Problem

Calls from Everbridge go directly to voicemail for contacts using iPhones.

Root Cause

As part of iOS 13, Apple released a “Silence Unknown Callers” feature for all iPhones.

The feature is off by default in the device settings. When toggled on, any phone call from a caller ID that is not known in the device’s contact list, email, or messages is automatically rejected. For information on this feature see the article: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207099

Instead of ringing, the device will display a missed call notification and a voicemail notification if applicable.

Solution

If contacts intend on using this feature, Everbridge recommends the following:

• Request contacts to save the organization's sender caller ID to their device to continue receiving voice notifications. For information on recommended best practices see knowledge article EBS: Everbridge Caller ID Best Practices.
• Set the organization's voicemail preference to leave a voicemail message so contacts can associate the caller ID with critical notifications. See knowledge article 00006587 - EBS: What Happens When a Notification From Everbridge Is Sent to Voicemail?
• Utilize multi-modal delivery to ensure contacts receive the message one way or another.