User Busy on iPhone? Here's What It Is and How to Fix It

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Understand why you get the "User Busy" notification during iPhone calls

Co-authored by Nicole Levine, MFA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: August 4, 2024 Fact Checked

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• What does User Busy mean on iPhone?
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• Troubleshooting
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• Video

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Are you seeing "User Busy" when trying to call someone? In most cases, this means the other person has another call active. If a recipient sees this when calling you, your phone settings may be preventing them from reaching you. Here's what to do when you see "User Busy" on an iPhone.

Why Do I See "User Busy" on My iPhone?

If you see User Busy when you try to call someone, the recipient may already be on a call and have Call Waiting disabled. It's also possible they have a Focus mode enabled.

Steps

Section 1 of 2:

What does User Busy mean on iPhone?

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1. 
   "User Busy" means the other person is already on a call. If you try to call someone and get this message, you can always try again later. However, if this issue persists, the other person may have a Focus mode turned on, or they've disabled Call Waiting.

   • Focus mode is similar to Do Not Disturb, and it can silence your calls until they leave Focus mode.
   • If other people receive "User Busy" when contacting you, you may have a Focus mode enabled, have disabled Call Waiting, or there is a software bug.
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Section 2 of 2:

Troubleshooting

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1. 
   1
   Try again later. The person you're trying to call may already be on another call. Wait some time for their call to finish, or send a text remind them to call you back. Once their phone line is free, you should be able to get through.
2. 
   2
   Turn off Do Not Disturb or Focus mode. If others are getting "User Busy" when trying to reach you, you may have a Focus mode, such as Do Not Disturb or Driving mode, enabled. Open the Control Center and make sure Driving, Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Gaming, Work, or any other custom Focus modes are not set to "On."

   • If you have a newer version of iOS, you may have unintentionally linked a Focus mode to your wallpaper. To check, do the following:
     • Long-press on your lock screen. Make sure your device is unlocked.
     • Tap Focus at the bottom. This may also look like Do Not Disturb or another Focus.
     • Tap Focus again to uncheck it.
3. 
   3
   Enable Call Waiting. If other people get "User Busy" when they try to call you, you may have turned off Call Waiting. To turn it back on:

   • Open Settings.
   • Scroll down and tap Phone.
   • Tap Call Waiting.
   • If the switch is off (gray), tap it to turn it on (green).
4. 
   4
   Check if the user is blocked. If someone is getting "User Busy", you may have them blocked. If this is the case, be sure this is someone you want to unblock.

   • Go to Settings.
   • Tap Phone.
   • Tap Blocked Contacts.
   • Swipe left on the blocked number.
   • Tap Unblock.
5. 
   5
   Make sure your iPhone is updated. This issue has impacted many users, and some have had luck after updating to the latest version. Do the following:

   • Go to Settings.
   • Tap General.
   • Tap Software Update.
   • Tap Download and Install.
6. 
   6
   Restart your iPhone. A quick restart can fix common issues. Do the following:

   • On iPhones without a Home button, press and hold the Power button and Volume Up button until the Power slider appears.
     • On iPhones with a Home button, press and hold the side button until the slider appears.
   • Slide the slider with your finger and wait for your iPhone to turn off.
   • Wait 30 seconds, and then turn it back on.
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