Automated phone systems not recognising button presses on iPhone keypad

[robfoll]

Number of times recently when i am on a call to an automated system bank/doctor and there’s a phone tree, press one for x press 2 for y etc.

I’m finding that the systems do not recognise the button presses on my iPhone keypad

Anyone else?

iOS 26/iPhone 16 Pro Max

 

[ventmore]

Just as a data point...I've experienced this before on iOS 18.

 

[papbot]

I had the chance to connect to a voice menu just today with my 16PM on 26. I did not have this issue. Pressing the proper digit for the service I needed was recognized. I did have the opposite experience when using my ipad on 26 to make a call to a service with a voice menu. I used the Phone app on the ipad and then the displayed keypad and nothing I tapped on the keypad was recognized by the voice menu.

 

[robfoll]

I just got an iPhone 17 Pro, so I'll let you know how I go.

 

[macaddiict]

Has happened to me on and off over the years with every iPhone from the 2G forward. Hanging up and calling the same number back often fixes it.

Happened on Androids I used, too - especially when using the dialpad in the car. So I think it's just a common transmission bug with the way DTMF are sent.

 

[robfoll]

Thank you, I’ll try repeating the calls now. I’m interested to see what happens on my new iPhone 17 pro if there’s any difference.

 

[macaddiict]

It's really frustrating when it happens, but I can still remember that my pre-iPhone Palm Treo had the same DTMF problem pretty often when on calls.

I worked on telecom backend network during the transition from TDMA to GSM and the way those tones are transmitted over wireless networks and the backend trunking makes it easy for the problem to be in a random switch/connection along the way and not even be an issue with your handset... but hanging up and calling again puts your call through a different route and it works that time.

 

[markl9]

Had this in then past and had to turn off wi-fi calling if I needed to use DTMF.