Sometimes the most basic problems in your phone can be the most laborious ones to resolve. When users come across the issue where they cannot receive any phone calls, they are generally out of ideas because there isn’t much to do. While the phone dialer itself does not provide any helpful solution, there are a few fixes to this problem. In this article, we bring you 7 easy ways to fix the ‘Unable to answer calls’ issue on any Android smartphone.
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Restart your phone
Restarting your phone is the easiest way to fix any minor issues, especially if it’s just arisen. Prolonged issues are a different matter and may require some other methods to resolve. Restarting your phone resets some functions and clears temporary memory, so any temp files that may be the root of the issue will be deleted.
Check if you’re answering your phone correctly
Different smartphones have different motion gestures to answer the phone. Samsung smartphones usually require to swipe the green icon upwards. Others may require you to swipe it sideways. Some may not require a swiping gesture at all, and you can simply pick up a call by tapping on the green icon once. You can try each of these gestures and see which one works on your phone. If you want to enable the tap-to-answer feature, go to Settings>Accessibility>Interaction and dexterity>Assistant menu and turn on the toggle bar for ‘Replace swipe with single tap’.
Turn Airplane Mode on and off
Turning the Airplane Mode on cuts off any network reception on your phone. When you turn it off the cellular network gets received again by your smartphone device. This is a quick way to refresh the network reception on your phone. If the call issue is related to the network, this method will come in handy. Make sure that you wait at least 30 seconds before turning off the Airplane Mode.
Clear the cache for the Phone app
Clearing cache will delete any temporary files stored by the Phone app. Sometimes the temporary files get corrupted and hinder the functioning of your device. Clearing the cache will delete these files and you will be able to receive calls again. Your contacts and other stored data will remain intact. You can clear the Phone app’s cache by going to Settings>Apps>Phone>Storage>Clear Cache.
Reset App Preferences
Resetting the app preferences is a quick way to reset their settings to factory default. The app data will remain intact but all customised settings will be restored to default. If the issue arose because of a change you made on the app, this fix will take care of it and restore the app to normalcy. To reset app settings, go to Settings>Apps and tap on the three dots at the top right corner of the screen. Select ‘Reset app preferences’.
Use the Volume Up Key to Answer Calls
You may be aware that pressing the power key twice hangs up any incoming call. You can also mute a call by simply pressing the volume-down key. Similarly, some phones allow you to answer a call by pressing the volume up key. If this function isn’t turned on by default, go to Settings>Accessibility and find the option under the ‘Answer and ending calls’ section. This method is useful when you can’t answer calls because of a malfunction in your phone’s display.
Remove the SIM card
Sometimes the SIM card on your device may create some issues due to dust accumulation. Take out the SIM card from your smartphone and wipe it with a clean cloth. Blow air into the SIM slot to make sure any dust particles are cleaned off. Alternatively, you can clean the slot using a small brush and gently tap the dirt out. Insert the SIM card back in and check if the issue is resolved.
Bonus tip: Check third-party calling apps
If you use any third-party apps that require the Phone app permission, you may want to check it for any malfunctioning. Sometimes third-party apps can interfere with the functioning of your phone. Uninstall any app that uses your phone’s dialer and check if the issue is resolved.
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These were the 7 easy ways to fix the ‘Unable to answer calls’ issue on any Android smartphone. If the problem still persists despite trying all these solutions, you may want to perform a factory reset on your smartphone. Make sure you create a backup of all the data on your phone because a factory reset will wipe your phone clean and restore it to the condition in which it arrived from the dealer. If you’re still unable to answer any calls, take your phone to the repair centre for a proper diagnosis.
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