- Get started
- What's new in Windows Phone 8
- 3 buttons: Back, Start, and Search
- Get connected
- Everything goes back to Start
- Microsoft account
- Sync my Windows Phone
- Phone
- Ringtones, sounds, and volume
- Recommended settings during phone setup
- Use Data Sense to track data usage
- Moving from Android or iPhone to Windows Phone
- Tips and tricks
- Places to try tapping and holding
- Gestures: flick, pan, and stretch
- How-to videos
Make and receive phone calls
First and foremost, your Windows Phone is a phone. Use it to make and receive phone calls to stay in touch with people. Can't talk when someone calls? Let them know you saw they called by replying with a text message.
To make your life easier, and potentially safer, you can use your phone hands-free by using the speaker or a Bluetooth headset.
To make a phone call
-
On Start
, tap Phone 
. -
In History, tap Keypad
, enter a phone number, and then tap Call. -
Tap End call to hang up.
Tips
-
When you're talking on the phone, you might want to do something
else at the same time, like search online or get directions. Tap Speaker
when you're on the phone, and then press the
Start or Search 
button to get started. One important thing to know—you
won't be able to do things that use cellular data if your phone has a slower
cellular data connection at the time.
- If you want to hang up and you don't see the keypad, tap the notification at the top of the screen, and then tap End call.
-
Want to see if your phone is roaming? Or check out your cellular
signal strength or connection type? Just tap the top of the screen to show the
status bar, which has icons that tell you these things and more. View icons
that show cellular signal strength, letters to indicate your cellular data
connection type, and icons that show you whether Airplane mode
is turned on, whether call forwarding
is turned on, if you're roaming
, if you're connected to a Bluetooth device
, and the current ringer setting. See
What do
the icons on my phone mean? for more info about these icons and
others that might appear at the top of the screen.
-
You can also make a call using Speech. Press and hold the
Start button, and then say "Call" and the name of the person
you want to call. To learn more, see
Use Speech on my
phone. Speech may not be available in your country or region.
Notes
- To make and receive phone calls, you need an account with a mobile phone operator and a working cellular signal in your current location.
-
You can't make a call if Airplane mode is turned on. To find the
Airplane mode setting on your phone, in the
App list,
tap Settings
> Airplane mode.
To call a contact
-
On Start
, tap People 
. -
Tap the name of the person you want to call, and then tap the number to call.
-
Tap End call to hang up.
To make a phone call from your call history
-
On Start
, tap Phone . -
In History, you can:
- Tap Call
to call the person back at the current number. - Tap the person's name, and then tap the number to call.
- Tap People
, tap the name of the person you want to call, and then tap the number to call. - Tap Search
. In the Search box, start typing the name of someone you've called. When their name appears, tap Call to call the person back at the current number, or tap their name, and then tap another number.
- Tap Call
-
Tap End call to hang up.
To answer a call
-
When you get an incoming call:
- If your phone is locked, slide up, and then tap Answer.
- If your phone is unlocked, tap Answer.
- If you can't talk when you get a call and you want to text a reply instead, tap Text reply, and then tap the message you want to send. This option appears when a contact calls you from their mobile phone.
Tips
- To send an incoming call directly to voicemail, tap Ignore.
-
Want to change the text replies you can choose to send when you get
a call but can't talk? On Start , tap Phone > More
> Settings > Edit
replies under Text reply. In the Reply
boxes, type your replies, and then tap Done 
.
- To text a reply to an incoming call, your phone must be running the latest version of the Windows Phone software (OS version 8.0.10211.204). See How do I update my phone software? for more information about how to update your phone.
To silence the ringer on your phone
-
When someone calls, do one of the following:
- To silence the ringer, press the Volume button.
- To silence the ringer and turn off the screen, press the Power button.
Note
For more info about how to change the volume on your phone, see Ringtones, sounds, and volume.
To use in-call options
-
During a call, do one or more of the following:
To Do this Show the keypad during a call.
Tap Keypad
Use the speaker during a call.
Tap Speaker
Mute a call, so people can't hear you or background noise from your phone.
Tap Mute
Put a call on hold.
Tap Hold
Add a call.
For more info about conference calls, see Use my phone for conference calls.
Tap Add call
-
To turn off an in-call option that's turned on, tap the button for the option. For example, if you're using the speaker during a call and want to turn it off, tap Speaker
. -
Tap End call to hang up.
Note
Your in-call options will vary by mobile operator.
To make an emergency phone call
-
On Start
, tap Phone . -
Tap Keypad
, enter the local emergency phone number, and then tap Call. -
Tap End call to hang up.
Note
If your phone has a password, you or someone else can still make an emergency phone call without entering the password by tapping Emergency call on the lock screen, and then dialing the local emergency number.
To make an international call
-
On Start
, tap Phone > Keypad . -
Tap and hold 0 on the keypad until the + sign appears.
The plus sign (+) shows that you're making an international call (instead of entering the country exit code for the country or region you're in).
-
Enter the following on the keypad:
- Country or region code
- Area code (without the 0 at the beginning)
- Phone number
-
Tap Call.
Notes
- When you make international calls, you may be charged more depending on your phone plan.
- In Phone settings, the International assist setting is turned on by default and can help correct common mistakes you might make when you dial an international number. If a country or region has more than one exit code, though, you'll need to correctly enter a country exit code to make the international call.
To forward calls to another phone number
-
On Start
, tap Phone > More > Settings. -
Turn on Call forwarding
, and then tap the box below it. -
In the Forward calls to box, enter the phone number to forward calls to, and then tap Save.
Note
Call forwarding varies by mobile operator. To use this service, it must be available with your current phone plan. Your mobile operator might charge you extra for forwarding calls.
