How Do You Fix Call Failed on Apple Watch?

You may fail to call on the Apple Watch due to Outdated iOS or watchOS. The affected user encounters the call failed error when he tries to place a call through his iWatch. In some cases, the user gets the error on incoming calls as well. The issue is not limited to a specific model of iPhone or iWatch.

Before proceeding with the solutions, restart your Apple Watch and iPhone. Moreover, iWatch will show call failed error on the majority of iPhones without Facetime (models ending with EA). Also, when making a call through the Apple Watch, you should be in the active range of your iPhone.

Solution 1: Re-Pair Earbuds with the Apple Watch

You may encounter the error at hand if you are trying to use the earbuds with your Apple Watch but the earbuds are stuck in the operation. In this context, unpairing, and re-pairing the devices may solve the problem.

1. Open Settings of your Apple Watch and tap on Bluetooth.

   

2. Now tap on the info icon next to the earbuds and then tap on Forget Device.

   

3. Then check if iWatch is clear of the call failed error.
4. If not, Re-Pair the earbuds with the watch and check if the issue has been rectified.

Solution 2: Re-Pair the Apple Watch and iPhone

The call failed issue could be a result of temporary communication/software glitch. Re-pairing the Apple Watch and iPhone may solve the problem.

1. Bring your phone and Apple Watch close to each other.
2. Now launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
3. Navigate to My Watch tab and tap on your watch (near the top of the screen).
4. Now tap on the Info button.

   

5. Then tap on Unpair Apple Watch. You may have to choose to keep or remove the cellular plan.

   

6. Then tap on Confirm to unpair the watch. If you are asked for, enter your Apple ID and password.
7. Now restart the Apple Watch and iPhone.
8. Upon restart, Re-Pair the watch and phone to check if the bug has been removed.

Solution 3: Disable Optimized Battery Charging in the iPhone Settings

The maximum capacity of your battery reduces as the battery of your phone ages. To reduce the wear and tear on your battery, iPhone introduced Optimized Battery Charging which adapts to your charging habits. You may encounter the error at hand if the optimized battery feature is enabled and is interfering with the modules essential for the operation of iWatch communication. In this case, disabling the Optimized Battery Charging may solve the problem.

1. Open Settings of your iPhone and tap on Battery.

   

2. Now tap on Battery Health and then disable Optimized Battery Charging by toggling its switch to off position.

   

3. Now check if iWatch is making calls normally.

Solution 4: Disable Wi-Fi Calling and Handoff in the Settings of Apple Watch and iPhone

You can use your iWatch to make calls using Wi-Fi if the option of Wi-Fi is enabled. Also, you can move from one Apple device to another Apple device without losing the focus if the handoff feature is enabled. However, you may encounter the error under discussion if the above-said features are somehow stuck in operation. In this case, re-enabling these options may solve the problem.

1. Open Settings of your iPhone and tap on Phone.
2. Now tap on Wi-Fi Calling and then disable Allow Calls on Other Devices by toggling its switch to off position.

   

3. Then tap on the back button and disable Wi-Fi Calling by toggling its switch to off position.

   

4. Now open Settings of your phone and then tap on General.

   

5. Then tap on AirPlay & Handoff and disable Handoff.

   

6. Now launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap on My Watch. Tap on General and then disable Handoff.

   

7. Now restart both the devices. Upon restarting, check if the call failed error is rectified.
8. If not, enable all these options again and then try to make a call using iWatch to check if it is clear of the error.

Solution 5: Unlock Your iPhone and Call Through the Apple Watch

There is a bug in iOS/watchOS which does not let a user make a call when the screen of your iPhone is locked or not active. The same bug could be the root cause of the issue. In this context, try to make a call through your iWatch when your iPhone is unlocked.

1. Unlock your iPhone and then try to make a call through the iWatch to check if the device is clear of the error.
2. If so, then lock your phone and try again to make sure the error is completely gone.

Solution 6: Unlock the Apple Watch Using Your iPhone

The call failed issue could be a result of a communication/software glitch between the devices. The glitch can be cleared by unlocking your Apple Watch through your iPhone. This solution was recommended by users after it worked for them numerous times.

1. Launch the Apple Watch app and tap Passcode.
2. Then enable the option of Unlock with iPhone.

   

3. Now restart your Apple Watch and iPhone.
4. Upon restart, do not unlock the Apple Watch directly but unlock with your iPhone and then try to make a call from the iWatch by directly dialing a number (not any of the contacts) to check if the issue has been resolved.

Solution 7: Disable Bluetooth of the Apple Watch and iPhone

Your iWatch uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to communicate with the phone. In some cases, an enabled Bluetooth was the root cause of the issue, whereas in other cases, disabling Bluetooth solved the problem. Keep your Wi-Fi enabled in this process if you are not using a data plan.

1. Restart your Apple Watch and iPhone. Press the Digital Crown of your Apple Watch and then tap on Settings.
2. Now tap on Bluetooth and then disable Bluetooth by toggling the switch to the off position. If it is already disabled, then enable it.

   

3. Then check if you can make calls through the Apple Watch.

Solution 8: Disable Wi-Fi of the Apple Watch and iPhone

Your iWatch uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to communicate with the phone. However, in some cases, an enabled Wi-Fi was the root cause of the issue, whereas in other cases, disabling Wi-Fi solved the problem.

1. Power off your Wi-Fi router and unplugged it from the power source.
2. Now wait for 5 minutes and then power on the router.
3. Now restart your Apple Watch and iPhone.
4. Then check if you can make calls through the Apple Watch.
5. If not, swipe up to access the Control Center at the face screen of your Apple watch.
6. Now tap on the Wi-Fi icon to disable it. If it is already disabled, enable it and connect to the same network as your iPhone.

   

7. Then try to make a call using the Apple Watch to check if it is clear of the error.

Solution 9: Update iOS of Your Phone to the Latest Build

iOS of your iPhone is updated regularly to satiate the ever-evolving technologic developments and patch the known bugs. You may encounter the error under discussion if the iOS of your iPhone is outdated. In this context, updating iOS of your device to the latest build may solve the problem.

1. Perform a backup of your iPhone.
2. Attach your device to a power source and a Wi-Fi network (you may use your mobile network but check the size of the download).
3. Open Settings of your device and now in the screen shown, tap on General.

   

4. Now tap on Software Update and if there is one available, download and install it.

   

5. After updating iOS of your device, check if your Apple Watch is clear of the calling error.

Solution 10: Update the OS Your Apple Watch to the Latest Build

The OS of your iWatch is regularly updated to cater to new technological advancements and patch known bugs. You may encounter the error at hand if the OS of your watch is not an updated one. In this case, updating the OS of your iWatch may solve the problem.

1. Update iOS of your iPhone to the latest build (as discussed in solution 9).
2. Charge your iWatch to at least 50% and connect your iWatch to a Wi-Fi network.
3. Open Settings of your device and then tap on General.
4. Now tap on Software Update and if there is an update available, download and install it by following the prompts on your screen.

   

5. After updating the OS, check if the issue is resolved.

Solution 11: Reset the Apple Watch to Factory Defaults

If unpairing the Apple Watch and iPhone did not work for you, then most probably the issue has been caused by the corrupt OS of the Apple Watch. In this context, resetting the iWatch to factory defaults may solve the problem.

1. Unpair the Apple Watch and iPhone (as discussed in solution 2).
2. Open Settings of your Apple Watch and tap on General.
3. Now tap on Reset and then tap on Erase All Content and Settings. You may have to keep or remove your data plan
4. Then confirm to Erase All.

   

5. Now, restart your Apple Watch and phone.
6. Upon restart, Re-Pair the devices and hopefully, the issue has been resolved.

If nothing has worked for you, then the issue could be a result of a hardware error and you have to replace your iPhone or iWatch. But it will be a good idea to replace the battery of your Apple Watch and phone (a solution reported by some users to solve the issue).