Apple

How to enable Hold Assist and let your iPhone wait on hold for you

Wave goodbye to the hold music blues! With Hold Assist, your iPhone takes the reins, alerting you the moment a real voice returns, so you can multitask like a pro.

by
Kevin Raposo
October 4, 2025

Hold assist feature on iPhone screen during a call, showing options to mute, end, or put the call on hold for hands-free communication.

Image: KnowTechie

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Quick Answer: To enable Hold Assist on your iPhone, Open Settings > Phone and toggle on “Hold Assist Detection.” Your iPhone will monitor hold music and notify you when a person returns.

You know that soul-crushing moment when customer service puts you on hold for the 47th time? Your iPhone finally gets it.

Hold Assist is Apple’s answer to phone purgatory—it listens to that terrible hold music so you don’t have to, then alerts you the second a real person picks up.

TL;DR:
• Hold Assist monitors calls while you’re stuck listening to elevator music, then pings you when a human returns
• Works automatically on iPhone 12+ with iOS 16, available in US, UK, and Canada
• Shows transcripts of what you missed while multitasking

How Hold Assist Actually Works

If Hold Assist is something that you’re looking into enabling on your iPhone (I mean, why wouldn’t you), here’s how to do it:

Enable automatic detection** (it’s on by default)
– Open Settings > Phone
– Toggle on “Hold Assist Detection“
– Your iPhone now listens for hold music patterns
During a call, watch for the banner
– When hold music starts, a “Hold Assist” banner appears
– Tap it to activate monitoring
– Or ignore it and tap More > Hold Assist later
Let your phone do the waiting
– Hold music stops playing through your speaker
– Use your iPhone normally—browse, text, whatever
– A notification pops up when someone returns
Check what you missed
– View live transcription of the conversation
– See exactly when the agent came back
– Jump back into your call seamlessly

Troubleshooting Common Hiccups

Hold Assist banner disappeared? Tap the call timer, then More > Hold Assist to enable manually.

Not detecting hold music? Some companies use silence instead of music—manual activation works better here.

Transcription looks a bit wonky? It improves over time, but don’t rely on it for critical details.

Pro Tips That Matter

The other person hears a brief beep when Hold Assist activates—most agents don’t notice or care
Works great with insurance companies and utilities (tested and confirmed)
Keep your phone unlocked nearby for instant notifications
Manual activation works even if auto-detection is off
Perfect for those “your call is important to us” marathons

Quick FAQs

iPhone 12, iPhone SE (3rd gen), and newer models with iOS 16+

Yes, but only in English in the US, UK, and Canada currently.

Absolutely—that’s the whole point. Browse away.

They might hear a quick beep, but testing shows most don’t notice.

Check your call log—it shows Hold Assist was active and provides transcripts

Ready to stop wasting your life on hold music? Enable Hold Assist, let your iPhone do the waiting, and reclaim your precious minutes for literally anything else.

Hold Assist won’t solve customer service hell, but at least you can doom-scroll TikTok while waiting instead of listening to the same 30-second jazz loop.

Try it once—after that, you’ll wonder how you survived customer service calls without it.

Tell us: did Hold Assist actually save you from hold music hell? We want to hear your experience. Drop a comment below or keep the conversation going on our Facebook or Twitter.