier.

Try placing a phone call after applying individual network bands to determine on which network band outgoing call works on your iPhone. If you can place a phone call using other network bands than LTE, contact your network service provider or Apple Support for further assistance in resolving the problem.

ALSO READ: How to fix iMessage Waiting for Activation error after updating to iOS 13.2.3

Fifth solution: Reset network settings on your iPhone.

Performing a network reset can also be the key to resolving the issue if network-related errors are the underlying cause. This reset only deletes your phone’s current network settings and customized network options and thus the internal data won’t be affected. Just be sure to note your Wi-Fi password because you will need to re-enter them later to join and connect to your Wi-Fi network like the first time you did. Just follow these steps to reset network settings on your iPhone 11:

1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
2. Select General.
3. Scroll down and tap on Reset.
4. Tap to select Reset network settings from the given options.
5. Enter your passcode if prompted to continue.
6. Tap on Reset network settings again to confirm action.

When the reset is finished, your iPhone restarts on its own and then loads up the default network values and options. This also means the need for you to re-enable individual network features, particularly those that are disabled by default after the reset.

 

Last resort: Erase your iPhone and restore its factory default settings. 

The problem you’re dealing with could be due to some complex system errors and thus none of the previous methods is able to fix it. To deal with major iOS problems including post-update bugs that ruined your iPhone’s outgoing call system, performing a factory reset can be considered among the last options. This will wipe everything from your iPhone storage including downloaded apps, customized settings, and other files saved on the internal memory. To evade from permanent data loss, back up all critical data from your iPhone storage to iCloud or iTunes beforehand. Once you’ve secured the backup, follow these steps to factory reset your iPhone 11 through settings:

1. From the Home screen, tap Settings.
2. Select General.
3. Scroll down and tap on Reset.
4. Select the option to Erase all content and settings. This will erase everything from your iPhone system including all saved data on the internal memory.
5. Enter your device passcode if prompted to continue.
6. Then tap the option to confirm that you want to erase your iPhone and restore its factory default settings.

After the reset, you can use the start-up wizard to proceed with the initial setup process and set up your iPhone as new.

What to do if your iPhone 11 still cannot make but can receive phone calls?

Some iPhone owners were able to deal with the same problem by dialing *#31# on the dialer/phone app. The *#31#  is a hidden code that is used to disable and enable outgoing anonymity status. This usually helps if your iPhone number was accidentally set to be hidden in all outgoing call, and thereby causing call failed error. An equivalent tweak for this code is to enable My Caller ID option. And here’s how to get this done:

1. From your Home screen, tap Settings.
2. Tap Phone.
3. Navigate to Show My Caller ID then toggle the switch next to it to turn the feature on.

Remove then reinstall the SIM card.

1. Use the SIM ejector tool or a small paper clip to open the SIM tray on the side of your iPhone. Be sure to gently insert the ejector tool until the tray pops out.
2. Remove the SIM card from the tray.
3. Check both the SIM card and the tray for any visible signs of damage like scratches or liquid traces.
4. If everything looks good, place the SIM card back into the tray in the same orientation before you removed it.

You can also try inserting the SIM card to another phone that supports the same SIM card type and see if it works just fine. Alternatively, you can try inserting another working SIM card to your iPhone 11 and see if that will fix the problem. Performing this trick can help you isolate whether or not the problem is attributed to a damaged SIM card.

If none of that works and your iPhone 11 is still unable to make but able to receive phone calls, contact your carrier for further assistance. There might be some ongoing technical problems affecting outgoing call services. In that case, there’s not much can be done on your end but to wait until the problem is fixed and outgoing call services are restored. Also consider verifying your account status and ensure that your outgoing services are active. Outgoing services may also not become available if your account has pending issues like unpaid bills to settle. Talk to your carrier to verify your account and services status. 

If you suspect that the problem is due to a damaged SIM card, you can ask your carrier for a new SIM card replacement instead.

ALSO READ: Common calling and texting problems on iPhone 11 after iOS 13.2.3 update