Hold Assist in iOS 26 will notify you the moment a live agent returns and even show a transcript of what you might have missed.
Hold Assist waits on hold for you — no more elevator music.
Hold Assist Detection auto-detects when you’re placed on hold.
Get a notification and transcript when a live agent returns.
I’ve been playing with the official release of iOS 26, trying to get to know all the features. If you’ve ever wasted 20 minutes listening to elevator music while waiting for a customer service rep, I’ve found a new trick you’ve got to try.
I’ve already talked about how screenshots are more useful now and how you can use an automated voice to screen unknown spam calls. But another iOS 26 feature I’ve really come to appreciate is Hold Assist. It takes over when you’re put on hold. Instead of forcing you to sit through music or keep the call screen open, your iPhone listens and alerts you the moment a person is back.
Just tap the Hold Assist banner when it appears, or enable it manually from the in-call menu, and your iPhone will monitor the line. When the agent returns, you’ll get a notification and see a transcript of what you might have missed so you can easily rejoin. How to use Hold Assist on an iPhone call
What you’ll need: An iPhone running iOS 26 or later. If you want your iPhone to proactively detect hold music during a call and prompt you to let Hold Assist take over, you’ll need to enable Hold Assist Detection first.
