When you are in the middle of a crucial business meeting, a doctor’s appointment, or simply driving on the highway, answering a phone call is impossible. While you can easily tap the red “Decline” button to silence the ringing, leaving the caller hanging can appear rude or unprofessional. Instead, you can use a built-in iOS feature to instantly reject the call and simultaneously send the caller an automated text message explaining why you cannot speak.
How to Reject a Call with a Text
When your iPhone screen lights up with an incoming call, look closely at the interface before you answer or decline it.
- Directly above the standard green “Accept” and red “Decline” buttons, you will see two smaller icons: Remind Me and Message.
- Tap the Message icon.
- The ringing will instantly stop, and a small menu will slide up from the bottom of the screen.
- This menu contains three pre-written automated text responses:
- “Sorry, I can’t talk right now.”
- “I’m on my way.”
- “Can I call you later?”
- Simply tap the message that best fits your situation.
The moment you tap one of those options, the caller is immediately sent to your voicemail, and an SMS text message containing that exact phrase is instantly fired off to their phone number.
How to Customize the Auto-Reply Messages
The default responses are somewhat generic. You can easily replace them with your own custom, personalized messages.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Phone.
- Look under the “Calls” section and tap on Respond with Text.
- You will see the three default phrases listed on the screen. Tap on any of them to bring up your keyboard.
- Delete the existing text and type your own custom response (for example: “I am currently driving, I will call you back when I park” or “In a meeting until 3 PM”).
The next time you receive a call you cannot answer, your new, personalized phrases will be immediately available in the quick-reply menu.