23 Believable Excuses for Not Answering the Phone

If you don’t feel okay to answer your phone, you need believable excuses for not answering the phone. It is okay not to answer a phone call when you’re not interested. If you do not feel like talking to anyone, switch your phone off or set it to voicemail so that you do not miss what people have to share with you.

Most of the time, callers do not believe your excuses for not answering their phone call, especially if you owe them explanation. Depending on the surrounding situation, consider answering the call, it could be emergent, but I’m assuming that you do not want to answer it. If someone is disturbing you with frequent calls, explain to them that you are not a phone person and find it difficult to keep up with extended conversations, it should deter them from calling frequently. You can request short conversations if you want to speak with them on the phone.

Good Excuses for Not Answering the Phone

The kind of excuses you make determines whether the caller should trust or disregard your excuses. Sometimes, refusing to answer a phone call is necessary. It could spice up your excuses not to attend a meeting invitation, hiding a pregnancy, etc.

Below are the excuses for not answering the phone:

1. My phone was in a bag or pocket.

It is a believable excuse for not answering a call to say that your phone was inside the bag.

2. The phone was on silent

Tell the person that you silenced your phone because you were in a meeting. If you snuck out of the house, you can this excuse to get out of being caught.

3. Answering the phone will cancel an ongoing process.

If you are downloading a large game or an album, answering a phone call can disconnect and restart the download, especially if the website does not enable the resume download option.

4. I was on a voice or video call.

If a phone call arrives while you are on a voice or video call on apps such as Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Duo, etc., you can’t answer it; otherwise, it disconnects.

5. My phone froze.

Freezing is a typical bug in most mobile phones. Tell the caller that your phone froze or hung immediately after their call arrived.

6. Someone pissed me; I needed to calm my nerves.

The caller will understand that you were pissed at the time of their call and would not concentrate on whatever they had to say or share.

7. I had painful cramps, and couldn’t answer the call.

Explain that you had terrible cramps and could not answer the call. If you excused to leave school early without informing anyone, use this as an excuse for not answering their calls.

8. I was sorrowful.

The first response you will get from the caller is “what is wrong” or “what happened.” Tell them that you lost a contract, death in the family, have a loved one in the hospital, are unable to pay your bills, etc.

9. I didn’t save your number.

If the person is calling for the first time, say, “I didn’t save your phone number because I am avoiding a call from someone.”

10. I was in the middle of a meeting.

Of course, nobody answers a phone call in the middle of a meeting.

11. I was tired and asleep.

Telling people that you could not answer the phone because you were sleeping is a common and believable excuse. You can spice up the excuse by adding that you feel sick.

12. I was applying a face pack in the washroom.

13. I was cooking.

It’s believable to say that you were cooking when the phone call arrived and that your phone was in the bedroom.

14. I had to clean the house and babysit.

15. My phone screen is bad.

I couldn’t answer phone calls because my phone screen was bad and unresponsive.

16. Can’t answer the phone at the office.

The office has strong policies against mobile phones and answering phone calls, except during the break period.

17. My relative was nearby.

If your partner called, tell them the excuse that your relative was nearby. You can mention your dad, mom, older sibling, granny, uncle, etc.

18. Someone was using my phone.

Well, if someone is with your phone, you can’t answer the phone call, the caller should believe this excuse easily. You can include that you were sneaking up on a cat while the person used your phone.

19. Washing my hair at the hair salon.

A good excuse for not answering the call is that you were washing your hair.

20. No battery juice on my phone.

If your phone’s battery is low, answering the call can put it off. Explain to the person that you had no charger at the time to power your mobile phone.

21. I forgot my phone at home while I went to visit someone.

If you haven’t answered the call in a while, tell the person you forgot your phone at home when you visited a relative or a friend.

22. My phone was in the car while I went shopping.

23. I had dirt in my hands.

Tell the person that you could not pick up your phone because your hands were dirty while working. This excuse is typically a temporary kind.

Bonus Excuse:

Tell the person that you are avoiding someone. For example, if you don’t want to honor a wedding invitation, it is OK to say that you are avoiding the couple’s phone call.

Tips to Make them Believe You

Some persons would doubt that your excuse is legit. Do the following for people to believe why you couldn’t answer your phone:

Tell Them You Forgot to Call Back

If they call again and you are willing to answer the call, explain to them that you forgot to call back and that you have been busy throughout the time.

Say You’re Sorry

Most persons expect you to apologize for not answering their calls. When you answer their calls or call them eventually, start by saying that you are sorry you couldn’t answer your phone at the time.

Go Straight to the Point

Without hesitations, go straight to the reason for the call and talk to them politely. If you owed them an explanation or money, discuss it and hear what they have to say. The caller may want to make friends, don’t be harsh unless you have cautioned them countless times that you can’t give what they want.

Sample Text Message for Not Answering the Phone

Hi [Recipient]
So sorry I could not answer the phone at the time of your call.
I was [describe the excuse you intend to make], so I could not answer the call.
Kindly give me till the next few hours to call back.
Thanks.
[Your name]

Final Thoughts

You don’t need an excuse for refusing to answer your phone if you owe the caller no explanation. Tell the person that you could not answer the phone because the number was a strange number and that you have been avoiding a stalker from calling you with a different phone number.

If you are anti-social, don’t hesitate to explain to the caller that you can’t stand long conversations and that you hadn’t the convenience to answer your phone.

If you do not want to answer your phone, turn it off. You can request your contacts to send text messages when they want to connect with you.

Meanwhile, you may consider some good excuses to avoid hanging out with friends.