It's a strange feeling when your iPad 10th Generation sits silently during a FaceTime call or a phone call forwarded from your iPhone. You might see the notification pop up, but you never hear the ring. This usually comes down to a few specific settings on your iPad, and the fixes are pretty straightforward.
Check Your Side Switch and Volume
First, look at the side of your iPad. There's a physical switch above the volume buttons. If you see an orange stripe, that switch is set to mute. Slide it so the orange is hidden to turn the ringer back on.
Next, unlock your iPad and press the volume up button a few times. The volume for the ringer and alerts is separate from media volume, so you need to adjust it while you're on the home screen or in an app like Settings. You can also go to Settings > Sounds and drag the "Ringer and Alerts" slider all the way to the right.
Turn Off Focus Modes
Focus modes like Do Not Disturb, Sleep, or Work will silence all incoming call rings. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center. If you see a moon, crescent, or other Focus icon highlighted, tap it to turn that Focus off.
For a more thorough check, go to Settings > Focus. Look at each Focus profile (Do Not Disturb, Personal, etc.) and make sure they are all toggled off. Also, check the "Turn On Automatically" section underneath each one to make sure a schedule or location-based rule isn't activating it without you realizing.
Disconnect Bluetooth Accessories
If your iPad is connected to a Bluetooth speaker, headphones, or a car stereo, incoming call audio will route there by default. This means your iPad itself won't make a sound. The quickest fix is to turn Bluetooth off entirely to test.
Swipe into Control Center, tap the Bluetooth icon to disconnect, or go to Settings > Bluetooth and toggle it off. Try a test call afterward to see if the ring now comes from the iPad's speakers.
Review Call Forwarding and Silence Settings
A couple of settings in the Phone app can redirect or mute calls. If you use Call Forwarding with your cellular carrier, it might be sending calls elsewhere. Open the Phone app, tap "Call Forwarding" at the top, and ensure it's turned off.
Another setting to check is Silence Unknown Callers. This sends any number not in your contacts straight to voicemail. In the Phone app, tap "Silence Unknown Callers" and make sure it's disabled if you're expecting calls from new numbers.
Change Your Ringtone
Sometimes the specific sound file for your ringtone can get corrupted. Switching to a different one can kick the system back into gear. Go to Settings > Sounds > Ringtone.
Pick a new tone from the list, maybe one of the classic ones like "Opening" or "Strum", and then have a friend give you a test call. I've seen this simple switch resolve weird silent call issues after an iPadOS update.
Check App Notifications and Permissions
This is crucial for apps like FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Skype. If the app doesn't have permission to send notifications, you won't hear a peep. Go to Settings > Notifications and find the calling app in the list.
Tap on it and make sure "Allow Notifications" is on. Also, check that "Sounds" is enabled within the notification style options. While you're there, it's a good idea to check the Phone app's notification settings too.
Restart and Update Your iPad
A simple restart clears out temporary software glitches that can affect sound. Press and release the Volume Up button, press and release the Volume Down button, then press and hold the Top button until you see the Apple logo appear.
If the problem started after a recent change, a software update likely has a fix. Connect to Wi-Fi, go to Settings > General > Software Update, and install any available update for iPadOS. Keeping your iPad 10th Gen on the latest version, like iPadOS 18, helps prevent these kinds of bugs.
Reset Relevant Settings
If you're still not hearing rings, you can reset specific settings without losing your data. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPad and tap "Reset."
Try "Reset All Settings" first. This will revert your sound, network, and privacy settings back to default, which often solves persistent audio issues. You'll need to re-enter your Wi-Fi passwords and reconfigure things like Focus modes afterward.
If calls over cellular data or Wi-Fi are the problem, "Reset Network Settings" is the better choice. This clears all network configurations and can fix call routing problems.
