How iOS 12 Handles FaceTime Calls During Another Call

When you are already on an active phone or FaceTime call in iOS 12, incoming FaceTime calls are managed through Apple's integrated call-waiting system. Rather than blocking the incoming connection or immediately disconnecting your current conversation, the operating system alerts you with an on-screen prompt and subtle audio tones, giving you full control over how to route both conversations.

Call Alerts During an Active Call

When an incoming FaceTime audio or video request arrives while you are already engaged in a call, iOS 12 alerts you without cutting off your current audio. You will hear a gentle call-waiting tone through your earpiece, speaker, or connected headphones. Simultaneously, the screen switches to an incoming call interface displaying the caller's name or contact information along with three distinct management options:

  • End & Accept: Tapping this option immediately terminates your current cellular or FaceTime conversation and connects you to the incoming FaceTime caller.
  • Hold & Accept: This option places your existing active call on hold while you answer the incoming FaceTime call. You can switch back and forth between the two callers later using the on-screen controls.
  • Decline: Tapping this dismisses the incoming request. Your active call continues uninterrupted, and the caller is notified that you are unavailable.

FaceTime Video Specifics

If the incoming call is a FaceTime Video call and you choose Hold & Accept, iOS 12 pauses the video feed of your first call if it was also a video session, as the device's camera can only transmit to one active stream at a time. If your first call was a standard cellular voice call, that voice line is placed on hold while your camera and microphone activate for the new FaceTime Video session.

The Caller's Experience

If you choose to decline the call, or if you simply ignore the prompt until it rings out, the incoming FaceTime call registers as missed on the caller’s device, displaying an "Unavailable" message. The caller cannot see whether you declined the call manually or were busy on another line.