WhatsApp calls disconnect after 4-5 seconds when iPhone 17 is locked

Solution found on Reddit that works flawlessly.

The problem comes from the iPhone 17's new "Centered Frame" camera feature. The effect follows your face. So you have to deactivate it.

Solution :

1. ⁠Start a Whatsapp video call.

2. ⁠Once in the call open the Control Center by swiping down from the top (right) of the screen.

3. ⁠Once in the control center click on “Whatsapp Controls” at the top of the screen.

4. ⁠Then deactivate the “Centered Frame” mode that appears among the other modes by clicking on it.

5. ⁠Cut the call and check if the problem is resolved by receiving a new video call.

Hope the solution works for everyone

You will need to contact Meta for help with their software, this is not an Apple product.

Here are a couple of ways to contact them -

https://faq.whatsapp.com/

https://www.whatsapp.com/contact

Unlocking an iPhone does not require the selfie camera (front facing). Face ID uses IR Flood Illuminator and TrueDepth camera and dot projector. The request is because WhatsApp is trying to grab control of the selfie camera and iPhone must be unlocked for WhatsApp to take control of selfie camera. This is a WhatsApp issue.

A fix that worked for me is switching to data, receiving a call, then switching back.

Then contact Meta about their app, again Apple has no control over broken third party software.

I think the issue is with camera. Since to unlock the phone it is using camera which is being used by the WhatsApp. I see this notification pop up momentarily

[Edited by Moderator]

This is not an Apple issue. WhatsApp is full of bugs. Their developers are releasing updates multiple times a week. Have you deleted your old version and installed the latest version? There have been 5 updates in the last 7 days. The latest was just released yesterday. Does that sound like an app the developers are struggling find the bugs and fix the bugs? It certainly does.

This is a WhatsApp issue and the WhatsApp support team has said so. You wait for the developers to release an updated app version that fixes their bug.

filipjonathan wrote:

Great, so i need to disable one of the features that made me buy the phone in the first place. Wow. £700 guys!!!

If you mean centred frame, then yes if it fixes the problem, but that is entirely down to Whatsapp/Meta not testing their software on iphone 17, nothing to do with what Apple charged you for the hardware. Neither Apple nor Beta charge you an invoice for using Whatsapp, free wirldwide calls, so maybe the bitterness is misplaced, no doubt Meta will fix it at their leisure.

Why? It’s not happening for my other devices. It’s just happening for IPhone 17 on ios 26

Why? Because WhatsApp is not an Apple product and Apple isn't responsible for for broken third party apps, the app developer is.

same here this is happening only with incoming calls on whatsapp after connecting for 5 seconds it drops automatically however when I’m calling it’s working fine. Checked all setting and access its fine and it has only started happening after i bought iphone 17 before that in iphone 15 it never happened

YashDhanuka56 wrote:

No. The app is not broken! if that was the case then it would be the same for many

but its just happening with iPhone 17 so its an apple issue and not a meta issue

fix it

Your logic is flawed. Meta would have received pre release iphone 17s and ios26 beta, it was up to them to fix problems before you got the 17/26 combo. And boy are they fixing them, daily.

I recently bought iPhone 17 too. So others say that when their phone is locked the call automatically disconnects after 5 seconds. Mine happens in video calls too. In video calls even if the phone is locked we have to unlock it with face id to see the other person so after doing that too the call automatically disconnects. This happens not only in WhatsApp but in phone calls too. If i receive phone calls i don’t understand why it ends after 5/6 seconds?????

Why? It’s not happening for my other devices. It’s just happening for IPhone 17 on ios 26

Same here. This is super frustrating