How to Enable Call Waiting | Steps That Work on Any Phone

Enabling call waiting requires opening your phone app or device settings to find the Call Waiting toggle, though some carriers must activate it on their end when the option is missing or inactive.

A missed call while you are already talking wastes everyone’s time. Call waiting solves that by beeping in your ear when a second call arrives, letting you answer it, put the first person on hold, or send the new caller to voicemail. Whether you use an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy, or a Sony Xperia, the setting lives in the phone app itself — but it only works if your carrier supports it and has it provisioned on your line. Here is where to look on each major phone type, what to do when the toggle is missing, and how to test that it is actually running.

What Exactly Does Call Waiting Do?

Call waiting is a network feature that alerts you to an incoming call while you are already on an active call. You hear a tone or beep, and the screen shows the caller’s name or number so you can decide what to do. The active callers never hear the alert unless you choose to switch between them.

What you can typically do with an incoming second call:

• Answer it and place the first caller on hold
• Reject the second call so it goes to voicemail
• Switch back and forth between the two calls
• End one call and continue the other

When call waiting is turned off, Apple notes that incoming calls go directly to voicemail while you are on another call. The feature is network-dependent, meaning your carrier’s infrastructure handles the alert — the phone setting merely tells the network you want it active.

Enabling Call Waiting on iPhone

Apple’s official iPhone user guide places the Call Waiting toggle in the Phone settings. The exact path has changed slightly in recent iOS versions, but the destination is the same.

Steps for iPhone (current iOS versions):

1. Open Settings and tap Apps
2. Tap Phone
3. Tap Call Waiting and toggle it on

That is all the phone side requires. A green toggle means call waiting is active.

Dual SIM iPhone note: On models with Dual SIM, call waiting works only for incoming calls on the same line unless the other line has Wi‑Fi Calling turned on and a data connection is available. If call waiting seems to work for only one of your numbers, this is the reason.

GSM vs CDMA: Apple states that Call Waiting in the iPhone settings works only with GSM cellular service. If you have CDMA service — common on older carriers like Verizon or legacy Sprint lines — you must contact the carrier directly to have the feature enabled on your account. The toggle in Settings will either be missing or have no effect.

Enabling Call Waiting on Samsung Galaxy

Samsung’s official support page places the call waiting setting inside the Phone app, not the main device Settings. The menu label has changed over Android versions, so follow the path carefully.

Steps for Samsung Galaxy:

1. Open the Phone icon
2. Tap More options — the three vertical dots in the top-right corner
3. Tap Settings
4. Tap Supplementary Services
5. Tap Call waiting and toggle it on

Samsung warns that screen images and menu items may vary depending on model and software version. If you cannot find “Supplementary Services,” look for “Additional settings” or “Calling accounts” — Samsung’s One UI skin has changed this path at least twice since Android 10.

The toggle should turn green or gray to confirm the feature is on. After enabling it, place a test call to verify a second call triggers an alert.

Enabling Call Waiting on Sony Xperia and Other Android Phones

Sony publishes separate instructions for single SIM and dual SIM Xperia devices, and the menu changes across Android versions. The common thread: the setting lives inside the Phone app’s Settings menu, not under Network or Connections in the system settings.

General Android path (if the menus above do not match):

1. Open the Phone app
2. Tap the three-dot menu and select Settings or Call settings
3. Look for Calls, Supplementary Services, Calling accounts, or Additional settings
4. Toggle Call Waiting on

If the feature still does not appear, Sony states that call waiting is network-dependent and requires an active SIM card inserted to access the additional call settings. A missing SIM or an expired line can hide the toggle entirely.

Why Call Waiting Won’t Enable — Common Fixes

When the toggle does nothing or the feature remains inactive after enabling, the problem is almost never the phone. Call waiting is a carrier service, and the device setting merely tells the network you want it. If the carrier has not turned it on your line, the toggle is cosmetic.

What to check in order:

• Restart the phone. A fresh registration with the network often picks up the provisioning change.
• Check Dual SIM settings. On an iPhone or dual-SIM Android phone, call waiting applies only to the line you enabled it on. The other line may need its own toggle or a Wi‑Fi Calling fallback.
• Contact your carrier. If the setting is missing or the toggle does not stick after a restart, call customer support and ask them to enable call waiting on your line. Most carriers can do it in under a minute.
• Use a carrier activation code. Some North American carriers support *43 to enable “Call Waiting Persistent.” On European GSM networks, *43# activates the feature, #43# deactivates it, and *#43# checks its current status. These codes work only when your carrier supports them, and the effect is immediate per call session.

Troubleshooting Carrier Codes for Call Waiting

These codes dial like phone numbers. Enter them on the keypad as shown — including the asterisk and hash — and press the call button. A confirmation tone or message should appear. If you hear an error message, the code is not supported on your carrier.

For Comcast Business lines specifically, dialing *43 from the handset enables a persistent call waiting that stays active across calls until you turn it off through the carrier’s Call Control portal. This is a carrier-side feature, not a phone setting.

Test That Call Waiting Is Actually Working

The only reliable test requires a second phone. Dial your own number from another line while you are already on a call with a third phone (or ask someone to call you while you are mid-conversation). Steps:

1. Place a call from your phone to a friend or your own voicemail
2. Have someone else call your number
3. Listen for the beep or tone — if you hear it, call waiting is enabled
4. Check the screen — it should show the incoming call details

If you hear nothing and the second call goes straight to voicemail, the feature is either off on the phone, not provisioned by the carrier, or blocked by a forwarding setting.

A quick check using a carrier code works too: dial *#43# on European networks or check through your carrier’s support portal for a line-status summary.

When the feature is fully active, you can handle a second caller without dropping the first. That simple capability — a beep, a tap, a switch — is what call waiting was built for, and once it is working, you might wonder how you managed without it.