DocsWhen something isn't working

Why a call won't connect, and what to try

When a call fails, the call screen usually says why. Most often the other phone is out of reach, isn't connected to the relay you share, or isn't taking that kind of call.

Checked against Knit 2.10.0

Find the message you saw below. Each one says what Knit found, and usually it's something one of you can fix on the spot.

What the call screen is telling you

Message	What it means	What to try
Can't reach … right now	Knit sees no way to their phone	Get closer, or both connect to a relay you share
Waiting for …'s phone to respond	The call went out, but their phone hasn't rung	Give it a moment, or send a message
No answer	Nobody picked up, or they don't take that kind of call	Send a message, or try the other kind
Busy	They're on another call	Try again later
No route between the phones	The phones couldn't connect the audio	Try another network, or a mesh call
Call dropped	The connection went and didn't come back	Tap Call back, or start a mesh call

If Knit says the other person needs a build of Knit with calls, their phone is on an older version. Calls work once they update.

Calls that ring late, or not at all

A call across the Internet rings only while the other phone is connected to the relay you share. A phone that's offline, or that has the relay switched off, won't ring.

A call that reaches a phone more than a minute after it was made doesn't ring at all. It shows up as a missed call instead, so they can call you back.

If you both call each other at the same moment, Knit keeps one of the two calls and connects you.

When the sound breaks up

On a live call, the screen says whose audio is breaking up, or that the connection has a long delay. A steadier network on either side usually helps. If a network change cuts the call off, it tries to reconnect by itself.
On a mesh call, every phone in between adds delay and another chance to lose a piece. Moving closer, so fewer phones sit in the path, makes the biggest difference. Lost pieces are skipped, not played late.
A Bluetooth headset shares your phone's Bluetooth radio with the mesh. When the link to the other phone is running in long-range mode, a mesh call can lose most of what the other person says while a headset is connected. Switch the call to the speaker if that happens.

Microphone and lock screen

If the other person can't hear you, the call screen says why: Android silenced the microphone, or the microphone isn't giving Knit any sound. Where it can, Knit switches to a backup way of recording for the rest of that call.
Knit asks for the microphone the first time you call or answer. If you said no, allow it again in Android's settings for Knit.
If calls don't ring on your lock screen, allow full-screen notifications for Knit in Android's settings. Settings › Calls shows whether it's allowed.
If Relay all calls is on and no relay you're connected to offers a TURN server, live calls can't connect, and incoming ones are listed as missed with that reason. Turn Relay all calls off, or connect to a relay that offers one.

Quick checks

Both phones have a version of Knit with calls.
On the phone you're calling, Take live calls and Take mesh calls are on in Settings › Calls.
For a call across the Internet, both phones have the same relay switched on and a working connection.
For a mesh call, Knit is running with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on, and you're within three phones of each other.

What to expect

A call needs the other phone reachable right now. When it isn't, send a message instead: the mesh carries it and holds on to it for up to a day.
A live call doesn't go through other phones, so with no Internet it needs the two phones close enough for Wi-Fi Direct.
A mesh call reaches through at most three other Knit phones, and gets slower with each one.
No call uses LoRa, so a paired Meshtastic radio can't carry one.

Common questions

Why does the caller see No answer when my phone never rang?

Because Take live calls or Take mesh calls is off in Settings › Calls for that kind of call. Your phone turns those calls away without ringing, and the caller sees No answer.

Can Knit move a dropped call over to the mesh for me?

No. A live call that can't reconnect ends, so you always know which kind of call you're on. If the other person is nearby, start a mesh call from the chat.

Why can't I call from a group chat?

Calls are one-to-one. Open a direct chat with the person to call them.