iPhones don’t usually have issues that affect how you interact with them. But contrary to what many people think, it’s far from having the perfect software. Sometimes, even the simplest tasks, such as making phone calls, will make you doubt if it was a good decision to buy an iPhone.
If you can’t hang up your iPhone, a common issue is screen unresponsiveness. The touch screen might not register the tap due to a temporary software glitch. A quick solution is to force restart your iPhone: for newer models, quickly press volume up, volume down, then hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
Another potential reason you’re unable to hang up calls could be related to a malfunctioning proximity sensor. The iPhone’s proximity sensor detects when the phone is held to your ear and turns the screen off to prevent accidental touches. If this sensor is malfunctioning, the screen may remain off when you move the phone away from your ear, preventing you from ending the call. To troubleshoot, ensure there’s no dirt or debris blocking the sensor and consider restarting the phone.
Lastly, a faulty or damaged touch screen can be the culprit. If your iPhone has recently sustained a fall or has been in contact with water, the touch screen may be compromised. In such cases, you might notice other touch-related issues as well. Consider seeking assistance from an Apple Store or authorized service provider to diagnose and repair the device.
Causes & How to Fix an iPhone That Won’t End Call or Hang Up
There are instances when you can’t end your call, and the screen just freezes. Sometimes, the buttons just stopped working, or it just gives you a black screen. This problem is due to a glitch within the iOS that causes all your calls to malfunction, including regular calls, Whatsapp calls, and other VoIP services.
The easiest way to fix an iPhone that won’t end the call or hang-up is to reset your phone. After the call, press the power button until it shows you the option to shut your phone down. It’s an easy fix that won’t require you to change anything within the settings. Sometimes, performing a simple reset can get rid of the problem.
Normally, this issue won’t affect other apps you have on your phone, so it’s not a hardware malfunction. So, if your iPhone still won’t end a call or hang up after a reset, you can start installing iOS updates. Often, iOS updates include bug fixes, including the one you’re experiencing with your phone calls.
The last solution you can try is to reset the network settings of your iPhone. Since it only affects calls, it’s more likely to be related to your network settings. If you’ve tried the other two and you’re still experiencing the same problem, you can go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
This option will force your iPhone to restart and bring your network settings back to default. You will then re-enter your WiFi password, and it should be enough to get your iPhone to work again.
How to Fix an iPhone When End Call Button Disappears
If someone calls you on your iPhone and the end call button disappears, it’s a glitch within the Phone app. You don’t have to replace any part of your phone or install iOS updates. What you need is to reset your Phone app to fix the problem.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Open the app preview. If you’re using iPhone 8 or earlier, you can double-click the Home button to open the app preview. If you’re using iPhone X or later, you can swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause in the middle to open the app preview.
- Look for the Phone app within the app preview and swipe up to force close it.
- After closing the Phone app, press the power button until it shows you the option to shut your phone down.
- It will give your iPhone a fresh restart, and your Phone app should work properly again.
Note: Apps that you’ve used will remain on standby, but they’re not open and won’t slow your iPhone down. You should only force close it when an app isn’t working properly or is unresponsive; a missing end call button, for example.
How to Fix an iPhone That Locks During Call
iPhones lock when you’re in a call. It automatically turns the screen off to help save battery; then it locks after some time for security. It’s not a bug or a glitch that you need to fix. It’s also not a problem for most iPhone users. However, there are some instances when you need to unlock your phone in the middle of a call, and you’ll need access to the controls as quickly as possible.
If your iPhone locks while you’re in a call, an easy way to deal with it is to open your iPhone without using Touch ID. It’ll show you your lock screen with the caller’s name and time spent on the call. Tap the caller’s name, and it’ll quickly take you to call controls. Depending on the iOS you’re using, you can also activate it with a swipe right gesture to open call controls.
Again, it’s not a bug that needs fixing. Locking the phone while you’re on a call is a security feature that most people would want to have, just as soon as it happens to them. One of the best applications for this feature is when you’re on a call, and someone takes your phone away from you. If your iPhone doesn’t lock automatically, the culprit has access to everything on your phone. It’s a compromise that, I think, not many people would want to take.
How to Fix an iPhone That Won’t Hang Up With Screen Black
There are several reasons why you can’t hang up an iPhone because of a black screen. Here are some of the things that you can do to fix it:
- Force close the Phone app, then reset your iPhone.
- Do a hard reset on your iPhone.
- Turn off the Reduce Motion from the Accessibility Settings.
- Remove or change your screen protector.
When you’re on a call, your iPhone uses a proximity sensor to turn off the screen when it’s close to your ear. This feature helps you save battery and prevents accidental taps on the screen. The black screen won’t be a problem if you’re not on a call, but screen protectors can sometimes reflect light.
If your screen protector is blocking the proximity sensor, your screen won’t wake up after the call because it still thinks that the phone is close to your ear. Removing the screen protector and replacing it with one that doesn’t cover the sensors should be an easy fix for this issue.
Note: To do a force reset for iPhone 7 and earlier, you can press the power button and volume down button together and hold it until you see the Apple logo. For iPhone 8 or later, you can force restart by doing a click-release for the volume up, then volume down, and click-hold the power button until you see the Apple logo.
How to Fix an iPhone When End Call Button Is Not Working
When you’re on a call, and you can’t end it because the red button isn’t working, then you might be experiencing a glitch caused by the settings in your iPhone. It’s not because of a hardware or app malfunction but from your iPhone’s settings. The first step that you should take is to check whether you have the latest iOS in place. If not, update it and see if it fixes the issue.
If the update doesn’t solve the problem or if you already have an updated iOS, here’s another easy fix (it’s a lot better than turning it on and off every time you get a call):
- Backup your phone.
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings. It should erase all the settings you have, including those that cause the red button to malfunction.
- Restore your iPhone.
Final Thoughts
iOS is probably one of the best systems ever created. But being the best doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have problems or is not susceptible to glitches. There will be problems while interacting with your iPhone, and your settings will, most likely, be the cause of it.
Whether your Phone app is unresponsive or the end call button just doesn’t work, a reset can fix it for you. But sometimes, the issue will require you to reset your network settings or even erase all content and data from your iPhone.
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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on December 11, 2020.
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