The basic way to answer a Samsung call
When someone calls your Samsung phone, a large green circle with a phone icon appears on your screen. Swipe that circle upward, or tap it once — either motion answers the call. The caller hears you immediately, and their name or number shows at the top of the screen during the conversation.
If your phone is locked when the call comes in, the answer button still appears on the lock screen. You do not need to unlock your phone first. Swipe or tap the green circle, and the call connects.
To end the call, tap the red circle with an X that appears at the bottom of the screen. The call disconnects, and you return to your home screen or lock screen.
Key Takeaways
- Swipe the green circle upward or tap it once to answer an incoming call on any Samsung phone.
- You can answer calls from your lock screen without unlocking your phone first.
- Tap the red X circle to end a call at any time during the conversation.
- If you miss a call, the caller's number or name appears in your call history, which you can find in the Phone app.
- Declining a call sends it to voicemail, and you can call the person back later from your call history.
Declining a call you do not want to take
When a call comes in and you do not want to answer, swipe the red circle downward or tap it once. This sends the call to voicemail without answering. The caller hears your voicemail greeting instead of your voice.
On some Samsung models, a second option appears: you can tap a message icon to send a quick text reply instead of answering. This is useful if you are busy but want the caller to know you saw their call. The default messages are "I'll call you back" or "I'm busy right now," but you can customize these in your Phone app settings.
What to do if you miss a call
If your phone was locked, silent, or you simply did not see the call come in, the missed call appears in your call history. Open the Phone app (the green icon with a phone receiver) and tap the "Recents" or "Call Log" tab at the bottom. Your missed calls show at the top of the list, often with a red dot or "1 missed call" notification.
Tap any number or name in your call history to call that person back. You can also press and hold an entry to see options like sending a message, adding the number to your contacts, or blocking the caller.
Answering calls when your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode
If you have turned on Do Not Disturb, incoming calls are silent — your phone does not ring or vibrate. The call still comes through, and the answer screen still appears, but you will not hear a notification. You can still swipe the green circle to answer.
Some Samsung phones let you set exceptions in Do Not Disturb settings so that calls from people in your Favorites or Contacts still ring through. Open Settings, search for "Do Not Disturb," and look for "Exceptions" or "Allow calls from." You can choose to let calls from all contacts, only starred contacts, or nobody come through while Do Not Disturb is on.
Answering calls with your voice or a gesture
Newer Samsung phones include a feature called "Answer with voice" or "Answer with gesture." If you have enabled this, you can answer a call by saying "Answer" out loud, or by picking up your phone (the motion sensor detects movement and answers automatically). These features are turned off by default.
To turn on voice or gesture answering, open Settings, go to Apps, then Phone, then Advanced Settings or Call Settings. Look for "Answer calls" or "Answering methods" and toggle on the options you want. Not all Samsung models have these features, so you may not see them in your settings.
Answering calls on your Samsung watch or earbuds
If you own a Samsung Galaxy Watch or Samsung Galaxy Buds, calls can ring on those devices too. When a call comes in, you see the answer option on your watch face or hear a notification in your earbuds. Tap the answer button on your watch, or say "Answer" if your buds support voice commands.
Your phone must be paired with the watch or buds via Bluetooth for this to work. If a call rings on your watch but you want to answer on your phone instead, tap your phone's answer button — the call transfers to whichever device you answered on first.
Troubleshooting when you cannot answer calls
If the answer button does not appear when someone calls, or if calls go straight to voicemail, check whether Airplane Mode is on. Swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open Quick Settings, and look for an airplane icon. If it is highlighted, tap it to turn Airplane Mode off. Your phone cannot receive calls while Airplane Mode is active.
If Airplane Mode is off and you still cannot answer, restart your phone. Hold the power button until a menu appears, tap "Restart," and wait for your phone to turn back on. If calls still do not come through, contact your carrier — the problem may be on their network, not your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I swipe the wrong direction when a call comes in?
If you swipe down instead of up on the green circle, you decline the call and send it to voicemail. You can call the person back from your call history. If you accidentally decline a call, there is no way to retrieve it — you have to wait for them to call again or call them back yourself.
Can I answer a call while using another app?
Yes. The answer screen appears on top of whatever you were doing. When you answer, the other app pauses in the background. After you hang up, you return to that app exactly where you left off.
Why does my Samsung phone not ring when calls come in?
Check whether your phone is in Silent mode (the volume is muted) or Do Not Disturb is on. Also check whether the Phone app has permission to make sounds in your Settings — go to Apps, Phone, Permissions, and make sure Microphone and other audio permissions are turned on. If calls still do not ring, restart your phone or contact your carrier.
Can I answer a call with my Samsung phone in my pocket?
No. You must see the answer screen to tap or swipe it. If your phone is in your pocket, the call goes to voicemail. Some newer Samsung models have a "Answer with voice" feature that lets you say "Answer" out loud, but this only works if your phone is close enough to hear you.
What is the difference between declining a call and blocking a caller?
Declining sends one call to voicemail. Blocking prevents that person from calling or texting you at all — their calls go straight to voicemail, and they cannot see that you blocked them. To block a caller, press and hold their number in your call history and tap "Block number."