How do I stop my phone from answering speakers?

What Causes Phones to Automatically Answer Speakers?

There are a few common causes for phones automatically answering speakers:

Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity can enable automatic connections to previously paired devices like speakers or headphones. When your phone detects a saved Bluetooth device nearby, it may automatically connect and begin routing audio through it without prompting (1).

Accidental touching of answer call buttons on car speakers or headphones can trigger call answering. If your steering wheel or headphone controls are sensitive, slight bumps or brushes can be mistaken as button presses (2).

Voice assistant features on phones may also mistakenly interpret ambient noise or commands as a cue to answer calls. This unintentional wake up of services like Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa or Bixby could lead to calls being automatically answered (3).

Proximity sensors on phones may also play a role, allowing calls to be automatically answered when bringing the phone up to your ear.

Disable Bluetooth Auto-Connect

To prevent paired Bluetooth devices like speakers or headphones from automatically connecting to your phone, you can disable the auto-connect feature in the Bluetooth settings menu.

Follow these steps to turn off Bluetooth auto-connect on both iPhone and Android phones:

Open your phone’s Settings app and tap on Bluetooth.
Tap on the settings icon (usually three dots or an ‘i’) next to each paired device.

Turn off the Auto-Connect toggle.

This will stop your phone from automatically connecting to that device when in range (source: Reddit). You can manually connect to the device when needed instead.

To completely forget the device, tap “Forget This Device” instead to fully unpair it from your phone.

Forget Bluetooth Devices

To disconnect a Bluetooth device, you need to forget that pairing. Go to your phone’s Bluetooth settings and tap the settings icon next to a paired device. On Android you’ll usually find this under Settings > Connected Devices > Bluetooth.

There, select ‘Forget this device’ to remove that device from your paired Bluetooth connections. You will likely have to manually reconnect and repair any devices you forget going forward. According to Verizon, this completely removes the Bluetooth pairing from your phone.

Forgetting devices one by one allows you to remove specific auto-connecting speakers or car systems. Just be aware you’ll need to manually reconnect headphones, speakers, wearables, and other gadgets after forgetting them.

Disable WiFi Auto-Connect

One of the main causes of phones automatically connecting to Bluetooth speakers or other devices is having WiFi set to auto-connect. Here’s how to disable this on your Android phone:

Go to the WiFi settings on your device. The steps may vary slightly by phone model, but generally you can access WiFi settings through the Settings app.

Once in the WiFi settings, long press on any saved WiFi network names. This will bring up an additional menu.

In this menu, look for the toggle switch for “Auto-reconnect” and turn it off. Doing this for each saved network prevents your phone from automatically connecting without your permission.

You can also go into your WiFi preferences and disable the option to “Connect to public networks automatically.” This prevents random open hotspots from connecting without your knowledge.

By disabling WiFi auto-connect features, you prevent your phone from linking with Bluetooth speakers and other devices without asking you first. This gives you greater control over which devices you connect with (source).

Disable Driving Mode

Many phones, including Android and iPhone devices, have a driving mode that automatically enables when connected to Bluetooth in the car or when motion is detected. Driving mode aims to minimize distractions by turning on do not disturb, reading out notifications, and more.

To disable the automatic launching of driving mode on Android devices:

Go to Settings > Connected Devices > Driving Mode (source: https://www.wikihow.com/Turn-Off-Driving-Mode)

Turn off ‘Auto-launch driving mode’.

This will prevent driving mode from automatically launching when you connect your phone via Bluetooth or when motion is detected. You can manually enable driving mode as needed instead.

Disable Voice Assistant Auto-Wake

You can prevent your phone from automatically activating and listening when you speak by disabling the auto-wake feature in your voice assistant app. This applies to assistants like Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and others.

First, open the settings for your voice assistant app. For Google Assistant, open the Google app and go to Settings > Voice > Voice Match. For Siri, open Settings > Siri & Search.

Next, turn off options like “OK Google” hotword detection, “Hey Siri”, and voice match. This will prevent your phone from waking up when it hears certain phrases. You can also disable access when the phone is locked for additional privacy.

Finally, toggle off settings that allow the assistant to auto-launch when you connect headphones or start a call. Disable options to auto-unlock your phone or automatically respond without tapping first. This will prevent the assistant from automatically turning on the microphone without your permission.

For detailed instructions, see this article on MakeUseOf.

Disable Phone Gestures

One way that phones can automatically interact with your phone’s speakers is through convenience gestures that are enabled by default. For example, most Android phones have a “lift to wake” gesture that will turn on the screen when you pick up your device. This can inadvertently trigger other auto-connect features when the screen wakes up.

To disable these gestures:

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Dexterity and Interaction
Turn off the ‘Auto-answer calls’ toggle – this prevents your phone from answering calls automatically when lifted to your ear.
Disable ‘Wake screen on lift’. This will prevent your screen from turning on when you pick up your phone, avoiding inadvertent speaker connections.

With phone gestures disabled, you can prevent your phone from auto-connecting to speakers when picking it up. Be aware this will also disable conveniences like viewing notifications just by lifting your phone.

Use Do Not Disturb While Driving

The Do Not Disturb While Driving feature can prevent your phone from automatically answering calls or using speakers while driving. Here are the steps to enable it on Android devices:

Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb. Then enable the ‘Turn on automatically’ option. Next, select ‘While driving’ under the Auto rule section. This will prevent notifications and calls from disturbing you when your phone detects you’re driving.

You can also allow calls only from favorites contacts. Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb > Allow exceptions. Then tap ‘Calls’ and select ‘From favorites only’. This will let calls from your favorite contacts come through while blocking other calls and notifications.

Enabling Do Not Disturb While Driving can help stop your phone from automatically using speakers or bluetooth connections while driving. Just make sure to customize the allowed contacts and exceptions as per your needs.

Source: https://www.javatpoint.com/how-to-activate-do-not-disturb-while-driving-on-android

Troubleshooting Tips

If your phone is still automatically answering calls after trying the steps above, here are some additional troubleshooting tips to resolve the issue:

Check for software updates and update to latest version – Go to your phone’s Settings app and check for any available operating system or firmware updates. Installing the latest updates can fix software bugs causing auto-answer problems. For Android phones, open Settings > System > System update. For iPhones, open Settings > General > Software Update.

Reset network settings back to factory default – In Settings, find and tap on “Reset network settings” to reset Wi-Fi, mobile data, and Bluetooth settings. This will clear out any problematic settings that may be enabling auto-answer.

Check audio port for damage or debris – Examine the phone’s headset jack and speaker ports for any debris, damage, or moisture that could be triggering auto-answer. Try cleaning with compressed air.

Try a different headset or speaker – Test with different wired headsets, Bluetooth devices, and external speakers to see if the issue persists. Narrow down if a particular accessory is causing the auto-answering problem.

When to Get Phone Serviced

If your phone continues automatically answering calls after trying the troubleshooting steps, it may be time to get professional service. Some signs it’s time to take your phone in for repair include:

Issue persists even after following all troubleshooting recommendations
There is physical damage to the phone’s audio port or microphone area
A software restore or reset does not fix the issue

The problem started after a recent OS update or software change

Phones that automatically answer calls without permission could indicate a hardware problem like a damaged speaker or microphone. Software glitches may also cause issues after an update. If basic troubleshooting does not solve your auto-answering problem, it’s best to have a technician inspect your phone.

Professional phone repair technicians have the tools and expertise to diagnose phone issues and recommend solutions. For example, a new audio port or microphone may be needed if those components are damaged. Technicians can also check that software and drivers are correctly configured. Getting timely service can often save you from needing to replace the phone entirely.