How to Lock Your iPhone Screen Without Ending a Call

The 'Prevent Lock to End Call' setting is what you are looking for

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This page explains the steps for how to lock your iPhone in the middle of a call without ending the call. These steps are necessary as, by default, iPhones automatically end phone calls whenever the smartphone is manually locked.

Here's how to lock your iPhone during a call without stopping the phone call.

The instructions on this page apply to iPhone smartphones running iOS 16 and above.

Open Settings.

Scroll down and select Accessibility.

Select Touch.

Scroll down and turn on the switch next to Prevent Lock to End Call.

Your phone calls should now no longer end when you lock your iPhone's screen.

If you don't want to enable the above setting, there are some other ways to lock the iPhone screen when you’re in the middle of a call.

You can lock your iPhone screen at any time by pressing the button on the right side of the smartphone. This button is officially referred to as the Side button.

Older iPhone models may use the Top button instead. This button is located on the top of the smartphone and performs the same functions as the Side button on newer iPhones.

To unlock your iPhone's screen, tap the screen once and then swipe up from the bottom to the top. Depending on your security settings, your iPhone may automatically unlock after scanning your face or it may require you to input a numerical code.

Alternatively, you can also press the Side button to wake up the screen and then swipe up or use an Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone.

The iPhone's built-in sensors automatically detect when the device is close to a surface, such as your face, and will turn the screen off. This automatic process doesn't end phone calls and is primarily done to prevent the accidental opening of apps or pressing of on-screen buttons. It can also save battery life by not powering the screen when no one can see it.

Due to this screen feature, you don't need to manually lock your iPhone screen before or during a phone call. The iPhone screen should turn off as soon as you hold the smartphone up to your ear and will automatically turn back on when you pull the iPhone away.

If your iPhone's screen doesn't turn back on during a phone call, tap the screen once or press the Side button.

To keep your iPhone screen on, go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock > Never. Alternatively, you can choose a delay of up to five minutes to give your phone more time before it locks.

To change the lock screen on your iPhone in iOS 16 and later, long press the lock screen and tap the Plus (+) > Add New. You can choose a new wallpaper, customize the day and date, and change the fonts and colors.

To change your iPhone lock screen password, go to Settings > Passcode > Change Passcode. Tap Passcode Options to change if the passcode is numerically based or includes letters too. If you forget your passcode, you'll need to put your iPhone into Recovery Mode to restore it.

To hide lock screen notifications on your iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and tap When Unlocked or Never. To turn off iPhone message previews, go to Settings > Notifications > Messages > Show Previews > Off.

To fix the time on your iPhone lock screen, turn the Set Automatically option for Date & Time off and on again. The incorrect date and time could affect the Calendar app, so check the Calendar settings.

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