HOW TO Manage calls on the move

Go elsewhere

If you need to check something on your iPhone during a call, return to the Home screen and you’ll stay on the line. When you’re ready to return to the call screen, tap the top green bar (or button at top left on iPhone X).

Loud and proud

Before you navigate away from the call, don’t forget to switch on the speaker or, alternatively, route the conversation through a connected Bluetooth headset, a pair of AirPods or a HomePod speaker.

Noise pollution

If you need to pause the conversation — to talk to someone in the room or cough, for example — tap the Mute button so the person on the line won’t hear the interruption. Don’t forget to unmute to carry on, though!

Hold please

You may not want to lose your current call when a new one comes in. Tapping Hold & Accept will put the first call on hold, so you can come back to it once the new one is over. Tap Swap to change which person is on hold.

Conference calls: part 2

You don’t have to wait for someone to ring you to start a conference call. Phone someone, tap Add Call, then dial the second person’s number. Again, with two calls active, tap Merge Calls to begin a group conversation.

Switch calls

You might get a call from someone while you’re in the middle of a conversation. If the incoming call is more important, excuse yourself to the current person and then tap End & Accept to switch calls, ending the first.

Conference calls: part 1

Your iPhone can combine two incoming calls into one as a conference call. Accept the first one. When the second comes in, tap Hold & Accept, then tap Merge Calls to bring everyone into the same conversation.

Say it with a text

You may not be able to accept a call right away, but want to let the dialler know you’ll get back to them soon. In that case, tap Message to decline the incoming call and fire off a quick message instead.