What you can do while on a call on iPhone

Thursday October 8, 2026 2:02 pm EAT by Moses Johnson

When you’re on a phone call on iPhone, you can switch the audio to the speaker or a Bluetooth® device. With Apple Intelligence,* you can also get a wait time prediction and view relevant information during a call.

You can use another app while you’re on a call, too. And in the U.S., you can receive a notification when you’re no longer on hold.

Here’s what you can do while on a call on iPhone.

Adjust the audio during a call

To change the volume, press the volume buttons on the side of iPhone. Or swipe down on the call banner, then do any of the following:

Mute: Tap the Mute button.
Put the call on hold: Touch and hold the Mute button.
Talk handsfree: Tap the Audio button, then choose an audio destination.

Use another app while on a call

Go to the Home Screen, then open the app.
To return to the call, tap the green call indicator.

View relevant information during a call

With Apple Intelligence,* a Call Context card with related information may appear during a call—like tickets, orders, confirmation numbers, or reservations. To turn Call Context cards on or off, do the following:

Open Settings, then tap Apps.
Tap Phone, then tap Siri.
Turn Show When Calling on or off.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

Get a wait time prediction (U.S. only)

With Apple Intelligence,* you can get predictions of how long you’re estimated to wait before your call is answered, based on average wait times in the past for some businesses.

Receive a notification when you’re no longer on hold

Hold Assist can tell you when a live agent is available if you’re placed on hold during a call, so you don’t have to stay on the line.

Note: Available on iPhone 12, iPhone SE (3rd generation), or later. Hold Assist isn’t available in all countries or regions.

Open the Phone app on your iPhone.
When you’re in a call and put on hold, tap the More button. Then tap Hold Assist. Important: Check your ring settings before you step away from the call. If your iPhone is on silent or Do Not Disturb, you won’t hear the incoming call when an agent is available. Hold Assist will notify you when an agent is available and transcribe the part of the call you missed.
Tap the Answer Call button to rejoin the call.

Note: Phone can also spot hold music automatically and prompt you to start Hold Assist. To set that up, go to Settings > Apps > Phone and turn on Hold Assist Detection.

Respond to a second call on the same line

If you’re on a call and

receive a second call, do one of the following:

Ignore the call and send it to voicemail: Tap Send to Voicemail.
Respond to the second call with a text message: Tap Message.
Set a reminder to return the call: Tap Remind Me, then choose when you want a reminder to return the call.
End the first call and answer the new one: When using a GSM network, tap End & Accept. With a CDMA network, tap End; when the second call rings back, tap Accept, or drag the slider if iPhone is locked.
Put the first call on hold and answer the new one: Tap Hold & Accept.

To switch between calls when you have a call on hold, tap Swap to switch between calls, or tap Merge Calls to talk with both parties at once.

Note: With CDMA, you can’t switch between calls if the second call was outgoing, but you can merge the calls. You can’t merge calls if the second call was incoming. If you end the second call or the merged call, both calls end. On models with Dual SIM, note the following: Wi-Fi Calling must be turned on for a line to enable that line to receive calls while the other line is in use for a call. If you receive a call on one line while the other is in use for a call, and no Wi-Fi connection is available, iPhone uses the cellular data of the line that’s in use for the call to receive the other line’s call. Charges may apply. The line that’s in use for the call must be permitted for data use in your Cellular Data settings (either as the default line, or as the non-default line with Allow Cellular Data Switching turned on) to receive the other line’s call. If you don’t turn on Wi-Fi Calling for a line, any incoming phone calls on that line (including calls from emergency services) go directly to voicemail (if available from your carrier) when the other line is in use; you won’t receive missed call notifications. If you set up conditional call forwarding (if available from your carrier) from one line to another when a line is busy or not in service, the calls don’t go to voicemail; contact your carrier for setup information.

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

Tag: Phone