Calls Going to Voicemail When on Another Call

If calls are going straight to voicemail when you are already on another call, your phone may be handling incoming calls differently than you expect. In many cases, this is related to Call Waiting, cellular network settings, carrier features, or the way your phone handles multiple calls.

Normally, when Call Waiting is enabled, you should hear a notification while you are already talking to someone. You can then place the first caller on hold and answer the second call. If the second caller is sent directly to voicemail, however, something may be preventing Call Waiting from working correctly.

To troubleshoot it, you can check your phone’s call settings, restart the cellular connection, verify network settings, and contact your carrier if the issue continues.

Let’s learn in detail!

Calls Going to Voicemail When on Another Call

When an incoming call goes directly to voicemail while you are already on another call, start by checking whether Call Waiting is enabled. If it is disabled, your phone may send additional incoming calls to voicemail instead of notifying you.

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Check Call Waiting and make sure it is enabled on your phone.
2. Restart your phone after changing the call settings.
3. Check cellular signal and network settings to make sure your phone can handle another incoming call.
4. Turn off Do Not Disturb or Focus settings that could interfere with incoming calls.
5. Reset network settings if normal troubleshooting does not solve the issue.
6. Contact your cellular carrier if Call Waiting is enabled, but incoming calls still go directly to voicemail.

The steps below focus on the most common causes and are designed so you can work through them without changing unnecessary settings.

Step 1: Check Whether Call Waiting Is Enabled

The first thing to check is Call Waiting. This feature allows your phone to notify you when another person calls while you are already speaking with someone.

On an iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Waiting and make sure the option is turned on. Depending on your iOS version, the Phone settings may appear directly under Settings > Phone.

On many Android phones, open the Phone app > Settings > Calling accounts or Calls > Additional settings > Call Waiting. The exact wording can vary between Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, Motorola, and other Android devices.

If Call Waiting is turned off, enable it and then restart your phone. Make a test call from another phone to see whether the second call now appears while you are already on a call.

If you cannot find the Call Waiting option, that does not necessarily mean your phone does not support it. Your carrier may control the feature, which means you may need to activate it through your carrier account or by contacting customer support.

Step 2: Restart Your Phone and Cellular Connection

A simple restart can resolve temporary problems with your phone’s cellular connection. Your phone constantly communicates with nearby cellular towers, and a temporary network registration problem can sometimes affect incoming calls.

First, end your current call and restart the phone normally. After the phone turns back on, wait for the cellular signal to return before testing the feature.

You can also briefly turn Airplane Mode on and then turn it off. On most phones, go to Settings > Airplane Mode > On, wait about 10 to 15 seconds, and then select Off.

This forces the phone to reconnect to the cellular network. Once your signal returns, make another test call while you are already on a separate call.

Step 3: Check Do Not Disturb and Focus Settings

Your phone’s Do Not Disturb, Focus, or other notification settings can sometimes affect how incoming calls are presented.

On an iPhone, check Settings > Focus and review the active Focus profiles. On Android, check Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb or use the search box in Settings to locate the feature.

Make sure you are not using a Focus mode that restricts incoming calls. Also check whether specific people are allowed to contact you.

These settings normally do not disable cellular Call Waiting itself, but checking them can help determine whether the incoming call is being silenced or restricted rather than completely unavailable.

Step 4: Check Call Forwarding Settings

Call Forwarding can change how incoming calls are handled. If forwarding is configured incorrectly, calls may be redirected instead of appearing on your phone.

On an iPhone, check Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Forwarding. If the feature is enabled and you do not intentionally use it, review the forwarding number and consider disabling it.

On Android, open the Phone app > Settings > Calling accounts or Calls > Call Forwarding. The location and available options depend on your phone and carrier.

If you use a business phone system or a carrier-managed calling service, do not disable forwarding without checking how your service is configured.

Step 5: Check Wi-Fi Calling

Wi-Fi Calling allows your phone to place and receive calls through a Wi-Fi connection when supported by your carrier. Although it can be extremely useful when cellular reception is weak, carrier and device configurations can affect how multiple calls are handled.

Open Settings > Cellular or Mobile Service > Wi-Fi Calling on supported iPhones. On Android, look under Settings > Connections or Network & Internet > Wi-Fi Calling.

If Wi-Fi Calling is enabled, temporarily turn it off and test the phone using the cellular network. If incoming calls start working correctly, the issue may be related to the carrier’s Wi-Fi Calling configuration.

You can then contact your carrier for assistance rather than permanently leaving an important calling feature disabled.

Step 6: Check Your Cellular Network Settings

Your phone’s network configuration can also affect calling behavior. This is especially worth checking if the problem started after changing your SIM, eSIM, carrier, phone, or mobile network settings.

Open Settings > Cellular or Mobile Network and make sure your active phone line is enabled. If your phone supports multiple SIMs, verify that the correct line is being used for voice calls.

Also check whether your phone has a stable cellular signal. If the problem happens only in a particular location, poor coverage or network congestion could be involved.

If calls work normally in other locations, the issue may be related to local network coverage rather than your phone itself.

Step 7: Reset Network Settings

If the previous steps have not fixed the problem, you can consider resetting your network settings. This can remove incorrect network configurations that may be interfering with cellular connectivity.

On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

On many Android phones, go to Settings > System > Reset options > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth. Samsung phones may use a path such as Settings > General management > Reset > Reset mobile network settings.

Keep in mind that a network reset can remove saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth connections, and certain network preferences. You may need to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network afterward.

Step 8: Check With Your Cellular Carrier

If Call Waiting is enabled but every second incoming call still goes directly to voicemail, your carrier may need to investigate the account or network configuration.

Call your carrier from another phone if possible and explain that incoming calls are going directly to voicemail whenever you are already on a call. Ask whether Call Waiting is active on your line and whether there are any restrictions on simultaneous incoming and outgoing calls.

Your carrier can also check whether the feature is properly provisioned on your account. This is particularly important if the issue started after switching carriers, changing plans, replacing a SIM, activating an eSIM, or upgrading your phone.

FAQs

Why do calls go straight to voicemail when I am already on another call?

The most common reason is that Call Waiting is disabled or unavailable on the cellular line. Carrier settings, network problems, call forwarding, and certain calling configurations can also cause this behavior.

How do I turn on Call Waiting?

On an iPhone, check Settings > Apps > Phone > Call Waiting. On Android, open the Phone app > Settings > Calls or Calling accounts > Call Waiting. The exact location may differ by manufacturer and carrier.

Does Do Not Disturb send calls directly to voicemail?

Do Not Disturb or Focus can silence or restrict calls depending on your configuration, but it is not normally the primary reason a second call goes directly to voicemail while you are talking. Check your allowed callers and Focus settings to rule it out.

Why can’t I find Call Waiting on my phone?

Your carrier may control Call Waiting, so the option might not appear in your phone’s settings. Contact your carrier to confirm whether the feature is active on your line.

Will resetting network settings delete my personal data?

A network reset generally does not delete your photos, apps, documents, or other personal files. However, it can remove saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth pairings, and network-related settings, so you may need to configure those again.

Can poor cellular service cause this problem?

Yes. Weak or unstable cellular coverage can interfere with incoming calls and other calling features. Testing the phone in another location can help determine whether coverage is involved.

Why does the problem happen only with certain callers?

If only particular callers are affected, check whether they are blocked, restricted, or affected by Focus or call-filtering settings. Also verify whether those calls are reaching your phone number correctly.

Final Words

When calls are going to voicemail while you are already on another call, start with Call Waiting, because it is the setting most directly related to handling a second incoming call. Then restart your phone, check Focus or Do Not Disturb, review call forwarding, test Wi-Fi Calling, and verify your cellular connection.

If none of these steps works, your carrier may need to activate or troubleshoot Call Waiting on your account. 

Once the feature is correctly configured and your cellular connection is working normally, your phone should be able to notify you about another incoming call instead of automatically sending it to voicemail.