If you’ve been using a phone for a long time, chances are you’ve made some call by accident before or changed your mind right after you hit the call button. In this case, it’s not strange to receive a response right after the unwanted call was made.
Are you worried about it? In this post, we’ll walk you through what happens when you call and hang up immediately. We’ve also included some troubleshooting solutions that will help fix your call disconnection issues quickly, just like that.
If you call someone but hang up right away, will it still go through?
Sometimes, if you call someone and hang up right away, it might go through, but it usually doesn’t. In most cases, the speed at which the call gets routed will depend on the location of the person your phone is trying to reach.
What does that even mean? It means that if you hang up quickly enough the call will not push through if the person you’re calling is far away but if his signal is strong as he’s just near, the chances that the call connects are high.
How many rings will it take a phone call to go through?
Most calls will go through after the second ring, but there are instances where it might go through during the first ring, albeit rarely. Nowadays, communication lines are much better, so calls are routed faster.
Technically, it should take about 25 to 30 seconds before the phone connects you to the person you’re calling. The device will ring 4 to 5 times, and this also holds true even for landlines, after which the call will go to voicemail if not picked up.
What happens when your call goes to the voicemail immediately?
When a call goes to voicemail immediately, it’s usually because the receiver has their phone turned off. It could also mean that the connectivity features of the receiver’s phone, such as “Airplane Mode” and “Do Not Disturb,” are currently enabled.
However, calls will also go through voicemail automatically if the person you’re calling also decides to block your number. Thus, there’s no accurate way of knowing why a call goes through voicemail other than asking the receiver.
Troubleshooting Phone Issues: Why does my phone randomly hang up when I call someone?
Below are the most common causes of hang-ups that occur during a phone call with someone. To beat such a dilemma, refer to the step-by-step solutions to stop your phone from hanging up while on a call.
CAUSE: Poor Signal Reception
Phone calls rely on good signal reception to connect you to the person you’re calling and ensure the communication line between you two is stable. Or, you’ll experience poor sound quality or constant disconnection issues during your phone call.
Thus, if your phone randomly hangs up when you’re calling someone, you might be in a spot with poor signal reception. Repeating the phone call will only amount to nothing unless your phone starts receiving good signal strength.
FIX 1: Move around until you find a spot with good signal strength
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 1 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
Things Needed | A good signal reception |
If you’re in a spot with a terrible signal reception, we recommend moving around until you find a better location. Going to an outdoor location is always a good idea since fewer obstructions can block off the signal from your local cell tower.
Regarding WiFi calling, you need to stay indoors where it’s closer to your router, as it’s what you’re connecting to for over-the-internet calls. Keep monitoring your phone until you get at least three to four signal bars before trying to make a call again.

CAUSE: Damaged SIM Card
Another reason a phone hangs up randomly during a call is a damaged SIM card. This is often what it means when you call someone, but it doesn’t ring and just hangs up as soon as the call is made.
However, you should note that it’s rare for SIM cards to receive any damage since they usually stay on a phone’s SIM tray. We think this can happen only if you regularly take it out of your phone or if the SIM tray is suffering from water damage.
That should tell you the SIM card on your smartphone is also affected by the environment even when it’s embedded deep in the device. Aside from moisture, some of the negative things that can damage a SIM card are:
- Heat
- Static electricity
- Corrosion
- Bending
If damaged, not only do you get poor-quality calls, but also you’d experience delays in the overall operation of the device. Meaning: You might be unable to access data (e.g., phonebook) on your smartphone.
FIX: Check your phone’s SIM card
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 1 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 to 60 seconds |
Things Needed | • A SIM ejector pin • A replacement SIM card |
In cases like this, the best thing you can do is check the SIM card inside your phone to see if it has any signs of damage, such as a scratch on its chip. You can also check the liquid indicator inside your phone’s SIM card slot for iPhone users.

This liquid indicator is a white or silver strip that turns orange when it gets in contact with water or moisture. Alternatively, you can insert another SIM card to test whether the initial SIM card was the actual cause of the problem.
CAUSE: Outdated Calling App
It used to be that calls were only made from the phone’s default calling app, which connects to your local network operator. You can make calls over the Internet using dedicated calling and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Messenger.
We now have another disconnection problem to look for when using such apps. After all, most phone apps are known to misbehave or fail when not updated to their latest software versions.
FIX: Update your phone’s calling app
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 3 |
Time to Perform Fix | 20 seconds |
Things Needed | • A phone • A working internet connection |
If the calling or instant messaging app on your phone isn’t working properly, the quick and easy solution for this is to install its latest version update. Doing so will improve the app’s performance and fix any issue you encountered beforehand.
Step 1: Open your phone’s built-in app store.

Note: It should be the Apple App Store for iPhones and Google Play Store for Android phones.
Step 2: Use the Search Bar and type the name of the calling app you’re using to search for it.

Step 3: Click the Update button beside the app to install its latest updates.

Note: In this example, it says Open because the app is already up to date.
CAUSE: Poor Phone Performance
Poor phone performance will also cause calls to hang up immediately since the device cannot run its apps and programs like normal. If your phone is overheating or its internal storage is already running low on space, this can happen.
You should constantly monitor your phone’s internal temperature to prevent overheating. You also need to keep its storage in check because filling it up will slow down its performance and cause various issues to emerge.
FIX: Uninstall your phone’s unused app or clear their cache
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 4 |
Time to Perform Fix | 20 seconds |
Things Needed | A phone |
Clearing some space on your phone’s internal storage is vital to keep it running at its best. You can achieve this by uninstalling the apps you don’t use or clearing the cached memory of all your phone’s apps.
Your apps’ cached memory is temporary data stored every time you use them. Over time, this temporary data will fill up most of your phone’s storage space, so it should be deleted regularly.
Step 1: Open Settings on your phone.

Step 2: Scroll down and open its General settings.

Step 3: Open your phone’s storage.

Step 4: Select the app you want to uninstall or clear the cache of.

If your phone is performing poorly due to overheating, you need to stop using it for a while to help its internal temperature cool down. You can shut your phone down to help facilitate the cool-down process and place it in a room with proper ventilation.
CAUSE: Faulty Network Settings
Any communication-related issues on your phone can be traced back to its network settings. After all, the configuration of the device’s network settings plays a big role in keeping its communication features up and running.
Therefore, changing your phone’s network settings is good practice whenever your calls hang up immediately. If you don’t know what values to configure on your phone’s network settings, keeping its default settings instead is better.
FIX: Reset your phone’s network settings
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 4 |
Time to Perform Fix | 20 seconds |
Things Needed | A phone A working internet connection |
As a way to fix your phone’s terrible network settings, we recommend simply resetting everything to their default values. Doing so will remove any changes you’ve made to your phone’s network settings that may have caused your calls to disconnect often.
It’s also a quick and easy fix if you don’t know which settings configuration to change or adjust. Plus, resorting to the default settings usually ensures your phone works without any issues.
Even when you are not sure if it’s the phone’s network, checking on it is a good idea to improve overall efficiency. It plugs system holes making sure that the portable telecommunication device is operating on all cylinders.
Step 1: Open Settings on your phone.

Step 2: Scroll down and open its General settings.

Step 3: Scroll down and click the Transfer or Reset iPhone option.

Step 4: Click on Reset.

Step 5: Select Reset Network Settings and enter your phone’s passcode to begin resetting.

FAQS about Calling and Hanging Up Right Away
What if you end the call within 1 to 2 seconds of placing the call?
The call doesn’t go through when it’s ended within 1 or 2 seconds, but there are rare times when it does. It can be affected by how call routing works in a particular area and the technology used.
Take note that unless you’re looking at your timepiece, you may not be sure how long you’ve actually placed a call. Added to that, a second or two might be all that’s needed to place a call.
What happens if you call someone and hang up before it rings?
A call shouldn’t go through if you hang up before it rings or as soon as it starts. Simply put, a call that doesn’t ring or the person being called hasn’t connected, so it’s a no-call.
What happens after you call 911 by accident and hang up right away?
The 911 operator will try to call you back if you hang up the phone right away. If their call goes unanswered, they will send some officers to conduct a welfare check on your location to ensure you’re not in trouble.
This also means you should not let children play with a phone or a landline. An unintended call placed to 911 means government resources will be spent on locating you instead of locating other people who may be in real trouble.