What you can change about your iPhone call screen

Your iPhone's call screen — the display that appears when someone calls you — has limited customization built in. You cannot change the background image, the layout, or the size of the caller's name and number the way you might on some Android phones. What you can change is whether your own photo appears during calls, whether your contact photo shows up when you call someone else, and which apps handle incoming calls instead of the native Phone app.

The most common reason people want to change their call screen is to update or remove their own photo — the one that appears on the other person's phone when you call them. This is controlled through your contact card in the Contacts app, not through the Phone app itself. If you want a different app to handle calls entirely (like Google Voice or a business phone service), you can set that as your default calling app, though it will not change the native call screen appearance.

Key Takeaways

  • Your own photo on the call screen is stored in your contact card under Contacts, not in the Phone app settings.
  • To change how you appear when you call someone, open Contacts, tap your own name, select Edit, and update or remove your photo.
  • You can set a different app as your default for making calls, but this does not change the appearance of incoming call notifications.
  • The incoming call screen itself — the layout, fonts, and background — cannot be customized on iPhone without using accessibility features or jailbreaking.

How to update your photo on the call screen

Open the Contacts app on your home screen. Scroll to the top and tap your own name — it usually appears first or has a label like "Me" next to it. If you do not see yourself listed, tap the + button to create your contact card.

Once you have opened your contact, tap the Edit button in the top right corner. You will see a circle with your current photo (or a blank placeholder if you have not set one). Tap that circle to open the photo options. You can choose to take a new photo with your camera, select one from your photo library, or remove the photo entirely by tapping Delete Photo.

After you have made your choice, tap Done to save. The new photo will appear on the call screen the next time someone calls you — they will see it on their end, and it will also display in your outgoing call notifications on your own phone.

Setting a different app as your default for calls

If you use a service like Google Voice, Skype, or a business phone app, you can make that your default calling app instead of Apple's Phone app. Open Settings and scroll down to Phone. Tap Default Call Filter or look for an option labeled "Default Calls App" (the exact name varies by iOS version).

You will see a list of apps installed on your phone that can handle calls. Select the one you want to use. From that point forward, when you tap a phone number in Contacts, Messages, or Safari, it will open in your chosen app instead of the native Phone app.

Keep in mind that changing your default calling app does not change how incoming calls appear on your lock screen. Incoming calls will still show the standard iPhone call screen — only outgoing calls will route through your chosen app. If you want incoming calls to go through a different service, you may need to forward your number through your carrier or adjust settings within that app itself.

Using Do Not Disturb to customize call behavior

While you cannot redesign the call screen itself, you can control when calls interrupt you and who can reach you. Open Settings and tap Focus (on newer iPhones) or Do Not Disturb (on older models). Create a custom focus that allows calls only from specific contacts — for example, family or work colleagues.

When that focus is active, calls from people not on your list will go straight to voicemail, and the call screen will not appear at all. This is useful if you want to change the experience of receiving calls without actually changing how the screen looks. You can set these focuses to turn on automatically at certain times or locations.

Why iPhone call screen customization is limited

Apple designs the call screen to be consistent and recognizable across all iPhones for safety and usability reasons. The large, clear display of the caller's name and number, the prominent answer and decline buttons, and the emergency call option are all standardized so that any iPhone user can answer a call quickly, even in an unfamiliar situation or with one hand.

Unlike some Android phones, which allow you to install custom call screen apps that completely replace the native interface, iPhone restricts this for security. Third-party apps can filter calls or add information (like identifying spam), but they cannot redesign the actual call screen that appears on your lock screen or during an active call.

Accessibility options that affect the call screen

If you have vision or hearing needs, you can adjust how the call screen behaves without changing its appearance. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and look for options like Large Text, Bold Text, or High Contrast. These will make the caller's name and number easier to read.

For hearing support, you can enable Live Captions, which transcribes the other person's speech in real time during a call. You can also enable Hearing Aids or use a hearing loop if your device supports it. These features do not change the visual design of the call screen, but they make it more usable for people with specific needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the background of the incoming call screen?

No. iPhone does not allow you to change the background, colors, or layout of the incoming call screen. The design is fixed by Apple across all devices. Some Android phones offer this customization, but it is not available on iPhone.

Will changing my contact photo affect how I appear in other apps?

Yes. Your contact photo appears in Messages, FaceTime, Mail, and anywhere else your contact card is displayed. Changing it in Contacts will update it everywhere on your phone and on other people's devices when they have you saved.

What happens if I set a third-party app as my default calling app?

Outgoing calls will use that app, but incoming calls will still arrive through the standard iPhone call screen. The app may add features like spam filtering or caller ID, but it cannot replace the native incoming call interface.

Can I hide my photo from appearing when I call someone?

Yes. Delete your photo from your contact card (edit your contact, tap your photo, and select Delete Photo). When you call someone, they will see your phone number instead of your image. You can do this selectively — some contacts will see your photo, others will not — by editing how you appear in each person's individual contact card.

Does changing my call screen settings affect FaceTime calls?

No. FaceTime has its own interface and is not affected by Phone app settings. Your photo in FaceTime calls is controlled through your Apple ID profile picture, which you can change in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.