How to Place an iPhone Call on Hold

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 29, 2019 Tested

No matter what carrier you use, you can mute the caller on your iPhone so that they can't hear what you're doing. If you're using a GSM carrier like AT&T or T-Mobile, you can place a call on hold, which mutes both ends and allows you to place another call. You can also set up conference calls by bringing in multiple lines.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:
Muting a Call

1
Start or receive your call. You can mute a call once you're in it. Place or receive a call like you normally would.
2
Tap the "Mute" button while in a call. You'll see this button when you pull your iPhone away from your face. Tap it to mute your iPhone's microphone.

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3
Tap the Home button to switch to your Home screen. This will allow you to check other apps on your iPhone, such as the Calendar. When you're done, tap Home again to return to the call screen.
4
Tap the "Mute" button again to unmute the call. This will turn your iPhone's microphone back on.

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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:
Placing a Call on Hold

1
Start or receive your call. If you're on a GSM network such as AT&T or T-Mobile, you can put the call on hold instead of just muting it. This will not work on CDMA networks like Verizon or Sprint.^{[1]
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Research source}
2
Tap and hold the "Mute" button while in a call. If you hold the Mute button for a few moments, you'll put the call on hold instead of muting it. This will turn your microphone off as well as turn the speaker off.
3
Tap the Home button to use other apps. This will return you to your Home screen, allowing you to access other apps such as your Calendar. Tap Home again to return to the call screen.
4
Tap the "Hold" button to take the call off hold. This will return you to the regular call.^{[2]
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Research source}

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Community Q&A

Question

How do I place a call on hold on my iPhone 7?

Community Answer

While on your phone if you are getting a call you can click "hold and answer".
Question

How do I put a call on hold to make another call?

Mistress Chief

Community Answer

Once its on hold, press "add call." Then, you can talk to the other person.
Question

How can you put a call on hold and call another party before returning to the original call?

Community Answer

Place the call on hold then press "add call"; choose the person you'd like. Press "merge calls," and take the other person off hold.
Question

Can an iPhone user hold an existing call without actually answering the other call?

Community Answer

Yes, you can do this.
Question

How do I place an iPhone call on hold when I look up an email?

Community Answer

It depends on your iOS version. If you're using iOS 7+, just press the home button and enter your email app of choice. If you want to return to the call, open the phone app again.
Question

How do I place a call on hold so that I can access my calendar?

Community Answer

Depends on your iOS version. If you're using iOS 7+, just press the home button and enter your calendar. If you want to return to the call, open the phone app again.
Question

How do I go to my messages when placing an iPhone call on hold?

Community Answer

Press “thumb button” at bottom center of screen/phone...that opens “home page” showing all apps icons... Tap app icon for messages...(green cloud). Message app opens... select from most recent message streams or tap on new message icon to send a message or view stream from a specific contact type name/number. Send that message, or get information needed, and press thumb button at bottom center screen/phone and all apps on “Home Screen” will return, If need to return to actual call in progress/or on hold, press the center button twice quickly. That pulls up the dark screen with telephone options(speaker, mute, etc.).

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References

About This Article

Co-authored by:

wikiHow Staff Writer

This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 191,643 times.

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Co-authors: 9

Updated: March 29, 2019

Views: 191,643

Categories: Featured Articles | IPhone

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