Even when sparring with Whis after the Tournament of Power, Goku was still easily beaten, despite now being able to tap in to the godly ki necessary to manifest this mental state.

Source: https://gamerant.com/dragon-ball-ultra-instinct-explained/

He realized Goku and Vegeta were far away on Planet Beerus, with no way to reach them due to Bulma's inability to contact Whis.

Source: https://gamerant.com/dragon-ball-super-how-strong-is-orange-piccolo/

In the original movie, Whis didn't hear Bulma's calls because an empty ice cream container had fallen on top of his staff.

Source: https://screenrant.com/dragon-ball-super-beerus-love-cheelai-eliminate/