On hold? Your iPhone can listen to the call's music and wait for you - here's how

What does iOS 26's Hold Assist do on iPhone?

Hold Assist monitors your call while you're on hold, notifies you when a live person returns, and shows a transcript of what you missed. Meanwhile, Hold Assist Detection is a toggle in the Phone app settings that lets your iPhone automatically detect when you've been placed on hold by listening for background music. During these calls, a banner will prompt you to activate Hold Assist.

Also: How to clear your iPhone cache (and why you should do it before the iOS 26 update)

When I tried it with my partner, he said he heard a beep. After that, when he started speaking, he was told the message was being transcribed. I also tested Hold Assist while on hold with my insurance company and again with my power utility. Both times, I was prompted to enable Hold Assist, did so, and resumed the calls once I got a notification. Neither agent or caller mentioned knowing they'd been on hold, though in one instance I could see in the transcript that the agent was speaking to me to say they were back.

Which iPhones support Hold Assist?

Hold Assist is available on iPhone 12, iPhone SE (3rd generation), and later models running iOS 26.

Is Hold Assist available everywhere?

No. It's available in the US, UK, and Canada in English, along with additional regions. See the full list of supported countries here.

Do I need to turn on Hold Assist in Settings?

Hold Assist can be enabled manually from the call screen. If you want your iPhone to automatically detect hold music and prompt you, make sure Hold Assist Detection is turned on in the Phone app settings. It should be on by default.

Will I still hear the hold music?

Nope. Once Hold Assist takes over, you can leave the call screen and use your iPhone without distraction.

What if I dismiss the Hold Assist banner?

You can still enable Hold Assist manually during a call by tapping More > Hold Assist in the call menu.