Some users have said that their Apple Watch is answering incoming phone calls itself automatically without pressing the Answer button on the watch to connect the call. In other words, the Apple Watch connects calls unexpectedly without any user input. If you are having this problem, you will find it very annoying. Your watch accepting incoming calls automatically can create unwanted situations.
Why is my Apple Watch automatically answering calls?
Your Apple Watch is answering incoming phone calls automatically because you have enabled the Auto-Answer Calls feature. This is an accessibility feature. When it is turned on, your watch will automatically connect all incoming calls without asking if you want to take the call.
Even though some users find this feature annoying, some others may find it useful. For example, you may want this feature when your hands are dirty, oily or wet (like when you are showering) so that you can answer your calls without touching your watch. This lets you pick up your calls so you can simply start speaking without pressing any buttons.
How to stop your Apple Watch from automatically answering calls
As I stated above, you can tell your watch to answer incoming calls. This includes regular calls, FaceTime calls, and calls via third-party apps that support this feature such as WhatsApp or Skype.
Before going further, ensure that your iPhone and Apple Watch have the latest version of iOS and watchOS. Follow these steps to stop your Apple Watch from automatically answering calls:
Turn off or on Auto-Answer on Watch
- Open the Settings app on your watch.
- Scroll down and tap Accessibility.
- Scroll down and tap Auto-Answer Calls.
- Turn off the auto-answer option.
If you turn on this feature, you will also change the time limit after which calls are answered. This is where you can set the number of seconds in which a call is automatically answered. Your watch will wait this duration before answering it. You can choose any seconds from 1 second to 60 seconds. This may give you enough time to reject calls if needed. Tap the plus ( ) or minus (-) icons.
Turn on or off Auto-Answer on iPhone
You can also turn on or off this feature via the Watch app on your iPhone. Here is how:
- Open the Watch app on your iPhone.
- Tap My Watch tab.
- Tap Accessibility.
- Scroll down and tap Auto-Answer Calls.
- Turn off the auto-answer option.
If you turn on this feature, you can also set the time duration in seconds.