How to Stop Your iPhone's Side Button From Hanging Up a Call - MacRumors
Skip to Content

How to Stop Your iPhone's Side Button From Hanging Up a Call

by

On iPhone, pressing the Side button ends the current call. But in iOS 16, you can disable this default behavior. Keep reading to learn how.

iPhone Apple Logo Boot
Whenever you make or receive a call on your iPhone, you can press the Side button on your handset at any time to end the call. This can be either a convenient method of hanging up, or, if you're prone to pressing it by accident, an embarrassing way of bringing the conversation to an unintentional and abrupt end.

Fortunately, in iOS 16 Apple has included an option to disable the end call functionality of the Side button. It works on iPhone 11 models and later, and just requires you to toggle a virtual switch. The following steps show you how it's done.

  1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
  3. Under "Physical and Motor," tap Touch.
  4. Toggle on the switch next to Prevent Lock to End Call.

settings

That's all there is to it. In future, if you accidentally press the Side button during a call, it won't hang up the call. Bear in mind however that with Prevent Lock to End Call enabled, you'll no longer be able to decline an incoming call by pressing the Side button twice.

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Black Titanium

New Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 Features Revealed

Sunday August 30, 2026 7:54 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today further outlined what to expect from the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 set to be unveiled on September 9. While it was initially rumored that Touch ID may be coming to the Apple Watch this year, Gurman reiterated that he does not expect the Series 12 or Ultra 4 to have any major design changes compared to the current Series 11 and Ultra 3 models. ...
Mac mini vs Studio Feature Sans Text 1

Apple Caught Off Guard by AI Demand for Mac Mini and Mac Studio

Sunday August 30, 2026 8:52 am PDT by
Apple's unusually timed announcement of new Mac mini and Mac Studio models this week was driven by unexpectedly strong enterprise appetite for AI hardware, according to The Information. Apple normally releases new Mac models in the autumn, closer to October or November, making this week's announcement unusually early, falling just before the anticipated arrival of new iPhone models. The...
Apple Surprise Shine

Apple Event: Six New Products to Expect on September 9

Thursday August 27, 2026 8:00 am PDT by
Apple has announced that it will be holding an event on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, with the company widely expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, its first-ever foldable iPhone, and more. Other products expected to be announced at the event include an Apple Watch Series 12 with a ceramic case option, an Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5 with and without...