Top 9 Ways to Fix Unable to Answer Calls on Android Phone

Typically, when you receive a call on your phone, you swipe the screen to answer it. But sometimes it doesn’t happen. Even if the user can see who is calling, answering or rejecting the call does not take place after several attempts. It can be frustrating. But do not worry. In this article, we will explain how to fix the problem of non-response to incoming calls on your Android phone.

The inability to not be able to answer calls can be quite frustrating. While for some users, the phone hangs and freezes when receiving calls, others may decide to answer calls, but it does not answer the call.

Scary but not a major problem. You can easily fix it with the solutions mentioned below.

1. Restart the phone

If this is a new problem and it happened for the first time, start by restarting your phone. Sometimes that’s enough to fix any problem on your phone, including the one that can’t answer calls.

2. Answer correctly

Android phones allow you to answer calls in different ways. On some devices, you have to swipe up on the answer (or green) button, while others swipe you to the right. Try both methods.

If you have a Samsung phone, things are a little different now. Earlier, you could press the answer button (or green) to accept the call. But the functionality has been removed now. So if you try to answer the call the same way, it’s incorrect. You will need to swipe up on the green button.

If you want the Tap to answer feature to be back, you can do so by going to Settings on your Samsung phone. Then go to Accessibility> Interaction and dexterity> Assistant menu. Activate the toggle next to disabled on the next screen. Then you will find the option Press once to swipe. Turn it on. Now you can answer calls with one touch.

Even if you benefit from the functionality, activating the Wizard menu has a drawback because it adds a floating menu icon. To hide this, increase the menu transparency in the settings. You can also long press and drag the floating icon to the Hide button that appears. It will then remain in your notification panel.

Point: Have you bought a Samsung phone recently? Try our useful compilation of tips and tricks on Samsung phone calls.

3. Remove the SIM card

Although this type of problem is usually related to your Android phone, you should try to remove the SIM card from your phone to resolve any network issues. Once you have removed it, clean the SIM tray and your SIM card with a cloth, then reinsert it.

4. Activate and deactivate airplane mode

Another way to solve it is to activate airplane mode. This will limit network connectivity on your phone and solve the network problem. To activate airplane mode, open quick settings and tap Airplane mode to activate it. Once activated, wait a minute, then deactivate it.

5. Clear data and cache from phone app

Clearing the phone app cache and data has proven to be beneficial for many Android users who have been experiencing the same issues. Don’t worry, clearing the cache or data from the Phone app will not delete any of your personal data. Your files, contacts and even the call history will remain intact.

To clear the cache and data in the Phone app, do the following:

Step 1: Open Settings on your Android phone and go to Applications & Notifications or Application.

2nd step: Tap the Phone app preinstalled on your phone under All apps.

Step 3: Tap Storage. Then, first press Clear cache. Restart your phone. If the problem persists, tap Clear data or Clear storage depending on the option available on your phone.

On phones with Android 7.1 Nougat and later, you can long press the Phone app icon on the Home screen or in the app drawer to view the app shortcuts. Then press the “i” or Application Information icon. You will be taken directly to step 3 mentioned above. Tap Storage, then tap Clear cache.

6. Update the phone app

Sometimes the problem comes from the application itself. Developers quickly release an update that fixes the calling problem. You need to open the Play Store and update the Phone app. For future use, find out how to find out if an app needs an update on Android and iPhone.

7. Check third-party calling apps

Are you using a third party calling or dialing app on your phone? Doing so may interfere with your phone’s calling functionality. Turn it off for a while or make the preinstalled dialer app your default phone call app.

To do this, open Settings on your phone and go to Applications. Tap Default apps. If the option is not visible, tap the three-dot icon at the top and select Default apps.

Point: Use the search box in Settings to find the default application settings.

Tap the Phone app and select the system default phone app. You should also take a look at the setting in the Caller ID and spam app. Select the system application or choose None.

Point: Learn how the Google Phone app differs from the Samsung phone app.

8. Check the theme

If you are using themes on your Android phone, switch to the default theme to test the incoming call. Sometimes the answer and reject buttons are reversed in a theme, or they don’t work at all. To fix it, you will need to turn off the custom theme and use the system default theme.

9. Reset app preferences

If the problem persists, reset the application preferences on your phone. This will not delete any data but will reset the settings to their default values, thus correcting any problem that could interfere with incoming calls. If you’re wondering what settings can be changed, check out our guide to what happens when you reset app preferences.

To reset application preferences, open Settings on your phone and go to Applications. Tap the three-dot icon at the top and select Reset app preferences.

Point: If you can’t find the Reset application preferences option, go to Settings> System> Reset options> Reset application preferences.

Other way to answer calls

If the touch buttons do not allow you to answer calls, you can use the hardware buttons to answer calls. While the Power key allows you to end the call, the volume up key can be used to answer calls. The latter feature is limited to certain phones only.

To activate the physical buttons, go to Settings> Accessibility. You will find the required options. You can also open the settings of the Phone application. Then go to Answer and end the calls. Activate the required buttons.

Back to basics

We hope that one of the methods above helped you to answer incoming calls. If you still cannot answer incoming calls, check the block list and don’t disturb the mode. You should also check the screen where the answer and reject buttons are located. It could be a display problem if other applications also do not work in the required location.