How to increase the ring time on your phone

Ever found yourself in a desperate race against your own phone? It's a losing battle trying to answer before that call diverts to voicemail. 

If you’re prone to chucking your mobile into the murky depths of a rucksack or handbag, scrabbling around the detritus to find it can be so frustrating. Usually, you finally grab the handset just as that very last ring echoes away, leaving you staring at a missed call icon.

But there is a dead-easy fix. You just need to tell your network to wait a bit longer. Here’s how you do it.

How to increase your phone's ring time

Most UK networks allow you to change this yourself. You don’t need to go digging through a menu; instead, you just 'dial' a short code.

Note: Many of us will use Wi-Fi Calling or 4G/5G Calling (VoLTE) now, and sometimes, these features block these old-school codes. If you see an 'Error' or 'MSR' message, you can just toggle Wi-Fi Calling off in your settings. Then, dial the code, and turn it back on.

For these codes below, you need to replace the XXs with the number of seconds you want (usually 15, 20, 25, or 30). You should then press the Call button once you've typed it in.

• EE: **61*07953222222**XX#
• O2: **61*901*11*XX#
• Vodafone: **61*121*11*XX#
• Sky Mobile: **61*44310*11*XX#
• Giffgaff: **61*443*10*XX# (If this fails, you may need to message a Giffgaff 'Agent' via their app to change it manually).
• Tesco Mobile: **61*905*11*XX#
• Three:  You can't use codes here. You’ll have to dial 333 and ask them to extend the ring time for you. 

Most providers allow you to increase the time in 5-second intervals, with a maximum cap of 30 seconds.

To see how mobile providers compare on factors such as reliability, customer service and value, see our reviews of the best and worst UK mobile networks

Other useful tips to modify your ringtone and volume settings

Find out how to use vibrate or Do Not Disturb if you don't want your phone to ring, and how to set custom volume levels for different alerts.

Silencing your ringer and using vibrate

That classic mute toggle on the left of the iPhone? It's history if you're on a 15 Pro, 16, or 17. It's been replaced by the Action Button. You can decide what that button does by heading to Settings > Action Button, though most people, rightly, keep it for silencing the ringer.

You'll find the vibration patterns live in the Sounds & Haptics menu. If you need some peace, Focus Mode (swipe down from the top right) is your best bet, while there is also iOS 19's Smart Silencing which is a godsend. It lets you filter out the noise while ensuring your inner circle can still get through in an emergency.

If you’re on a modern Android (like a Pixel 10 or Galaxy S26), look for Adaptive Vibration. It’s clever stuff, it's like the phone 'feels' its surroundings. It won't rattle your coffee table because it dials back the buzz on hard surfaces, but it'll thump much harder when it's buried in a rucksack. You'll find that in Settings > Sound & Vibration.

Tempted to upgrade? We've found Great Value phones for under £200. See our mobile phone reviews. 

Changing the volume for different alerts

Turning down a video only to realise you’ve accidentally muted your ringer, too. It's a pain many of us have felt.

• On iPhone: Head to Settings > Sounds & Haptics and make sure 'Change with Buttons' is toggled OFF. This locks your ringer volume, so those side buttons only affect your music or videos.
• On Android: Tap a volume key and hit the three dots (...), which gives you separate sliders for everything, and your ringtone can stay at 100% while your Instagram videos stay silent.

One key tip: if you hate being jolted awake, check your Clock app for the 'Gradual Wake' setting. It starts your alarm at a whisper and builds the volume over a minute. It’s a far less stressful way to start the day.

If you want a reliable mobile but don't need the bells and whistles of a complicated smartphone, see the best simple mobile phones