How to Create Custom Quick Responses to Respond to Phone Calls on iPhone

Learn how to set up an auto-reply text when you can't answer a phone call.

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January 16, 2024

We all love chatting on the phone with friends and family, but sometimes you just can't talk at that moment. Instead of declining calls and then going to the Messages app to type out a message, you can set up what's called Respond with Text in the Phone app. This will allow you to set up a custom text response that you can send directly from the incoming call screen of your iPhone.

Why You'll Love This Tip

  • When you cannot answer the phone, quickly let a caller know important information with just a tap of a button.
  • Create up to three custom text responses for when you can't get to an incoming call.
  • Prevent repeated calls or worried callers by setting up custom messages you can send from the incoming call screen.

Related: How to Customize Apple's New iCloud Website (2023)

How to Set Up Auto-Reply Text on iPhone

The best part about iPhone's quick response feature is that you can customize it to say whatever is most relevant to you and your life. Also, you can customize three different auto-reply texts depending on different circumstances. If you like tips like this about using your iPhone, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day! Here's how to edit custom reply messages on iPhone.

  1. On your iPhone, open Settings. On your iPhone, open Settings.
  2. Tap Phone. Tap Phone.
  3. Tap Respond with Text. Tap Respond with Text.
  4. From here, you can enter up to three custom messages. When you're finished, you can just tap the back button. From here, you can enter up to three custom messages. When you're finished, you can just tap the back button.
  5. Now when someone calls you, tap the Message button above the green answer button. Now when someone calls you, tap the Message button above the green answer button.
  6. Now you can select from one of your custom text responses! It will automatically send that text to the caller when you tap it. Now you can select from one of your custom text responses! It will automatically send that text to the caller when you tap it.

And that's all there is to it! Super quick and easy to customize, but it's such a useful thing to use in daily life!

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Rachel Needell

Rachel Needell is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and a poet and author. With 10-plus years of experience working with Apple devices, she specializes in all-things iPad and is a Notes App expert, having worked on both the 2023 iPad Guide and the Notes App Guide. You can usually find her writing in the Daily Tip newsletter as one of our senior Tip writers. Rachel received her Master’s degree in English Literature in 2021 and her most recent work appears in the Winter ’21 edition of New Note Poetry. When she’s not obsessing about Apple products, you can find her voraciously reading fantasy books with her cat in Asheville, North Carolina.
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