Rather than listing every setting on the Galaxy S25, start from what you actually see, because each symptom points at a different layer. A call that never rings and goes to voicemail points at blocking, Do not disturb or forwarding. A call that rings and then drops after a few seconds points at signal or at the radio's choice of 5G over LTE. A text stuck on Sending points at the Messages app or the line it is using. A status bar that says Emergency calls only points at the carrier.
The S25 adds two things to this picture: a nano-SIM plus an eSIM that can both be live, and Galaxy AI call features such as live translation, which need a good connection to work. Read your symptom below and go straight to its fix.
Differential
Likely causes of “Samsung Galaxy S25 cannot make calls or send messages”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Rings and then drops after a few seconds
What separates it Calls start normally and fall away, mostly indoors or on the move
How to confirm Set Mobile networks to LTE for a day to see whether 5G handover is the cause, and turn on Wi-Fi Calling at home
- 2
Never rings, goes to voicemail at once
What separates it Callers say they get your voicemail while the phone shows no call
How to confirm Check Do not disturb, Blocked numbers and Call forwarding under the Phone app's Settings
- 3
Texts sit on Sending
What separates it One message to one contact stays unsent while others go
How to confirm Messages, Settings, Chat settings: switch the chat features off and on, then clear the Messages cache
- 4
Texts go from the wrong number
What separates it The reply goes to the other line, or the other person sees a different number
How to confirm Settings, Connections, SIM manager: set Text messages to the line you want
- 5
Emergency calls only on the status bar
What separates it No carrier name and no data
How to confirm Restart, reseat the SIM, then call the carrier to refresh or re-provision the SIM or eSIM
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The exact symptom: no ring, drop after seconds, Sending, wrong number or Emergency calls only
- Whether it is a physical SIM or an eSIM, and the carrier
- Whether it happens in one place or everywhere
- The One UI version and security patch date
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedMatch the symptom to a layer
ReversibleUse the list above: drops point at signal, silent voicemail points at blocking, Sending points at Messages, Emergency only points at the carrier.
Re-register with Airplane mode
ReversibleTurn Airplane mode on for ten seconds and off again, so the phone finds the tower afresh.
Try LTE for a day
ReversibleSettings, Connections, Mobile networks, Network mode, choose LTE and see whether calls hold in the place where they used to drop.
Turn on Wi-Fi Calling for home
ReversibleSettings, Connections, Wi-Fi Calling; your carrier must support it.
Look at the Messages chat features
ReversibleMessages, Settings, Chat settings. Toggle the chat features and send a test text to yourself.
Reset network settings last
Reset / data riskSettings, General management, Reset, Reset network settings; it also forgets Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth pairings.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Two lines, three settings
- SIM manager keeps separate defaults for calls, texts and mobile data, which is why one number can be right for data and wrong for messages.
- Emergency calls only
- The phone can reach a tower for emergency numbers but is not registered on your carrier; only the carrier can fix the registration.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If Emergency calls only persists on a working SIM, call the carrier before you reset anything
- !If a second SIM fails in the S25, book a Samsung modem check
- !If one contact only is affected, check blocks and forwarding; the phone is not the cause
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Does the S25 have eSIM?+
Yes. The US S25 takes a nano-SIM and an eSIM, and both can be active.
Why do calls drop on 5G but not on LTE?+
Handover between 5G and LTE can fail at the edge of coverage; setting LTE for a day shows whether that is the cause.
Do Galaxy AI call features work without a connection?+
Live translation and some transcription features need a connection and carrier support, so a weak signal limits them.
Does resetting network settings delete messages?+
No; messages, contacts and apps stay.