If you frequently wear AirPods or use a Bluetooth headset while driving, cooking, or working with your hands, physically reaching for your iPhone to tap the green “Answer” button can be incredibly inconvenient. Instead of rushing to grab your phone before it goes to voicemail, you can dive into the hidden Accessibility settings and instruct your iPhone to automatically pick up the phone for you after a few seconds of ringing.
How to Enable Auto-Answer Calls
This feature is buried deep within the iOS settings, originally designed as an accessibility aid for users with motor difficulties, but it is phenomenally useful for anyone using hands-free audio.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Accessibility.
- Under the “Physical and Motor” section, tap on Touch.
- Scroll all the way down to the very bottom of the page and tap on Call Audio Routing.
- At the bottom of this final menu, you will see an option labeled Auto-Answer Calls. Tap it.
- Toggle the switch at the top of the screen to the green ON position.
Setting the Time Delay
Once you flip the switch, a new timer setting will appear directly beneath it. By default, it is set to 3.0 seconds.
This timer controls exactly how long your phone will ring before iOS automatically answers it. Use the + and – buttons to adjust the time delay.
Important Note: It is highly recommended to set this delay to at least 5.0 to 7.0 seconds. If you leave it at 3 seconds, the phone will pick up almost immediately, giving you virtually no time to look at the screen and decide if you actually want to speak to the person calling (or if it is a spam caller). Giving yourself a 7-second buffer provides ample time to glance at Caller ID and hit the red “Decline” button before the auto-answer system takes over.