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You use your phone to stay in touch with others and for dozens of other things every day. From playing games and checking your email to posting on social media and sending messages, your phone comes in handy. Find out why your phone keeps hanging up by itself as well as what you can do about it.
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Phone Hangs Up By Itself? 11 Reasons and Fixes
When you need to make a phone call, you want the call to go through. You expect to spend as much time as you want talking to the person on the other end of the line. If your phone hangs up by itself, you will likely feel annoyed, frustrated, and even angry.
Whether you have an Android phone or an iPhone, it can disconnect as soon as someone picks up or much later in your call. There are some clear reasons why your phone hangs up by itself and simple fixes you should try.
1. Faulty SIM Card
Your phone has a SIM card with a lot of info stored on it. Most phones today require a special tool to remove the card. If you or a repair tech touched the card in the recent past or removed it, there’s a risk that it suffered some damage.
You will need to open the slot for the card and use the right tool to remove it. Look for smudges on the card as well as chips and cracks. Most cell phone providers sell new SIM cards for low prices. If you still have an active warranty, contact the provider and request a new card for free.
2. Poor or Bad Signal
Do you have a hard time getting your phone to make calls? Maybe you dial the number and see your phone attempting to connect for a few seconds before the call finally goes through. If you experience this problem and have a phone that hangs up by itself, you likely have a poor or bad signal.
While nearly every cell phone provider has its own network, some use the networks established by others. You’ll often have problems with your phone hanging up because you are too far away from a network tower. Your signal is too weak when you have three or fewer bars on your phone. Try moving to a different area to make your call.
3. Lack of Reboots
Cell phone techs often recommend that you reboot your phone once a week up to once a month. It depends on what you do with your phone and how often you use it. A reboot allows your phone to reset itself. It can look for bugs and issues that cause it to slow down.
When you reboot your phone, you may even solve the problem that causes it to hang up by itself. To reboot your phone, simply press and hold the power button. Most models will bring up a slider bar or a new menu where you select restart. It should not take more than a few minutes for the phone to reboot itself.
4. Lack of Storage Space
When you buy a new phone and compare the amount of storage space the package says it has and the available amount when you use it, you will notice that they are far from the same. Cell phone brands add apps to your phone as well as an operating system that reduces the total amount of storage space.
In many cases, you cannot remove those apps from your phone. When your phone starts running low on storage space, it will prioritize some apps and features over others. It may hang up on your calls because it needs that space for the OS.
Deleting some apps you don’t use and removing useless files can help because it gives your phone more storage space.
5. Poor Network Settings
One of the best things about cell phones today is that they find and use the closest network. Whether you travel for work or fun, you don’t need to check your settings or jump through a bunch of hoops just to connect to a new network when you arrive at your destination.
The problem is that your phone may keep trying to find the old network and ignoring the one you use at home. If you travel often, your phone may try to work with an older network. Try turning on Airplane Mode and then shutting it off, which forces the phone to find a good network.
6. Not Enough RAM
Don’t assume that RAM and storage space are the same thing. RAM maintains the necessary space for your apps and files and also ensures that your OS can work. You use some of your RAM every time you search for a keyword or phrase online or use your phone in any other way.
As you run out of RAM, your phone has a hard time running two apps or letting you use two or more features simultaneously. If you have one or more apps running and try to make a call, the phone will likely hang up. You can look at adding RAM to your phone or buying a better phone.
7. Dying Battery
Your cell phone should let you know when the battery starts running low. Most phones alert users when their battery hits 15% and as it drops lower. While you can still use your phone, it will limit some of the things you can do.
If your battery reaches 10-15%, don’t be surprised if your phone can no longer make calls. You can dial the number, but the phone won’t have enough battery life for the phone to go through. Either plug in your phone and use it as the battery charges or wait until you have a better charge.
8. Lack of Updates
You know how much of a hassle phone updates are. One can pop up right in the middle of a game when you finally make it to the last level or if you’re in the middle of sending an email. While you can put off those updates for a bit, keep in mind that ignoring your updates is a big reason why your phone hangs up by itself.
Not only do you need to keep an eye out for app updates but make sure you install OS updates, too. Head to the app store and look for any available updates. You can then check your phone for software updates and install them.
9. Malware
It’s just as easy to pick up malware on your phone as it is on your PC. Don’t assume that the apps you find online or from friends are the same ones available from your app store. When you download apps from other sources, you risk picking one that installs some type of malware on your phone.
While some malware can steal data and info off your phone, others will limit how you can use certain apps and features. A bad piece of malware can make it almost impossible for you to make or receive phone calls.
Never download an app unless you get it from a trusted source such as the app store. You should also scan your phone for malware once a month or more often.
10. Overheating
If you ever used a PC that overheated, you know what happens when a device gets too hot. In the case of your PC, it will use fans to try and cool itself and then shut down. There’s a risk that your phone will overheat and shut off some of the features that add to the heat.
This often happens because you try to run or use too many apps simultaneously. It can also occur because you play a game that uses a lot of your resources or the phone has a faulty battery. Try cutting down on your apps and turning off your phone when it gets too hot.
11. Hardware Failure
Your phone uses both hardware and software. While software refers to apps like Facebook and Instagram, hardware refers to the motherboard and other working parts. When your phone cannot make a phone call, you likely have a hardware failure.
Those failures can keep your phone from dialing out and prevent you from receiving calls. Even if you can use your phone, it may hang up whenever someone answers. Have a tech look at your phone and see if they can fix it. You may find that buying a new phone is cheaper than replacing the motherboard.
Conclusion
While some people use their phones more for texting and gaming than calling, you still need to make calls every now and then. When your phone keeps hanging up by itself, you will grow annoyed and even mad. Once you find out why your phone keeps hanging up by itself, you can find the right solution for the cause.