Weird Android bug - no way to answer a phone call

Messages
11,513
Name
Stewart
Edit My Images
Yes
Can anyone help me understand what's going on here, and how to fix it or avoid it?

Sometimes, when my phone rings, I can't answer it. Usually you'd expect the phone app to pop up on top of whatever you're doing, with buttons to answer or reject the call. But that doesn't always happen. Instead, my phone is ringing away, but I don't have an 'answer' button. Even if I open the phone app, I just get the usual dialler screen as if it's waiting for me to initiate a call - it doesn't realise that there's an incoming call and offer to let me answer it.

It doesn't happen often but I'm sure you'll appreciate that it's incredibly annoying when it does happen. I haven't spotted any obvious pattern to it though. It can happen when I'm actively using the phone and also when it's on standby in my pocket. It can happen when the incoming number is one that's in my contacts list and also when it isn't. I haven't examined which other apps have been in memory at the time, but next time it happens I'll do that. (I've only thought of that since the last time it happened.)

Any ideas? Has anyone seen, or heard of, anything like this before?

My phone is a Xiaomi Mi A2 which is about 7 weeks old. It's running Android 9 (Pie), with the security patch level dated at 4th April 2019. The phone is part of the Android One programme, which means the UI is pretty much vanilla Android a la Google, with little or no crappy manufacturer specific software, and it's on a SIM-only contract so there's no crappy telecoms company software on there either.
 
I had the same problem with my Nokia 3, running Android 7.1, recently updated.

I was using a battery saver program, and if I received a call it wouldn't allow me to answer when the battery saver screen was displayed..
I deleted the "battery saver" with the result that battery life has improved and I can now answer incoming calls.
 
Scratches head ~ so no available "icon" showing to swipe right to answer and swipe left to decline the call???
 
I've had exactly the same issue since I got my note 9. It happens on about 3 calls out of 10.

Not sure if connected, but sometimes when using an always on top app, like YouTube. Google maps does it a lot too.
 
I've had the same problem on my Galaxy Note ever since the last software update. :banghead:

So far the only fix I can come up with is to remove the battery and then re-start the phone. :grumpy:
 
I had the same problem with my Nokia 3...
I've had exactly the same issue since I got my note 9...
I've had the same problem on my Galaxy Note...
That's interesting.

I was using a battery saver program, and if I received a call it wouldn't allow me to answer when the battery saver screen was displayed.
I don't use a battery saver program.
Not sure if connected, but sometimes when using an always on top app, like YouTube. Google maps does it a lot too.
I haven't noticed any correlation with what apps are open, but I'm going to start monitoring it.
So far the only fix I can come up with is to remove the battery and then re-start the phone. :grumpy:
My battery can't be removed.
 
It seems that disabling the battery saver didn't cure the problem.
I still can't answer incoming calls and "swipe up" does nothing.
I've had this problem since before the last update, so it can't be that.
The clever clogs at the suppliers (EE) don't seem to have any answers.
When we test it in the shop it always comes up with a screen with an "Answer" button on it.
 
Last edited:
Mmm. I've seen these and other similar posts before. Both of these suggest that the problem is with the notifications settings of the dialer app. Apparently the pop-up screen that enables you to answer the phone is deemed to be a notification in Android, so if you turn off notifications for the dialer app then you won't see the Answer/Reject Call notification.

I don't think that's what I'm experiencing. It doesn't explain the issue being intermittent, and every time I've had the issue since I first saw these suggestions, I've checked the notifications settings and they've been OK.
 
Not sure if connected, but sometimes when using an always on top app, like YouTube. Google maps does it a lot too.
I'm starting to have the same suspicions.

I have two apps which can operate in "always on top" mode - Google Maps (when using it for navigation) and DigiHUD, which is a GPS speedo. I often use them both when I'm driving on business, and when I look back I think most of the times I've had these problems it's been after a business journey. Maybe the "always on top" functionality of these apps is messing with the "I need to be on top right now" demand from the dialer app?
 
I'm starting to have the same suspicions.

I have two apps which can operate in "always on top" mode - Google Maps (when using it for navigation) and DigiHUD, which is a GPS speedo. I often use them both when I'm driving on business, and when I look back I think most of the times I've had these problems it's been after a business journey. Maybe the "always on top" functionality of these apps is messing with the "I need to be on top right now" demand from the dialer app?

Interesting, and useful to be aware of for other phone makes.
 
There is a hack which allows malware onto your phone - the phone appears to ring at which point you have been hacked.
With this hack you don't have to do anything - which makes it quite bad.
I heard about this on one of the podcasts I listen to - I'll try to find out more.
 
There is a hack which allows malware onto your phone - the phone appears to ring at which point you have been hacked.
With this hack you don't have to do anything - which makes it quite bad.
I heard about this on one of the podcasts I listen to - I'll try to find out more.

IIRC that was the Whatsapp hack, theoretically now patched, but generally used to target environmental and political activists by various governments.
 
The bug has struck again. Twice this morning, the same person calling each time. The caller is in my "Favourites" group in the Contacts.

Apps running on the phone:
Contacts
Settings
WhatsApp
Reddit
GMail
Guardian (newspaper)
Costa Coffee
Messages
Google Maps Navigation

Nothing particularly unusual there, though there was the Google Maps navigation which I have previously suspected....
 
Back
Top