How Call Waiting Works in WhatsApp

What happens when a second WhatsApp call arrives

WhatsApp has call waiting built in for its own voice and video calls. If someone calls you on WhatsApp while you are already on a WhatsApp call, the app shows you the new incoming call instead of rejecting it without telling you. You can then either decline the new call and continue your current conversation, or end the current call and accept the new one.

This is not the same as classic phone call waiting, where you can hold one caller and switch between two lines. WhatsApp's call waiting is built around ending one call to take another. Button labels and screen layout differ between Android, iPhone and app versions, so read the options on your screen before tapping.

How WhatsApp call waiting works

WhatsApp calls run over your internet connection, not over your carrier's voice service. Because of that, two separate systems are involved. WhatsApp manages incoming WhatsApp calls during a WhatsApp call. Your phone's operating system and your carrier manage regular phone calls. The call waiting option in your phone settings belongs to the carrier side and does not control WhatsApp's behavior.

Some details depend on your device and software version: the exact labels on the incoming call prompt, whether WhatsApp calls appear in the phone's standard call screen, and what happens to a WhatsApp call when a regular call comes in. Check them on your own phone rather than assuming one platform behaves like another.

• A WhatsApp call arrives during a WhatsApp call: WhatsApp shows the incoming call, and you decline it or end your current call to accept it.
• A regular phone call arrives during a WhatsApp call: your phone's operating system decides how this is presented, and depending on the device the WhatsApp call may be interrupted or ended if you answer.
• A WhatsApp call arrives during a regular phone call: depending on the device and operating system, it may ring, show only a notification, or appear later as a missed call.

Handling a second call in practice

The main decision is whether the new call is worth ending the current one. Since WhatsApp does not hold the first call for you, switching means that conversation stops and has to be restarted later.

• Check the caller's name or number on the incoming prompt before choosing anything.
• To stay in your current conversation, decline the new call, then reach that person afterwards from the calls list or their chat.
• To switch, use the option that ends the current call and accepts the new one, and tell the first person you will call back, because their call will end rather than wait.
• If you want both people in one conversation, decline the incoming call and add that person as a participant to your current call instead, which turns it into a group call if your version supports adding participants.
• If you can't answer either way, a short text message in the chat lets the second caller know you are busy, since you should not rely on WhatsApp telling them.

After switching calls, check your audio route. If you use Bluetooth earbuds, a headset or a speaker, confirm in the call screen that the right output and microphone are still selected. If the other person cannot hear you, that is the first thing to check, followed by the microphone permission WhatsApp has on your device.

Limits and related questions

Can you turn off call waiting in WhatsApp? Don't expect a dedicated switch for it, as it is part of normal calling. To reduce interruptions, use broader controls instead: the Silence unknown callers option in WhatsApp's call privacy settings, which keeps calls from numbers not in your contacts from ringing, your phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus modes, or muted notifications for specific chats. Where these options are located can change between versions.

Turning carrier call waiting on or off in your phone settings affects regular phone calls. It is not a way to manage call waiting for WhatsApp. How a regular call interacts with an ongoing WhatsApp call depends on your operating system and carrier, so test it on your device if it matters to you.

If second WhatsApp calls never show up during a call and only appear as missed calls, check these in order: that WhatsApp is up to date, that WhatsApp has notification permission, that Do Not Disturb or a Focus mode is not silencing it, and whether Silence unknown callers is on and the caller is not in your contacts. Silenced calls are typically still listed in the calls tab.

Call waiting on the WhatsApp desktop app and in group calls may behave differently from one-to-one calls on a phone. If you rely on those, check how your current version handles an incoming call before an important conversation. On privacy, the incoming call prompt shows the caller's name or number on your screen, and whether it also appears on the lock screen depends on your notification settings, so review those if others can see your phone.