How To Use The New iPhone Incoming Call Banner In iOS 14
Last updated on November 8th, 2020 at 01:02 pm
Posted in How To by Tyrone on July 9, 2020
New iPhone Incoming Call Banner notifications in iOS 14.
Incoming calls are announced by a new banner notification, displayed at the top of the screen. This way you won’t completely lose the focus on what you’re doing, when a new call reaches your iPhone.
The new incoming call user interface is displayed for both regular Phone calls as well as FaceTime video and audio calls.
Apple also provides a developer API for this new compact UI. It allows third party app developers like Skype, WhatsApp and any other similar VoIP calling apps, to support the new iOS 14 banners for incoming calls.
Incoming Call Banner Notification Info
The new call compact UI displays information about:
– Caller ID: the name of the person that’s calling you if the number is saved as an iOS contact. Else the actual phone number will be displayed.
– Call Type: what type of call you are dealing with. This way you know if you’re dealing with a traditional cellular phone call, or if your contact is reaching you via FaceTime.
Fact: It’s important to spot FaceTime video calls because your selfie camera will be turned on as soon as you accept the call. Also, not everyone has unlimited mobile data plans. If you’re not connected to a WiFi hotspot you might not want to engage in a VoIP call, thus you’ll know to reject a call.
– Caller Image: If the caller is saved as a contact in the Contacts app and has opted to share his photo you will also get a thumbnail image, memoji or name initials in the icon available in the left-corner of the incoming call notification banner.
5 Incoming Call Banner Notification Commands
1. Answer Call
– Tap the green Phone icon available in the right corner of the call notification banner to pick up the call. The banner remains displayed at the top of the screen, while the call duration timer starts displaying. The commands available now are enable/disable Speakerphone and End call.
Fact: If you’re answering to a FaceTime video call, the selfie camera viewfinder opens up and you will be able to see your call partner after the call connects.
2. Activate Speakerphone
The Speakerhpone option is a natural extension of the compact incoming call UI. You can continue to browse your iPhone by enabling it. This way you’ll be able to listen to the caller and he will be hearing your voice while you continue to hold your iPhone in normal texting or reading position. There’s no need to bring your iOS device up to your ear! Of course, this is works when you’re alone or when you don’t disturb others by speaking out loud.
Fact: On top of making everything more streamlined you also significantly reduce the radio frequency exposure and have less radiation bombarding your head area.
3. Reject Call
If you can’t talk right now or you just want to ignore the caller you can hit the red Decline Call button. This will play the busy tone at the other end of the line and clear the incoming call banner notification from the top of your screen.
Fact: Rejecting calls like this might be considered unpolite by some. You also have the option to use commands 4 and 5 listed below to decline a call more elegantly. Don’t miss the 10 ways you can reject a call on your iPhone.
4. Hide Notification Banner
If you’re really busy and don’t want to be distracted even for one second, you can quickly swipe the notification banner up.
The call won’t be declined, it will continue to ring in the background until the caller hangs up. This way your conversation partner will think that you’re away from the phone and haven’t seen or heard the alert.
Tip: If you accidentally swipe-up on the phone call banner, you can go back to the incoming call interface, by tapping on the ringing phone icon, displayed in the top-left corner of the screen.
5. Show Expanded View
Last but not least, you can also swipe-down or tap the call notification banner to bring up the expanded view. This is the classic incoming call interface, that was available in previous iOS version.
You can use it to politely decline a call with a Message or set a Reminder to call back.
Tip: For incoming FaceTime calls the expanded view opens the selfie camera and you can fine tune your look before going live!
Fact: When the iPhone is locked the classic incoming call user interface is displayed!
Update (November 8):
Revert To The Old Full-Screen Incoming Call Interface
If you don’t like the new incoming call banner notification you can go back to the traditional screen. All that you have to do is:
- 1. Open Settings.
- 2. Scroll for Phone.
- 3. Tap on Incoming Calls.
- 4. Select Full Screen.
Important: Is the new incoming call notification banner not working as expected? Confirm it here.
Do you like the new incoming call notification banner in iOS 14? Provide your feedback in the comments section available below.
Related: iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 bring many new features to the iPhone and iPad. Some of the most important ones are the Home Screen widgets and the App Library section. But you can check out our comprehensive collection here.
No, I do not like the new banner. When a text came it at the same time as a call, I hung up on the caller by mistake. I would like a way to keep it the old way without dragging clicking etc. Why mess up a good thing????????♀️???
Laurie thanks for your feedback. Yes, it’s a bit problematic when the compact call UI overlaps with another banner notification. However, you can tap on the compact UI and bring up the normal full-screen call interface!
new banner sucks. I was watching a video on facebook and i answered a call on the new banner. I could hear the video and the caller. I paused the video and it repeatedly started playing the video in my ear with the person speaking. had to completely shut the app down to be able to take the call. has happened multiple times.
Thanks for sharing your feedback Sean. What you can do next time is to tap the incoming call banner, or slide it down to bring up the old incoming call screen. This will silence your Facebook video. Next, answer the call and you have a workaround. Does this help?
The bar is a bad user interface. I was unable to figure out how to turn on speakerphone. I kept trying to go back to the old user interface and their is no speakerphone button there. I ofen make speakerphone calls and with no speakerphone icon on this new interface I am completely bewildered.
I think this is a major screw up.
Adam, thanks for pointing this out. I also use speakerphone most of the time. As soon as you answer to a call in the incoming call banner, the speakerphone option becomes available next to the red hang up button. Tap it and you’ll enable speakerphone.
hate the banner prefer the whole screen format
Marc, thanks for sharing your opinion. Are you aware that if you tap the banner you get the old full-screen format?
I have lost every incoming call since the new banner showed up. Missed an important call from a cancer doctor! I hate it. Is there a setting that can nake this new feature optional so I can get rid of it or are we getting another stupid change crammed down our throats?
Cheryl, thanks for sharing your feedback. Are you sure that you missed incoming calls because of the new banner notifications? It might be cause by an iOS 14 bug that randomly Mutes Ringers and Alerts on your iPhone. We covered it here: https://www.iphonetricks.org/how-to-fix-ios-14-mutes-ringer-and-alerts-bug/ … it will be fixed by the upcoming iOS 14.2 release.
Let us know more details please.
I, too, hate the new format. There should be an option to revert back to the old system. Liz
Liz, thanks for your feedback. Just tap the banner and you’ll get the old incoming call screen. Isn’t that an acceptable workaround?
When a call comes in with the new banner method, it does not go to my car’s audio system automatically like it did before.
Annie, thanks for reporting this. Have you enabled the old full-screen notification template and tried again? Does it work now?
How To: Settings -> Phone -> Incoming Calls -> Full Screen.
If there is no change it means that there is a Bluetooth connectivity problem caused by a bug in iOS 14.2. Which software version is your iPhone running?
Like most everyone, I hate the banner also. Missed so many calls. Cuts people off and is more difficult to send message. To revert go to settings phone, banner and turn off.
John, thanks for your feedback. Surprisingly, many readers chose to revert to the old format, although until iOS 14 was released lots of users were asking for an unobtrusive incoming call template.
Hi, how I can set incoming call as a baner on locked screen? I do not want fullsize photo of person who is calling me when I have my phone somewhere on table. I want just baner with small photo in ring
iphone SE2
Please how I can set it up
Thanks
The incoming call banner is currently only available for the unlocked screen interface. Having it on the lock screen is a good idea and we could suggest it to Apple as an upcoming feature.
Is there a way to have the banner option for a second caller while I’m already talking on the phone? I’ll be entering information into my notes for work and if someone else calls while I am already talking to a customer it fills the entire screen and it kicks me out of the notes.