Knowledge base
One question per page, answered in the shortest way that is still true. If you landed here because your phone is somewhere in the house on silent, start with the category that matches your situation.
Lost phone
Finding a phone you have misplaced at home, at work or somewhere outside, and what actually helps when it is buried under a cushion on silent.
- Is there a free way to find a phone on silent?
Yes. Find My on iPhone and Find Hub on Android are free, built in, and their Play Sound works with the ringer off. Ringing a phone with RingIt is free too. None of them can be set up after the phone goes missing, so the free options only exist if you turned them on beforehand.
- What app makes your phone ring when it's on silent?
Find My on iPhone and Find Hub on Android both have a Play Sound that ignores the ringer, and both are free and built in. RingIt does the same on request from someone you invited. All of them have to be switched on before the phone goes missing, because none of them can be installed on a phone you cannot find.
Silent mode & volume
Why a muted phone stays quiet, what still makes noise when the ringer is off, and how Do Not Disturb and Focus decide which calls get through.
- Why doesn't my phone ring when Alexa calls it?
Alexa places an ordinary phone call, so silent mode, Do Not Disturb and Focus modes apply to it like any other call. The call connects and the phone stays quiet. An unknown-number filter can silence it too, because the Echo dials from a number that is not in your contacts.
iPhone & iOS
Find My, Apple Watch, Siri, critical alerts and the Focus settings that decide whether your iPhone makes any sound when a phone goes missing.
- How do I allow calls during Do Not Disturb on iPhone?
Go to Settings > Focus, pick the Focus, tap People and add the contacts you want to hear from. Turn on Allow Repeated Calls so a second call from the same person within three minutes gets through. Check Silence Unknown Callers in the Phone settings as well, because that silences anyone not in your contacts.
- What are critical alerts on iPhone?
Critical alerts are a notification type Apple reserves for messages that must not be missed. They play a sound and show on screen even when the phone is muted or a Focus is on. An app needs Apple's permission to send them, and you approve each app separately under Settings > Notifications.
Android
Find Hub, Google Assistant and the volume and Do Not Disturb settings that decide whether an Android phone rings, on Samsung, Pixel and the rest.
- How do I let repeat callers through Do Not Disturb on Android?
Open Settings, find Modes or Do Not Disturb, go to the People or Calls section and turn on Allow repeat callers. A call then gets through when the same person calls twice within fifteen minutes. Google notes the wording and the path differ between manufacturers, so a Samsung or Xiaomi will not match a Pixel exactly.
Family & friends
Ringing someone else's phone, letting a partner or housemate ring yours, sharing access safely, and helping the people you live with find theirs.
- How do I let someone else ring my phone?
In RingIt you add the person by email and pick which of your devices they may ring. They get an invite and can ring that phone only once they accept. Giving someone permission does not let you ring theirs, so if you want that too, they have to add you the same way from their own app.
Smart speakers & devices
Alexa, Google Home, smartwatches and tablets: which of the devices around you can ring a phone for you, and where each of them stops being useful.
- Can Alexa make my phone ring when it is on silent?
Not on its own. Alexa finds your phone by calling it, and a silenced phone does not ring for any caller. The only way through is to save the number your Echo dials from as a contact and allow that contact in your Focus or Do Not Disturb settings, which has to be done in advance.
- How do I set up Alexa to call my phone?
Open the Alexa app, go to the Communicate tab and verify your mobile number with the code Amazon texts you. Grant the calling and messaging permission, import your contacts if you want to say a name instead of a number, and then test it by saying "Alexa, call my phone".
Using RingIt
Setting up RingIt, choosing who may ring you, the ring options, the permissions each platform asks for, the subscription, and fixing a missed ring.
- Can I ring my own phone from another device?
Yes. RingIt treats your own devices like anyone else's, so an old phone or a tablet signed in to your account can ring your main phone. Apple's Find My and Google's Find Hub do the same from another device you own. Whichever you use, the spare device has to be set up before you need it.