Why does iPhone sometimes try to make you answer calls?

Have you ever gotten a call from someone you didn't want to talk to at the moment, stared at the screen and wondered why the Decline button always disappeared at the worst possible moment? Don't worry, your iPhone isn't biased or forcing you to answer a call you've been avoiding!

iPhone has two ways to answer a call

While there are always memes joking about how Apple sometimes lets you decline calls and sometimes forces you to talk, Apple intentionally designed two different interfaces for the iPhone's incoming call screen.

When you get a call on your iPhone (or even iPad), you’ll see Decline and Accept buttons or a slider to answer. On the first screen, you can press any button to perform the desired action. When you see the slider, just drag it to the right to accept the call.

Many people think that the slider is Apple's way of forcing you to answer a call you want to ignore, but that's not the case. The screen you get when you receive a call depends on whether your iPhone is locked or unlocked.

It's easy to accidentally press the Accept or Decline button, especially if your iPhone is in your back pocket! So to avoid accidentally picking up or declining a call, you'll only see the slide to answer screen when your device is locked.

Why does iPhone sometimes try to make you answer calls?
Slide to reply slider on iPhone

Even if you have Touch ID or Face ID enabled on your iPhone, as long as you're on the lock screen, you'll see the slider until you unlock your device and start using it. This makes it nearly impossible to accidentally accept or decline an incoming call.

On the other hand, when you're using your iPhone, you'll see options to accept or decline the call. Depending on the options you've set in Settings > Apps > Phone > Incoming Calls , you'll either see a Banner or the call will take up the entire screen ( Full Screen ).

With the former option, incoming calls will initially appear as a small notification at the top of the screen, with a red X and a blue check mark. When you tap on the call notification, it will expand to a full-screen page, where you'll see Accept and Decline buttons .

Why does iPhone sometimes try to make you answer calls?
WhatsApp Calls on iPhone

​​​​​You can still reject any call!

As we’ve seen, the slide-to-answer interface that appears when your iPhone is locked isn’t meant to force you to answer; it’s intentionally designed to prevent accidental answer or decline of calls. Since this screen only shows the slide to accept the call, many people assume there’s no way to decline the call and let the phone ring until it stops automatically.

Luckily, you can mute or decline an incoming call even in this situation. To mute the call, just press the side button or either volume button on your iPhone. To decline the call, quickly press the side button twice. That’s it! Depending on where you are, declining the call will either send it straight to voicemail or disconnect it immediately.

Even if you've been a long-time Apple ecosystem user, it can be frustrating at times when you can't easily decline a call, especially when someone calls while you're sound asleep! Although not receiving incoming calls on your iPhone can be even worse.

Sign up and earn $1000 a day ⋙

Leave a Comment

7 iPhone Camera Settings to Adjust for Better Video

7 iPhone Camera Settings to Adjust for Better Video

While your iPhone can shoot great videos right out of the box, you can get better results by tweaking some camera settings.

How to clean up iPhone junk, delete junk files to free up iPhone storage

How to clean up iPhone junk, delete junk files to free up iPhone storage

After a period of use, you will notice that your iPhone or iPad is getting slower and slower, and the remaining free space is too little. It's time to clean up your iPhone or iPad by deleting unnecessary junk files to free up the occupied free space.

How to fix Liquid Detected in USB-C Connector warning on iPhone

How to fix Liquid Detected in USB-C Connector warning on iPhone

Are you trying to charge your iPhone but seeing a warning telling you that liquid has been detected in the connector? Check out the troubleshooting steps you can take to resolve the Liquid Detected warning and get your iPhone charging normally again.

Here is the list of iPhones and iPads that support iOS 16 and iPadOS 16

Here is the list of iPhones and iPads that support iOS 16 and iPadOS 16

After countless rumors and leaks, Apple finally officially announced iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 on stage at WWDC 2022

How to Use AirDrop on iPhone

How to Use AirDrop on iPhone

AirDrop is the easiest way to transfer files between your Apple devices. Whether you want to send or receive photos, videos, documents, etc. on your iPhone, you can follow Quantrimang.com's guide to quickly learn how to use AirDrop.

5 ways to keep your iPhone home screen tidy

5 ways to keep your iPhone home screen tidy

Considering how often you interact with your iPhone home screen, it's essential to keep it neat and tidy.

5 iPhone Features That Help Minimize Distractions at Work

5 iPhone Features That Help Minimize Distractions at Work

Do you often find yourself scrolling through social media or jumping into group chats to read new messages and memes while you work? There are a variety of features on your iPhone that can help reduce distractions while you work.

How to Fix “iMessage is Signed Out” Error on iPhone

How to Fix “iMessage is Signed Out” Error on iPhone

Are you getting the iMessage is Signed Out pop-up whenever you open a thread in the Messages app on your iPhone?

Why should you replace your iPhones default keyboard with Gboard?

Why should you replace your iPhones default keyboard with Gboard?

While the stock iOS keyboard has improved over the years, it's still not perfect, especially when compared to some third-party options. That's why many people are replacing it with Gboard on their iPhones!

7 magical features on iPhone

7 magical features on iPhone

Your iPhone is packed with powerful tools that can make your everyday interactions easier. Some are so useful you'll wonder why it took you so long to start using them.

How to download photos from iCloud

How to download photos from iCloud

With iCloud Photos, you can view your entire photo library from any device. But you need to download photos from iCloud if you want to edit or do anything else. There are several ways to download photos from iCloud to devices like iPhone, Mac, and even Windows PC.

How to Overlay and Combine Two Images on iPhone

How to Overlay and Combine Two Images on iPhone

You can stack photos in the Photos app or download a third-party app to access more image blending and stacking options.

How to Breathe New Life into Your Old iPhone After Updating to New iOS

How to Breathe New Life into Your Old iPhone After Updating to New iOS

Of course, you could run out and upgrade to the latest iPhone. But why do that when you can breathe new life into your old iPhone by taking advantage of a few simple tips?

How to set a quick alarm on iPhone

How to set a quick alarm on iPhone

If you often have to set alarms on your iPhone or iPad, there are two very quick ways to help you avoid having to go to the Clock app from the home screen. Let's refer to the two ways below with Quantrimang.

Instructions for writing notes on the iPhone home screen

Instructions for writing notes on the iPhone home screen

To keep track of notes right on the iPhone home screen, users can use the Sticky Widgets application.

11 Best Compass Apps for Phones

11 Best Compass Apps for Phones

Instead of buying a traditional compass and having to remember to carry it with you every time you want to use it, you can download a compass app to your phone.

8 Android Features You Wish You Knew Sooner

8 Android Features You Wish You Knew Sooner

Even after a decade of using Android, there are still hidden features that make you wonder: Why didn't I know about this sooner? .

How to View Live Activity from iPhone Lock Screen

How to View Live Activity from iPhone Lock Screen

Live Activity on iPhone lets you keep track of ongoing activities or upcoming events right from your iPhone lock screen.

Google Removes Gemini Access From Google App for iPhone

Google Removes Gemini Access From Google App for iPhone

The Google app for iPhone is about to become a little less useful as Google recently removed access to Gemini AI from that app.

How to change default browser and email on iPhone

How to change default browser and email on iPhone

To set your preferred web browser as your default on iOS 14, follow these steps. Go to Settings > scroll down and click on any browser you have installed on your iPhone, for example here I choose Chrome.

7 iPhone Camera Settings to Adjust for Better Video

7 iPhone Camera Settings to Adjust for Better Video

While your iPhone can shoot great videos right out of the box, you can get better results by tweaking some camera settings.

4 Best Android Cleaner Apps

4 Best Android Cleaner Apps

Quantrimang has filtered out a list of the best junk cleaning apps on Android, please refer to it below.

Top Android apps that are free and discounted 04/25/2025

Top Android apps that are free and discounted 04/25/2025

How do you find discounted Android apps, free Android apps today April 25, 2025? Quantrimang.com will summarize the most prominent Android apps that are free and discounted to help you save a little money in this time of rising prices and occasional slight increases in gas prices.

How to clean up iPhone junk, delete junk files to free up iPhone storage

How to clean up iPhone junk, delete junk files to free up iPhone storage

After a period of use, you will notice that your iPhone or iPad is getting slower and slower, and the remaining free space is too little. It's time to clean up your iPhone or iPad by deleting unnecessary junk files to free up the occupied free space.

IPhone security tips you missed

IPhone security tips you missed

There are quite a few iPhone security features that we don't pay attention to and have overlooked. Below is a summary of the best iPhone security methods for you to check and implement.

3 apps to help you learn to take photos with your smartphone

3 apps to help you learn to take photos with your smartphone

These apps not only help you improve your skills, but also inspire your next great shot while you practice.

How to fix iPhone email not updating

How to fix iPhone email not updating

If your iPhone email isn't updating, there could be a number of issues. These include incompatible system settings, software issues, differences in email protocols, etc.

How to insert emoji into photos on iPhone extremely simple

How to insert emoji into photos on iPhone extremely simple

To be able to insert emoji into photos on iPhone, we will need a few small tricks, according to the instructions below.

10 Surprising Ways You Can Use Your Android Phone

10 Surprising Ways You Can Use Your Android Phone

From acting as a wireless charger and fitness tracker to a tape measure, your Android phone has a surprising number of hidden features.