iPhone 11 Dial Pad not working during phone calls

Try a reboot of the phone

Quick press and release

1 volume up button

2 volume down button

Hold side button

the phone will then restart and hopefully your keyboard will be working during calls

This has been happening to me on and off. I thought at first that it was because I used the speakerphone while my iPhone was bluetoothed to my iMac. I think its simpler than that. I just discovered the dial pad buttons won't work while the iPhone is on a call using wifi. Once i disabled wifi, the buttons worked on automated systems. This should be fixed immediately.

I had several recent calls with Apple Support and they recommended I reinstall all apps and data from scratch on my iPhone SE. Spent a few hours doing that and dial pad now works fine. I had experienced same dial pad problem on several previous iPhone models, and this the first time it really works fine.

I have received lots of suggestions about how to work around this problem and this is what worked for me.

When I am trying to use the dial pad and it does not work during a phone call, the dial pad always has a

white background. I click on the time which is posted in the upper left corner of the dial pad. The background

instantly turns black and is now responsive to my selections. Why? How? Who knows? It just works and I hope

it works for you as well.

I followed the advice I found here - I have an iPhone 11 Pro Max. No matter how many times I had called Apple Support, each time I tried to respond to the prompt, my keyboard did not work and I was told that my voicemail had cut in and so the call was being cancelled. This happened many times, not made less maddening by the follow-up emails telling me it was my problem.

After reading the advice, I waited until the call was answered by Apple Support and then touched the time showing at top left of the screen. The screen went into black mode and then the keypad successfully connected with the Apple menu and I was able to access support. My first issue that I discussed at some length……..was the problem with the iPhone keyboard!

I was able to get the keypad working to do prompts after turning phone completely off, rebooting and starting again. It was definitely causing issues with doctor's offices and even calling Apple support since they all use prompts in the phone calls.

I found out that anytime I used the number keys while on a phone call, it would disconnect my call, call failed.

I fixed my issue by powering off my iPhone 11, removed my SIM card, replaced SIM card and power back on.

I’m not sure if this is a permanent fix or not as it’s only been a few hours since I’ve done the above steps.

Try rebooting phone! 

For iPhone X onwards press the volume up button then immediately press the down then hold the off button until the screen goes dark and then you see the apple Logo!

If before the iPhone X then hold the off and home button till it turns off and the apple logo appears!

Also try deleting your phone number from that phone and signing in again!

There are two keypads on your phone. From your call screen you can hit the dial pad icon. If if it has a black background you’re on the one that’s active during your call. If it has a white background, you’re on the wrong one. Swipe until you see, I think, the front page Or whatever page that you see a Tiny green phone icon at the top left and it’ll take you back to the dial pad with a Black background Which is the one you need.

Thank you for your post. It’s a heroic attempt but I’m not even sure I understand what you & the previous post mean by alternate keypad. The keypad I’m working with is the keypad on the call — I never exit the call to use other apps.

The problem is, as I understand it, one of software interface incompatibility. Mine started after I received a replacement phone for my iPhone11 still under warranty (for a different problem).

TO SKIP ALL THE TROUBLESHOOTING & NARRATIVE, PLS SCROLL TO LAST PARAGRAPH.

The phone’s keypad fails when interfacing with calls connected to computerized answering systems. The problem is so common with the iPhone11, in fact, that during my call to T-Mobile’s advance tech service in the Dominican Republic, they list it as the phone’s #1 problem. Too bad for me it took 90 mins to explain the problem to the English-challenged “advanced” tech who only wanted to talk about vacationing in his beautiful Caribbean country, offering me unsolicited advice on where to stay… Every time I thought he understood the problem, he surprised me — and I realized he didn’t understand the problem at all.

Finally, reluctantly, because it just felt patronizing, I asked him to repeat the problem back to me… twice! Then I heard computer typing & with a Spanish accent this: “Yes, number 1 problem for iphone11! Apple problem! Not T-Mobile problem!” I knew all that, but I also knew Apple would send me straight to my carrier if I hadn’t checked with them first…T-Mobile offered the courtesy of setting up an appt w Apple directly.

Apple called back @ scheduled time & its computerized service said PRESS 1 if ready to accept call. Oh, the cruel irony. And, holy crap — it’s own products can’t interface with its own support services! WTH?

After all Apple’s attempts, re-attempts & mis-attempts, the problem was so dire for me that I had to go ahead with Apple’s final “throw in the towel” advice to RESET ALL SETTINGS.” (After all, Apple said its no big deal & I’d just have to do 3 things: 1) enter my Apple password; 2) enter my payment card; & 3) enter my internet password….

C’mon, Apple, really? I didn’t even believe that — and, as I’m sure you can see by my posts, I’m smart-phone challenged. The Apple tech repeated “only these 3 things” 3 times as if 3 were the magical number to getting me to take his advice & get off the call. (Here, you can’t help wondering if these Apple techs are just reading from computer prompts, like the advanced T-Mobile tech in Dominican Republic who could speak only conversational English.)

Resetting all settings fixed the keypad interface problem (though the problem it created lasted several days & included a visit from my internet provider on day 3.). But would you believe after 3 weeks — that magic # again — the problem started to resurface? That’s why I strongly suspect it’s a software issue. Restarting the phone has helped, as it did in the very early days before the settings reset, but not always & not for long.

I recently noticed I’ve never had this problem with one particular doctor’s office:

MY KEYPAD ALWAYS WORKS WITH ONE DOCTOR’S COMPUTERIZED ANSWERING SYSTEM. I asked myself why that would be? Answer: THE OFFICE IS RUN ENTIRELY WITH APPLE PRODUCTS & SOFTWARE. Interesting. And yet before the reset, my phone’s keypad wasn’t interfacing w Apple Phone Support.

I’m still open to suggestions. Someone mentioned turning up an internal sound button. Not in Settings<Audio but in <Accessibility, I think, but I haven’t been able to locate what he was talking about. Maybe it has something to do with <Switch?

I’d love to get that person back into this discussion. Obviously Apple should be in here too. Why it hasn’t been fixed is beyond me. Someone above has a 13 with this problem. My AppleCare has expired. But this is a known problem so I may press the issue. Seems something always seems to go wrong w iPhones that are 2 generations removed from the latest model — which the 11 now is.

Thanks so much everyone.

🌺 Aloha from Kauai. 🏝

I had same issue for weeks. Restarted the iPhone and it was fixed. Hope it doesn’t come back later. Good luck everyone!

I fixed mine. The problem was that the calls were coming in the banner across the top. Change it back to full screen pick-up and the problem was solved. Can now use keypad while on a call.

This is the fix. I posted earlier. Settings. Phone. Incoming calls. Change to full screen.

APPLE SUPPORT ARE YOU LISTENING?????

Mine got resolved after restarting the phone

This worked for me so far. Shut down phone for 10 seconds and turned on. Finally able to check my voicemail and call the office ext number!