Fortunately, you can easily fix this problem with simple changes and settings on your smartphone. Before using any of these troubleshooting methods, ensure your device has an active Internet plan and the cellular/WLAN network is turned on. Also, check if your smartphone’s speakers are working properly. You can easily test your speakers by playing any song or making a non-VOIP call. Once ready, follow the steps below to fix the “WhatsApp calls not ringing” error on your smartphone.
10 Ways to Fix WhatsApp Calls Not Ringing When Phone Is Locked
We will primarily look at fixing this WhatsApp bug on Android, but the procedure is pretty much the same on iPhones as well.
Disable Do Not Disturb Mode
Do Not Disturb mode, also known as DND mode, is a feature on Android/iOS that mutes all incoming calls and notifications. When this feature is enabled, the sound is automatically muted. You will then not be able to receive notification sounds from the apps, including incoming WhatsApp calls. In most cases, the Do Not Disturb mode is the reason why many Android smartphones miss incoming calls. Disabling the Do Not Disturb mode can easily fix the problems with WhatsApp incoming call notifications. You can disable Do Not Disturb mode on Android in many different ways. Also, check that you do not have any schedules enabled for glitch mode. When the DND schedule is enabled, your device will automatically switch to DND mode and mute incoming calls and notifications. To disable the DND schedule on your Android smartphone, follow the steps below.
Enable WhatsApp Notifications
Another possible reason why you are not receiving call notifications may be that WhatsApp notifications are disabled. A notification is displayed when a user receives a message or call on WhatsApp. Depending on the device or settings, WhatsApp notifications may appear as a banner, sound, or vibration. If you do not receive any of these notification types, there is a possibility that WhatsApp notifications are disabled on your device. To enable WhatsApp notifications on an Android device, you can follow the steps below:
Open your smartphone, search for WhatsApp, long-press the app, and click the “i” button Now click on Manage Notifications tab Now switch to the “Allow notifications” button Now scroll down and enable call notifications as well
Alternatively, you can also enable in-app notifications from WhatsApp. To enable:
Open the WhatsApp app on your device. Tap the three vertical dots in the screen’s upper-right corner to access the app menu. Select “Settings” from the menu. Tap on “Notifications.” Make sure that the toggle switch for “Notifications” is turned on. You can also customize your notification settings by going to the “Notification tone” and “Vibrate” sections. You can choose different tones and vibrations for incoming WhatsApp messages and calls.
Enable Background Data
In the latest version of Android, you can disable Internet access for individual apps, including apps like WhatsApp. WhatsApp uses Voice over Internet Protocol technology to make and receive calls. If Internet access is disabled in the background, you may not be able to receive calls when your device is locked. To check the background data settings for WhatsApp on Android:
Go to the Settings app on your device. Alternatively, you can long-press the WhatsApp icon, go to settings, and tap Data usage. Tap “Network & Internet” or search for network access and tap “Data usage.” Scroll down to see a list of apps and select WhatsApp. Toggle the switch next to “Background data” to turn it off or on.
Also, make sure that the data saver is turned off. This restricts background data usage for all apps and only allows apps that you have whitelisted to use background data.
Disable Battery Saver
The Battery saver feature is usually activated when the battery level falls below a certain threshold, usually around 15-20%. However, you can also activate it manually in the device settings. When the battery saver is enabled, the device automatically makes changes to the device settings to extend the battery life. These changes include reducing screen brightness, turning off vibration feedback, and limiting network and background usage of some apps. Sometimes, the battery saver feature can be the reason why you do not receive WhatsApp call notifications when your device is locked. You can easily disable the battery saver on your smartphone to fix this issue. Disabling the battery saver on your device may reduce the overall battery life of your smartphone. Follow these steps to disable the battery saver on your smartphone
Open the “Settings” app on your device. Look for the “Battery” or “Device care” settings. In the battery settings, you will find the option to disable “battery saving mode” or power saving mode on some phones. Tap the toggle switch to disable battery saving mode. A confirmation message will be displayed. Tap “OK” or “Power off” to confirm. Once you have successfully turned off the battery-saving mode, the performance and functions of your device will be back to normal.
Clear WhatsApp Cache
Clearing the app data and cache is the most proven method to fix most of the errors in any app. Using this method for WhatsApp can also easily fix call notification errors. Clearing the cache of WhatsApp will remove the temporary files that the app has stored. This will not delete any important data or settings of WhatsApp. You can follow the steps below to clear the WhatsApp cache.
Open your smartphone and search for WhatsApp Now, long press on the WhatsApp icon to display some options. In the options, click on the “i” button. Now click on the storage usage settings Now click on Clear cache and tap OK to confirm
Update WhatsApp
If a bug in WhatsApp is causing call notification issues, updating it to the latest version can easily fix the problem. To update it to the latest version, follow the steps below.
Updating apps to the latest version not only fix bugs but also improve WhatsApp’s performance and security, adds new features, and more.
Update Google Play Services
Google Play Services is a background service for Android devices that allows apps to use push notifications, location services, Google Maps, and more. Google Play services play an important role when it comes to the proper functioning of the app. If you ever notice any issues with the app, updating Google Play services could fix many app bugs, including WhatsApp call notification issues.
Open the Google Play Store app on your device. On the Google Play Store home screen, click your profile photo Tap on “My apps & games.” In the list of apps that need to be updated, look for “Google Play services.” If you can not find the app, it means that there is no update available for the app. If you can not find the app for any other reason, you can tap this link to visit it directly. Tap “Update” next to Google Play services to start the update process. Once the update is complete, you will see a notification that the app has been updated.
Uninstall and Install WhatsApp
Uninstalling and reinstalling applications is also one of the best ways to fix errors. However, proper steps should be taken before uninstalling the app. Note that uninstalling WhatsApp will delete all chats, media, and settings associated with the app. It’s recommended to back up your data before uninstalling it. Open WhatsApp on your device > Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen and then tap “Settings”> Tap “Chats”> Tap “Chat Backup”> Tap “Backup Now” to start the backup process. Once the backup is complete, you can uninstall WhatsApp on your smartphone. Follow the steps below to uninstall WhatsApp on your smartphone.
Force Stop WhatsApp
Force quitting is another popular app troubleshooting method to see if the app is causing problems. When you force stop an app, it stops using resources such as memory and data. Forcing the app to stop does not delete any WhatsApp data or settings. It only prevents WhatsApp from running in the background. To force stop WhatsApp on an Android device, you can do the following:
Go to the home screen of your device and tap the Apps icon, which will take you to the list of installed apps. Find WhatsApp in the list of apps, long-press the app, and click the i button. Once you are in the app, tap on “Force stop.” Confirm that you want to force quit the app by tapping “OK”
Update your Software
If you have tried all the above troubleshooting methods and the problem persists. You can try the last option: Update your smartphone. Updating your software to the latest version can fix most of the errors of the operating system that are the cause of the error.
Go to the “Settings” app on your device. Scroll down and tap “About device” Different Android smartphones have different settings. Alternatively, you can use the search bar to check for the system update. Tap on “Software update.” When an update is available, you will receive a notification to download and install it. Follow the on-screen instructions to download and install the update.
Here’s how to fix WhatsApp calls not ringing when the phone is locked on Android. The solutions are sorted by the most common and simple to rare problems. And you can easily apply these solutions without installing any third-party software app. I hope you find this guide helpful. Which solution in this list helped you to fix your WhatsApp calls problem? Let us know in the comments below.
