How does HiFi decide which calls to answer?
HiFi answers calls based on one setting: HiFi answers calls from. You choose it during setup, and you can change it at any time. Calls that the setting doesn’t cover ring you directly. If you miss or decline one of those calls, HiFi answers it, tells the caller you’re unavailable, and offers to take a message.
Find the setting at Account & settings > Answering Calls > HiFi answers calls from. To open Account & settings, tap the profile button in the top corner of Home.
What do the answering options mean?
Choose one of four options:
All callers: HiFi answers every call first.
Unknown callers only: HiFi answers calls from people who aren’t in your contacts. People in your contacts ring you directly.
Contacts only: HiFi answers calls from your contacts. Calls from everyone else ring you directly.
All calls should ring me first: Every call rings you directly. HiFi answers only if you don’t pick up or you decline the call.
Unknown callers only and Contacts only depend on your contacts. HiFi can recognize only the contacts you’ve shared with it. See “Give HiFi access to your contacts”.
HiFi also blocks known spam and scam calls automatically. See “How HiFi blocks spam and scam calls”.
Change which calls HiFi answers
On Home, tap the profile button in the top corner to open Account & settings.
Under Answering Calls, tap HiFi answers calls from.
Tap the option you want: All callers, Unknown callers only, Contacts only, or All calls should ring me first.
The screen explains: “HiFi answers calls for you based on this setting. Other calls will ring you directly, and will be passed to HiFi if you do not answer.”
What happens when I miss or decline a call?
HiFi answers it. When a call rings you and you don’t pick up, or you decline it, HiFi tells the caller you’re unavailable and offers to take a message. This works with every answering option, including All calls should ring me first.
You can review the call and any message later in Call Activity on Home.
Can I turn off call answering completely?
Yes. You can turn off call answering on the HiFi answers calls from screen. HiFi asks you to confirm with a message that starts “Are you sure?” The message explains that spam and scam calls won’t be screened while answering is off, and suggests the Snooze button on Home instead. To turn answering off, tap Yes, disable call screening.
If you want calls to reach you first for a while, Snooze is usually the better choice. Your phone rings first, HiFi still answers calls you miss, and answering turns back on by itself. See “Snooze call answering”.
Troubleshooting
A contact’s call went to HiFi when you chose Unknown callers only: HiFi can’t see that contact, or their number is saved differently. Check contacts access and the saved number.
Calls ring you first even though you chose All callers: Snooze might be on. Check the Snooze button at the top of Home.
Related articles
“Snooze call answering”
“Give HiFi access to your contacts”
“What callers experience when HiFi answers”
“Watch a live call and take over from HiFi”