How to Use iPhone Speakerphone to Answer or Make Calls

PDF download Download Article
Make hands-free calls with this simple and easy speakerphone guide
PDF download Download Article

Do you want to make or answer a call on your iPhone without having to hold the phone up to your face? You can easily turn on your iPhone's speaker mode, aka "speakerphone," to amplify your phone's volume during a call. We'll show you how to place a call with speakerphone, answer on speaker, and even how you can set up your iPhone to always answer on speaker instead of through the earpiece.

How to Turn on Speakerphone on an iPhone

To make a call on speakerphone, tap the contact you want to call or type in their number. Then, press “Speaker.” To answer a call on speakerphone, tap “Speaker” after you accept the call.

Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

Making a Call on Speakerphone

PDF download Download Article
  1. Tap the Phone app icon, which is a white phone receiver on a green background. [1]
    • You can also use this method during an active call. Just skip down to step 4 if you're already on a call.
  2. Tap the Contacts tab to select a contact from your contact list, or use the Keypad tab to dial a phone number. [2]
    Advertisement
  3. Tap your contact's phone number to place the call or tap the green call button to call the number you've dialed. [3]
    • If you dialed a number, just tap the green call button at the bottom of the screen.
  4. It's in the upper-right corner of the grid of call buttons. Doing so will turn on your iPhone's speaker, allowing you to hold the phone away from your face while still being able to talk and listen. The speaker icon will turn white and remain that way while you're in speaker mode.
    • If you don't see any options on the screen, move your phone a few feet away from your face. Holding the iPhone close to your face will prompt the screen to turn off. If your iPhone's dial pad is still on-screen, tap Hide in the bottom-right corner of the dial pad to hide it and show the call buttons.
    • If you're connected to a Bluetooth speaker (e.g., the speaker in your car), tapping the speaker icon will prompt a pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen, at which point you'll have to tap Speaker to switch to your iPhone's speaker.
    • If you want to switch back to handset mode, just tap Speaker again. The icon will turn gray.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

Answering a Call on Speakerphone

PDF download Download Article
  1. When you receive a call, you'll either see the option to tap Accept or swipe right on the phone slider to answer. As soon as you answer the call, you'll see a menu with several options on the screen. [4]
    • Don't hold the phone up to your face just yet, as the options screen will disappear. If you don't see options like Mute, Keypad, and Speaker, move the phone a few feet from your face until the options appear.
  2. It's the option with a small speaker icon at the top-right corner of the option grid. The icon will turn white to indicate that you're now on speakerphone.
    • If you're connected to a Bluetooth speaker (e.g., the speaker in your car), tapping the speaker icon will prompt a pop-up menu at the bottom of the screen, at which point you'll have to tap Speaker to switch to your iPhone's speaker.
    • If you want to switch back to handset mode, just tap Speaker again. The icon will turn gray.
    3. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

Switching to Speakerphone During a Call

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you're already on a call and have your iPhone near your face, the screen will go dark. You can reactivate the screen just by moving it at least a foot or two away.
  2. You'll see this option at the top-right corner of the option grid. This instantly puts your call on speakerphone.
    • The speaker icon will turn white to indicate that you're using speakerphone.
    • If you want to switch back to handset mode, just tap Speaker again. The icon will turn gray.
    3. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Turning on the Speaker for All Calls

PDF download Download Article
  1. Tap the Settings app icon, which resembles a set of gears on a grey box. [5]
  2. This section is in the middle of the third grouping of options and is represented by a small stick figure inside a circle, set against a blue background. [6]
  3. It's the first option listed beneath the section labeled "Physical and Motor." [7]
  4. It is listed towards the bottom of the "Touch" page. This section determines where audio will be heard while on a call or FaceTime audio. [8]
  5. This option is at the bottom of the "Call Audio Routing" menu. You should see a checkmark appear to the left of Speaker , signifying that it is the default call audio option now. [9]
    • With this option enabled, all incoming or outgoing calls will automatically use the speaker. You'll still be able to turn off the speaker by tapping speaker during the call.
    6. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    The speaker icon does not show up when I call voicemail. How can I fix this?
    Community Answer
    The word "Hide" should be on the bottom right of the dial screen. Tap it and the screen will change to the usual options screen that includes the speaker icon.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 79 Helpful 62
  • Question
    How can I put a call on hold while on the speaker?
    Community Answer
    Fortunately, all you have to do is tap the Home button. You'll remain on the line (as will your recipient), but you can browse your apps to your heart's content!
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 22 Helpful 18
  • Question
    Is there a way to switch the iPhone into speakerphone mode permanently or temporarily?
    Community Answer
    You can make the speaker your default audio option by opening the Settings app and going to General > Accessibility > Call Audio Routing, then tapping "Speaker".
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 63 Helpful 40
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      • If your iPhone uses Visual Voicemail, you can use your speaker to listen to voicemail from within the Phone app. To do so, tap the Voicemail tab in the bottom-right corner of the Phone app's screen, select a voicemail, tap Speaker , and tap the Play button.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2
      • Unfortunately, you cannot use the speaker to amplify the volume for a video or voice message.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 2
      • Using the Speaker when you're driving or otherwise occupied is a good way to maintain a conversation without completely diverting your attention from the road.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings


      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      Easy Ways to Turn off Speakerphone for iPhone, Android, and Landline Phones
      How to
      Practice Cell Phone Etiquette
      How to
      Hard Reset an iPhone
      Apple ID Sign Out Unavailable? Here's How to Fix It
      How to
      Get Past the Activation Lock on an iPhone or iPad without the Seller
      10 Simple Ways to Fix an iPhone or Android That Won’t Send Pictures
      6 Easy Steps to Reload Your Cash App Card at the Store
      How to
      Fix the “iPhone Unavailable” Message: Explanation and Fixes
      How to
      Turn On MMS Text Messages on an iPhone
      How to
      Use the iPhone Hidden Album to Hide Private Photos
      2 Ways to Get a Still Image from Video on iPhone or iPad
      How to
      Fix "Notifications Silenced" on iPhone Messages
      How to
      Downgrade and Restore Older Versions of iOS on iPhone
      How to
      Bypass Your Screen Time Passcode: Reset, Remove, or Hack Screen Time
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102405
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102405
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/make-a-call-iph3c993cbc/ios
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/answer-or-decline-incoming-calls-iph3c9947bf/ios
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/auto-answer-calls-iph29145acf1/ios
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/auto-answer-calls-iph29145acf1/ios
      7. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/auto-answer-calls-iph29145acf1/ios
      8. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/auto-answer-calls-iph29145acf1/ios
      9. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/auto-answer-calls-iph29145acf1/ios

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 718,990 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement