What Does Outgoing Call Mean? A Complete Explanation of Outgoing, Incoming, + Cancelled Calls

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A complete guide on what outgoing calls are

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: July 7, 2024 Fact Checked

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Outgoing vs Incoming Calls

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Difference Between Outgoing and Cancelled Calls

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Video

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Was that call incoming or outgoing? What does "Cancelled Call" on my phone record mean? An outgoing call is one that you initiated and most likely costs you money or minutes through your carrier and an incoming call is a call that you answer. A canceled call happens when the other person hangs up before you answer or the voicemail starts, but those are all very generic definitions. This wikiHow article discusses those terms further so you can better understand what an "Outgoing Call", "Incoming Call", and "Cancelled Call" means on iPhone, Android, and landline/business phones.

Things You Should Know

The main difference between incoming and outgoing calls is if you placed the call or answered it.
If you dialed the number or tapped the Contact, you made an outgoing call.
If you pressed the green button on your screen to answer a call, you have an incoming call.

Section 1 of 2:

Outgoing vs Incoming Calls

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If you place the call, it's outgoing. Outgoing calls usually cost minutes, if you don't have an unlimited plan.
- For outgoing calls, you have to dial the number to call or tap a Contact's name to call them.
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If you answer a call, it's incoming. An incoming call or a call that you answer is generally free since the person who initiated the call is paying for the minutes.
- By tapping the green call answer button or pressing the "Volume Up" button on your phone, you are answering an incoming call.
- Tell which is which in the call log of your iPhone or Android smartphone by looking at the grey icon next to the call. If the arrow is pointing away from the telephone receiver, the call was outgoing or placed by you. If you want to filter the results by calls you missed, tap Missed at the top of the screen. An arrow that points at the phone receiver means that it was an incoming call, or that someone else called you.^{[1]
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- In other words, if you call someone else, they will see "Incoming Call" while you're making an "Outgoing Call."
- If you have a landline phone, you may have to look at your phone records to see what calls were incoming, outgoing, and cancelled. However, many modern landlines have a digital display where you can view recent call logs, including outgoing, incoming, and missed calls.

Section 2 of 2:

Difference Between Outgoing and Cancelled Calls

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Calls that are ended before the receiver picks up are 'Cancelled Calls'. You'll see "Cancelled Call" in the phone log on your iPhone if the caller ended the phone call before you answered or your voicemail picked up.
- Sadly, this is also a technique used by scammers to get you to call back. They make a call to your phone from another country and hang up before you answer, to get you to call back. Unfortunately, if you call this foreign country back, you will most likely be charged by your carrier a lot of money for an out-of-country call. Save yourself time and money and don't return any canceled calls that you don't recognize.
- These can also fall under the "Wrong number" category when the caller realized they've dialed the wrong number and immediately hang up.