How to Test a Phone to See If It Rings
- 1). Look for the phone's ringer switch, typically a small switch found on the base of the phone. Make sure the ringer is on high for testing purposes. Or, if it is a cell phone, be sure the ringer is on and the volume is up using the Menu or Settings screen on your phone.
- 2). Check to make sure all phones in the house are connected and not off the hook and that all connection cables are firmly secured. If a phone is off the hook, then no phones on that line will ring or receive calls. Or unplug all the phones except the one you wish to test to eliminate any possibility of interference from another phone.
- 3). Call the phone. Use a second phone line or a cell phone to call the phone number and test to hear if it rings. If you call from the same line, then the phone will not ring; it will go straight to voice mail or give a busy signal. If you do not have access to a second line, ask a friend to call the phone at a specific time when you are near it. If the phone does not ring at the scheduled time, verify that your friend called the correct number at correct time. If so, then you likely have a faulty ringer or phone.