Manage incoming calls on iPhone

In the Phone app , you can answer, silence, or decline an incoming call. You can respond with a text or remind yourself to return the call.

You can also avoid unwanted calls by blocking certain callers and sending unknown and spam callers directly to voicemail.

The incoming call screen. There are two rows of button near the bottom. In the first row, from left to right, are the Remind Me and Message buttons. In the second row, from left to right, are the Decline and Accept buttons.

Answer a call

Do one of the following:

Tap Accept, or drag the slider (if iPhone is locked).
On your EarPods, press the center button.

Tip: You can have iPhone announce all calls or just those you receive while you’re using headphones or using Bluetooth in your car. Go to Settings > Phone > Announce Calls.

Silence a call

Press the side button or Sleep/Wake button (depending on your model) or either volume button.

You can still answer a silenced call until it goes to voicemail.

Decline a call and send it directly to voicemail

Do one of the following:

If iPhone is unlocked, tap Decline.
If iPhone is locked, press the side button or Sleep/Wake button (depending on your model) twice quickly.
To be reminded to return the call, tap Remind Me, then choose when you want to be reminded.
To respond with a text message instead of answering, tap Message, then choose a reply or tap Custom.
To create your own default replies, go to Settings > Phone > Respond with Text, then tap any default message and replace it with your own text.

Note: In some countries or regions, declined calls are disconnected without being sent to voicemail.

Set up call forwarding or call waiting (GSM)

Go to Settings > Phone.
Tap any of the following:
- Call Forwarding: appears in the status bar when call forwarding is on. You must be in range of the cellular network when you set iPhone to forward calls, or calls won’t be forwarded.
  On models with Dual SIM, choose a line.
- Call Waiting: If you’re on a call and call waiting is turned off, incoming calls go directly to voicemail.
  On models with Dual SIM, call waiting works only for incoming calls on the same line, unless the other line has Wi-Fi calling enabled and a data connection is available. See Set up cellular service on iPhone.

For CDMA accounts, contact your carrier for information about enabling and using these features.

For information about conditional call forwarding (if available from your carrier) when the line is busy or not in service, contact your carrier for setup information.

Avoid unwanted calls

Block unwanted callers: In Favorites, Recents, or Voicemail, tap to see a caller’s contact card, then tap Block this Caller. Or go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts. You don’t receive voice calls, FaceTime calls, or text messages from blocked callers.
Send unknown and spam callers to voicemail: Go to Settings > Phone, then turn on Silence Unknown Callers. You receive notifications only for calls from phone numbers in your contacts, phone numbers you recently called, and phone numbers sent to you in email or text messages.

Helpful?

iPhone User Guide