Phone calls and more
It’s more than just apps, games and memes, you know
01 Add favorites
If there’s someone you love to talk to frequently — a friend, a partner, your bank manager — then add them to your favorites. Open their card in the Contacts app and tap Add to Favorites, then choose how you want to contact them — by phone, text, and so on. Now whenever you open the Phone app > Favorites tab, they’ll be just a few quick finger taps away.
02 Block callers
Conversely, if there’s someone you don’t want to hear from — an annoying friend or an ex maybe — you can stop them from calling or texting you. Again, open their card in Contacts, only this time select Block This Caller.
03 Unknown callers
Being bugged by silent calls, telemarketers, or worse? As well as blocking individual numbers, you can stop unknown numbers too. Open Settings > Phone and switch on Silence Uknown Callers. Now if someone who isn’t in your Contacts or recent outgoing calls list, or otherwise unknown calls, they’ll be sent straight to voicemail, with their number placed in Recent Calls so you can block them if you wish.
04 Do Not Disturb
If you’re busy, in a meeting or otherwise engaged, you could reach for the Ring/Silent switch on the side of your iPhone, but a better way is to use Settings > Do Not Disturb. Switching on Do Not Disturb silences all incoming calls and notifications. You can also choose to set a schedule so you’re not disturbed at night or in the evening, while letting important calls come through.
05 Call waiting and auto–replies
If you’re on the phone to someone when another call comes in, you can decline it by tapping Decline. Or you can end the current call and answer the new one by tapping End, then Accept. You can also put the first caller on Hold, then tap Accept to talk to the second caller. From there, you can press Swap to switch back to the first call or Merge for a three–way chat. You can also send calls straight to voicemail or respond with a message.
06 Auto–reply when driving
While you could chat hands–free when driving, it’s safer to decline and call back later when you’ve found somewhere safe to stop. In Settings > Do Not Disturb, scroll down to Do Not Disturb While Driving then tap Activate. If you choose the Automatic setting, iOS uses motion detection and network connections to decide when you’re moving and sends a text message reply to incoming calls.
07 Make calls on other devices
While you can make (and take) FaceTime audio and video calls on any device signed into iCloud and connected to a Wi–Fi network, you can also use your iPhone’s mobile network — provided you have that option enabled. To do so, open the Settings app and tap Phone > Calls on Other Devices and make sure the Calls On Other Devices option is switched on. In the Allow Calls On option below, choose which of the devices nearby you wish to use the next time there’s an incoming or outgoing call.
08 Ask Siri
What’s this? You’re still typing in phone numbers or contacting people by tapping them in Favorites or Contacts? It’s not the 2000s, grandpa! Instead, enable Settings > Siri > Listen for “Hey Siri.” Now when you holler “Hey Siri, call [contact name]” your iPhone will do the heavy lifting and dial them for you. What a time–saver.