With 13 years of hands-on experience with apps, I can help you understand how WhatsApp canceled calls work.
Many people think that if they see cancelled calls in WhatsApp they are being blocked or declined, but it isn’t necessarily the case.
Read on to find out:
- What a WhatsApp cancelled call is.
- Common reasons your WhatsApp call may be cancelled.
- The difference between a cancelled and missed call.
- How to check if you have been blocked by someone on Whatsapp.
After finishing this article you will have a much clearer idea about how WhatApp logs activity on your device and what it means.
Advertisement
What does it mean if it says canceled call?
A cancelled call on WhatsApp is when you hang up before the person you call has a chance to answer.
Cancelled calls apply to outgoing calls you make, not incoming calls. On the incoming handset the call would be logged as missed.
It is a common misconception that you have been blocked, or ignored by the person you call but that isn’t always the case. All you can be sure of is that the call wasn’t picked up, not the reason why.
Reasons for the WhatsApp call being cancelled include:
- You ended the call before the recipient picked up.
- The person you called has no signal.
- The recipients phone is switched off.
- The recipient has disabled voice or video calling on their WhatsApp account.
- You have been blocked.
Normally, a cancelled WhatsApp call in the call log is nothing to worry about.
What is the difference between a missed and cancelled call?
Only a person initiating a call can have a cancelled call in their call log. This is because cancelled in this context means that you cancelled it.
A missed call is what the person you call sees. This is because you called them but hung up before they could answer so they missed your call.
So. missed call is when the recipient didn’t get to talk to you. A cancelled call is when you hung up before the the caller hung up before their call was answered.
Advertisement
For more information, see What does a cancelled call mean.
How do I know if someone blocked me?
You can’t be 100% certain if you have been blocked by a contact on WhatsApp because WhatsApp makes it difficult to know for privacy reasons.
However, there are some indicators that show you might have been blocked on WhatsApp:
- You can’t see if the contact is online now, or the last time they were online.
- You don’t see the contacts updated profile pictures.
- All messages you send to the contact will only display a single checkmark.
- When you try to call them, it fails.
If all of these apply, you are likely to have been blocked.
Before you get upset, remember there are other causes of being unable to get in touch with someone. If you make a flurry of calls and text messages over a period of a few minutes, none of which work, then it could be that:
- Their phone is powered off.
- They have no signal.
- They are busy.
- They are on a call with someone else.
Try to be patient and call them back in an hour or two.
To find out more, see How to fix iPhone call failed error.
Can I contact someone that blocked me?
If you have been blocked then you can’t get in touch with that contact via WhatsApp.
The person that blocked you won’t even be informed that you have attempted to contact them with a missed call alert.
Assuming you have other methods to get in touch, you could telephone them, text them, or FaceTime them from your iPhone.
How long do I have to stop a WhatsApp call before it shows as a missed call?
According to a Quora post, as soon as you tap the call button the call is logged on the recipient’s handset.
Even if the recipient is offline or on another call, they will see the missed call.
“So it doesn’t matter if right now you are not connected to internet, as soon as a connection is established, the recipient will be notified of the call.“
Do you get told about a missed call on WhatsApp if you are on another call?
If you receive a call on WhatsApp while on another call, you will be notified after you hang up.
Call waiting does not exist on WhatsApp, so the recipient won’t be able to answer when you get in touch and they are engaged on another call.
Related articles
FaceTime has different rules than WhatsApp, but a cancelled call still means that the caller hung up before the receiver answered.
To find out more, see Cancelled calls on FaceTime explained.
