Call waiting which option to pick?

[jayes]

Have an iPhone 5. running iOS 7.1

When I am on the phone and call waiting clicks in, I have three options.
Send to voicemail, hold and answer call and end call.

What do I do when I want to end the current call and answer the new call?
I recall seeing a 7.1 screen when it was in beta where there was an option to end current call and answer new call, but that option does not show up on my phone. So what exactly happens if you just end call.. is the new call available or have I just hung up on everyone? I tried this option under iOS 7 and if I remember correctly, I hung up on both parties.
Thanks for your reply...

 

[C DM]

Are you saying you see something different than what's at the bottom of this picture:

Is that left icon just a single red end call icon with "End" text and everything else is the same?

 

[KUguardgrl13]

I'd love to know the answer to this! I have a lot of times where I call someone and I'm leaving a voicemail and they call me back while I'm leaving the message. I want to answer their call and end the message, but there never seems to be a way to do that. Either hold the voicemail until it times out or hang up both.

 

[iolinux333]

Are you saying you see something different than what's at the bottom of this picture: Image

Is that left icon just a single red end call icon with "End" text and everything else is the same?

I also find that screen pretty baffling. I don't remember exactly how it was in iOS 7.0x, but I guess that one "just worked" so I didn't even notice.

 

[notrack]

If you end the current call, you should be able to pick up the incoming call with the next tap.

 

[sbailey4]

I also find that screen pretty baffling. I don't remember exactly how it was in iOS 7.0x, but I guess that one "just worked" so I didn't even notice.

How is that screen "baffling"? Its clearly states what will happen in pictures and words with each button. Am I missing something here?

 

[C DM]

I also find that screen pretty baffling. I don't remember exactly how it was in iOS 7.0x, but I guess that one "just worked" so I didn't even notice.

Nothing baffling there, fairly clear options with nice icons to show what they do. Pre iOS 7 it was just some big buttons with a bunch of text on them and nothing more, if anything this cleans it all up in nice manner giving appropriate icons and locations for each option.

Here's what it was like in iOS 7 and a discussion of how bad that was essentially: http://medium.com/p/daa25183efb3

And it was fairly similar before iOS 7 as well:

 

[jayes]

To C DMV. Correct. I do NOT have the dual circles on the left side. That is the screen i was expecting see when I updated my OS. So if I select END CALL, what do I tap next? Seems to me re: iOS 7.0 I hung up on my new caller.

 

[sbailey4]

To C DMV. Correct. I do NOT have the dual circles in either location. That is the screen i was expecting see when I updated my OS. So if I select END CALL, what do I tap next? Seems to me re: iOS 7.0 I hung up on my new caller.

Sounds like you do not have iOS 7.1. Are you sure the device updated? Maybe try ending the phone app and rebooting the device. Or settings>general>reset>reset all settings. Lastly restore iOS.

 

[C DM]

To C DMV. Correct. I do NOT have the dual circles in either location. That is the screen i was expecting see when I updated my OS. So if I select END CALL, what do I tap next? Seems to me re: iOS 7.0 I hung up on my new caller.

So you have the middle voicemail circle with "Voicemail" text, and then a red end call circle with just "End" text on the left and a white/green hold circle with just "Hold" text on the right? Or do you not have any circles/icons and something else entirely? Just trying to understand what it is that you actually see in your case.

 

[jayes]

Never uploaded a pic so hope it's there. If it's not there, this is what I see.

On the left is a single red circle that says END CURRENT CALL. The right side says HOLD & ACCEPT. I want to END & ACCEPT which is not an option.

My phone says I am on 7.1. (11D167) I upgraded thru iTunes. Did not have sufficient space on the phone to upgrade OTA.

Clearly this is not what others have. Not very techy. Not sure how to restore. ???

 

[C DM]

Image

Never uploaded a pic so hope it's there. If it's not there, this is what I see.

On the left is a single red circle that says END CURRENT CALL. The right side says HOLD & ACCEPT. I want to END & ACCEPT which is not an option.

My phone says I am on 7.1. (11D167) I upgraded thru iTunes. Did not have sufficient space on the phone to upgrade OTA.

Clearly this is not what others have. Not very techy. Not sure how to restore. ???

Maybe it's something related to what the carrier can do as different ones can do things differently. Sounds like you might have 2 choices: 1) try the end option and see if that will still allow the incoming call to continue ringing as if it's a new call that you can answer, or 2) simply use the hold and accept option, which might not be the same thing, but at least not that far off.

 

[iolinux333]

Nothing baffling there, fairly clear options with nice icons to show what they do. Pre iOS 7 it was just some big buttons with a bunch of text on them and nothing more, if anything this cleans it all up in nice manner giving appropriate icons and locations for each option.

Here's what it was like in iOS 7 and a discussion of how bad that was essentially: http://medium.com/p/daa25183efb3

And it was fairly similar before iOS 7 as well: Image

Well that old one makes perfect sense to me. The new one not so much.

 

[C DM]

Well that old one makes perfect sense to me. The new one not so much.

They are the same options, so the new one certainly shouldn't make any less sense given that it has the same text and just more to make it easier to differentiate the options.

The new one simply moves them closer to the bottom where the accept/reject/call/end options usually are and are more reachable, and adds icons to them making them that much more easier to recognize (perhaps beyond the first one or two times a person sees them) than plain buttons with a bunch of text that someone has to actually read to figure out which one to use and reach higher up on the screen to make a choice where one is roughly in the same place as the other just a bit higher or lower (rather than left or right side which is usually easier to do by muscle memory almost). Cognitively the new way is more clear and easier to use (again, perhaps after the initial one or two times of seeing it).

 

[jayes]

Maybe it's something related to what the carrier can do as different ones can do things differently. Sounds like you might have 2 choices: 1) try the end option and see if that will still allow the incoming call to continue ringing as if it's a new call that you can answer, or 2) simply use the hold and accept option, which might not be the same thing, but at least not that far off.

My carrier is Verizon. I guess it's possible that it has something to do with why my screen difffers from that posted eariier in this thread. Perhaps someone with Verizon can chime in if their call waiting has two sets of double circles or looks like mine.

As per what I had in previous version of OS.. I NEVER had the option to END CALL AND ANSWER as is posted above - only END CALL.. so it seems like the problem is carried over from an earlier OS. That was why I was looking forward to the update. Call waiting has always been confusing. END CALL would end all calls and hang up on both parties. The other option leaves the call on hold even when the person hung up.

 

[Apple blogger]

Maybe it's something related to what the carrier can do as different ones can do things differently. Sounds like you might have 2 choices: 1) try the end option and see if that will still allow the incoming call to continue ringing as if it's a new call that you can answer, or 2) simply use the hold and accept option, which might not be the same thing, but at least not that far off.

Yes difinately carrier related...

 

[sbailey4]

My carrier is Verizon. I guess it's possible that it has something to do with why my screen difffers from that posted eariier in this thread. Perhaps someone with Verizon can chime in if their call waiting has two sets of double circles or looks like mine.

As per what I had in previous version of OS.. I NEVER had the option to END CALL AND ANSWER as is posted above - only END CALL.. so it seems like the problem is carried over from an earlier OS. That was why I was looking forward to the update. Call waiting has always been confusing. END CALL would end all calls and hang up on both parties. The other option leaves the call on hold even when the person hung up.

Yes difinately carrier related...

Nah its not carrier related. I am on Verizon and its not like that. Did you try the close phone app and reboot or reset all settings option mentioned earlier? That does not erase your device just resets the settings. You WILL have to rejoin any wifi networks and set your settings back up (if you had them different from default) as well as reassign wall paper but your apps and data will remain intact.

[Edit] I see you said it was that was with previous versions of iOS too? You probably need to restore or even DFU restore. Something wrong with the device. If you are under warranty or AppleCare you can try an Apple genius appointment too. If you have restored already via iTunes then try DFU restore. Again if the other options have not helped.

 

[jayes]

Nah its not carrier related. I am on Verizon and its not like that. Did you try the close phone app and reboot or reset all settings option mentioned earlier? That does not erase your device just resets the settings. You WILL have to rejoin any wifi networks and set your settings back up (if you had them different from default) as well as reassign wall paper but your apps and data will remain intact.

I did close the phone app and reboot. It did not do anything to fix it. It's not like call waiting is an every day happening, but when I do need it, it would be nice if it worked like it was supposed to. As noted in my previous post, it was the same in iOS 7.0, but only it had words, no pictures. I have not tried to reset the settings yet. I guess that's next….

 

[sbailey4]

Clearly this is not what others have. Not very techy. Not sure how to restore. ???

In iTunes with the device plugged in press the restore button. Let it backup and do its thing. Then it will offer to restore the backup once the restore is finished.

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I did close the phone app and reboot. It did not do anything to fix it. It's not like call waiting is an every day happening, but when I do need it, it would be nice if it worked like it was supposed to. As noted in my previous post, it was the same in iOS 7.0, but only it had words, no pictures. I have not tried to reset the settings yet. I guess that's next….

Yeah try that first its pretty fast. Dont do the erase option. just the reset all settings option.

 

[jayes]

In iTunes with the device plugged in press the restore button. Let it backup and do its thing. Then it will offer to restore the backup once the restore is finished.

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Yeah try that first its pretty fast. Dont do the erase option. just the reset all settings option.

Reset ALL settings or reset NETWORK settings?

The rest of the suggestions.. restore, DFU etc… way over my head. I'll live with the single circle if reset does not work. Apple store not far away so that is an option too. Will they answer questions if I don't have Apple Care. Phone is 1.5 years old.

 

[iolinux333]

They are the same options, so the new one certainly shouldn't make any less sense given that it has the same text and just more to make it easier to differentiate the options.

The new one simply moves them closer to the bottom where the accept/reject/call/end options usually are and are more reachable, and adds icons to them making them that much more easier to recognize (perhaps beyond the first one or two times a person sees them) than plain buttons with a bunch of text that someone has to actually read to figure out which one to use and reach higher up on the screen to make a choice where one is roughly in the same place as the other just a bit higher or lower (rather than left or right side which is usually easier to do by muscle memory almost). Cognitively the new way is more clear and easier to use (again, perhaps after the initial one or two times of seeing it).

Well the end result is the same, and the words used are more precise, but culturally, as an American and born an American speaker, the word "Ignore" is what is in my brain when I want to ignore the incoming call. Because I know how cell phones are "supposed to work" I also know when I "ignore" the call it's going to go to voice mail. Now with the new wording I have to momentarily ponder what these words and options are within the space of just a few seconds (God forbid the carriers give us more than 4 rings they might lose money that way). Perhaps the new wording is a bit easier in the long run for the technologically inept or non-native American speakers, but I never had to think about what the heck I wanted to do, it was just automatic and happened in the space of less than a second. I remember the first time it happened I just stared at the phone (with a WTF expression on my face I'm sure).

----------

Here's what it was like in iOS 7 and a discussion of how bad that was essentially: http://medium.com/p/daa25183efb3

Oh that guy is a pretty funny writer! That is exactly what happened to me! Kudos!


Also, comparing the iOS 6 screen to what we have now, I think Apple has really lost some key brilliant human interface design people and needs to get them back - pay them whatever they want and do whatever it takes because whoever is running that show now is clueless.

 

[C DM]

Well the end result is the same, and the words used are more precise, but culturally, as an American and born an American speaker, the word "Ignore" is what is in my brain when I want to ignore the incoming call. Because I know how cell phones are "supposed to work" I also know when I "ignore" the call it's going to go to voice mail. Now with the new wording I have to momentarily ponder what these words and options are within the space of just a few seconds (God forbid the carriers give us more than 4 rings they might lose money that way). Perhaps the new wording is a bit easier in the long run for the technologically inept or non-native American speakers, but I never had to think about what the heck I wanted to do, it was just automatic and happened in the space of less than a second. I remember the first time it happened I just stared at the phone (with a WTF expression on my face I'm sure).

----------



Oh that guy is a pretty funny writer! That is exactly what happened to me! Kudos!


Also, comparing the iOS 6 screen to what we have now, I think Apple has really lost some key brilliant human interface design people and needs to get them back - pay them whatever they want and do whatever it takes because whoever is running that show now is clueless.

Seems like it was mostly because you saw it for the first or second time. Seeing all the wordy options in iOS 7 or 6 a user would likely need even more time to just read the text and then in the future read it almost each time especially in iOS 7.0 without any visual cues like the icons that now exist which will make it almost instinctively cognitively quicker for most after the first one or two times people use the screen.

 

[jayes]

Did a little bit of digging around on the internet before making an appointment with Apple. Consensus seems to be it is "a Verizon thing".
This is a thread from MacRumors from 2011 https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1094486/
Same issue.
There is also a thread on the Apple support forum (Nov 2013) https://discussions.apple.com/message/23693765#23693765
Both of these discussions say the same thing.. that Verizon phones have this issue because of the way CDMA works. At least I know it's not just my phone.
Thanks all for your input.

 

[sbailey4]

Did a little bit of digging around on the internet before making an appointment with Apple. Consensus seems to be it is "a Verizon thing".
This is a thread from MacRumors from 2011 https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1094486/
Same issue.
There is also a thread on the Apple support forum (Nov 2013) https://discussions.apple.com/message/23693765#23693765
Both of these discussions say the same thing.. that Verizon phones have this issue because of the way CDMA works. At least I know it's not just my phone.
Thanks all for your input.

Well I'll be. Sorry for misleading you. I am also on Verizion and it DOES do that. I swear it didnt on the betas so must be a new "feature" of iOS 7.1 release. On the betas it worked just like the screen shot. I know because I was showing a buddy of mine the differences of 7.1 when I had the beta and we tested the multiple calls function. So again sorry I didnt realize that had been taken away in the release. Good news is your phone is not broken

 

[jayes]

Now that is even more strange. I read the discussions to mean VZN iPhones couldn't do what I wanted because of the limitation of CMDA phone technology. But now it appears that VZN purposely deleted this function. Not nice VZN!