There are times when your hands are full or you are busy and want to answer calls automatically. To do this, Apple introduced a feature in iOS 11 and later called Auto-Answer Calls.
It works on phone calls and FaceTime, as well as App calls like WhatsApp. It is an accessibility feature, and can be customized by setting the number of rings before it begins answering automatically.
- Go to Settings
There are times when your hands are full or you’re in a noisy environment, and you miss an important call. To help you avoid missing calls, Apple rolled out an option in iOS 11 and later called Auto-Answer. This feature answers a phone call after a certain number of rings, or after 3 seconds by default. To enable this feature, you need to follow a few steps.
To access the settings of your iPhone, tap the Settings icon and then scroll down to select the Accessibility option. On the Accessibility screen, look for Touch and then select it. In the Touch menu, you will find an option named Auto-Answer Calls. Turn the toggle switch to On.
You can also change the duration from 0 to 60 seconds by using the (-) and (+) buttons. After you have set the duration, your iPhone will automatically answer a call after that time passes without any manual action.
The only caveat is that you cannot use this feature on an unlocked or jailbroken iPhone. If you have a jailbroken iPhone, however, you can download an app from Cydia that allows you to set auto-answer on your iPhone. The program, called AutoAnswer, is available for $1.99. The developer of the tweak has stated that it is useful in many scenarios, including when driving and don’t want to take your hands off the wheel, baby monitoring and video conferencing.
If you have an unlocked iPhone, the best solution is to set up a shortcut that will turn on auto-answer when your AirPods are connected or when your Apple Watch is taken off your wrist. This will save you the trouble of going to your iPhone settings to enable the feature every time.
- Scroll down to Call Audio Routing
You can configure your iPhone to automatically answer calls after a certain period of time. The feature can be used to help you avoid missing any calls, especially if you have a motor impairment or you are in a position where it is difficult for you to press the call acceptance button. This option is available for phone, FaceTime and even third-party applications like WhatsApp and Skype. To enable this feature, go to Settings and navigate to Accessibility – Touch – Call Audio Routing. Then, scroll down to find the Auto-Answer Calls option. This is a simple toggle switch that you can enable or disable as desired.
Using a headset during a call is often considered as one of the best ways to have an effective and immersive conversation. However, some users have noticed that their iPhone keeps switching to speakerphone despite having a Bluetooth headset connected. This happens because of the default Call Audio Routing setting on iOS. This article will walk you through the steps of how to change that setting so that your iPhone can properly route calls to your headset.
You will need to launch the Settings app on your iOS device. Once you’re on the Settings app, tap “General.” Then, select “Accessibility.” You will see several options under the PHYSICAL AND MOTOR section. The last one is the Call Audio Routing.
In this screen, you will see a list of the current call audio routing settings on your iPhone. You can also see a graph that shows how your call audio is being routed at the moment. The current default is Automatic, which means that your iPhone will always route incoming calls to the phone’s speakers. If you want to enable auto-answer on your iPhone, simply toggle the switch next to Auto-Answer Calls to turn it on.
- Tap Auto-Answer Calls
You can enable call auto-answer on your iPhone to automatically answer calls for you after a set amount of time. This accessibility feature is great for people who can’t swipe to answer the phone or have other hands occupied (like with greasy food).
This is also helpful if you have motor impairment that prevents you from answering your phone. Besides phone calls, this can also work for FaceTime calls and apps like WhatsApp and Skype.
It’s simple to enable this feature on your device. Simply go to Settings and select Accessibility. On the Accessibility screen, you’ll see a toggle switch next to “Touch”. Slide it to the on position to turn the feature on. You can also change the duration for which your call is auto-answered by using the + and – buttons on the screen.
Keeping this feature on can be beneficial if you’re in a busy area or are on the road and don’t have the time to swipe your phone to answer. However, you should be careful when using this feature in public because your private conversations can unintentionally get out into the earshot of anyone else who may happen to hear it.
Another option is to use the Siri voice command to toggle this feature hands-free. Then, you can always have your phone answer your calls even when it’s in Do Not Disturb mode. This can be helpful for those who have a hard time touching the screen, especially in situations when they are wearing gloves or are in an environment with a lot of background noise. However, you should be careful not to activate this feature when you’re on a date or meeting with colleagues because the caller might think you are ignoring them.
- Turn On
If you’re missing calls because your hands are busy, or you can’t answer your phone due to unclean hands, or you’re just lazy, Apple has an option in iOS 11 and later that automatically answers incoming calls for you. It works for cellular calls as well as FaceTime and WhatsApp calls.
The feature is part of a range of assistive technologies that are designed to help people with disabilities use their iPhones more easily. It’s easy to activate the feature on your own without using a third-party app. Just open your Settings app and follow these steps:
You’ll find the toggle under Accessibility. If you’re not comfortable with opening your Settings app, you can also turn it on by saying Hey Siri, turn on auto-answer calls. The feature will then start answering calls hands-free after the number of seconds you set in the Settings app. It works with Bluetooth headsets, Apple headphones, and some speakerphones too. You can also adjust the duration of the call. If you’d like to get more tips on mastering your iPhone, sign up for our FREE Tips of the Day!