How to Prevent Pocket Dialing on Android: Stop Accidental Calls (2026)

Your phone called someone from your pocket or bag, or you found an outgoing call in your history that you never meant to make. Pocket dialing happens when the screen wakes up or stays unlocked and something presses it. This guide lists the Android and Samsung settings that stop it, the emergency calling feature that can place calls by accident, what to do if you dial emergency services by accident, and how to stop accidental calls to one particular number.

Current as of September 2026. Menu names differ by phone maker and Android version; if a setting is not where described, search for its name in the Settings app.

1. The short answer

To stop accidental calls on Android: use a screen lock (PIN, pattern or password), turn off on-body detection so the phone locks when it is in your pocket, and on a Samsung Galaxy turn on Accidental touch protection under Settings > Display. If your phone uses Emergency SOS, set it to ask you to touch and hold before calling, so repeated button presses in a pocket do not dial emergency services.

2. Why phones pocket dial

• The phone stays unlocked on you. Features that keep the phone unlocked while you carry it leave the dialer one touch away.
• The screen wakes up by itself. Lift to wake and double tap to wake can switch the screen on in a pocket or bag.
• Button shortcuts. Emergency SOS starts when the power button is pressed several times, which can happen when something presses it.
• A recent contact on screen. If the phone unlocks straight into the call log or favorites, one touch calls the top entry.

3. Settings on any Android phone

Use a screen lock

Set a PIN, pattern or password in Settings > Security (the exact name varies). A phone that needs unlocking cannot dial contacts from the lock screen, so this alone stops most pocket calls. A short screen timeout helps the phone lock sooner after you put it away.

Turn off on-body detection

Android's Extend Unlock (formerly Smart Lock) includes on-body detection. Google's help page says that with it, after you unlock your phone "it stays unlocked as long as it senses that it's on your body", and Extend Unlock can keep the device unlocked "for up to 4 hours at a time". That is exactly the situation that causes pocket dials. Turn on-body detection off in your security settings, under Extend Unlock or Smart Lock.

Leave the proximity sensor working

On Pixel phones, Google explains that the proximity sensor keeps the screen off when the phone is near your face during a call or the screen is locked, and that keeping the screen off helps "avoid accidental taps on the screen." Cases or screen protectors that cover the sensor can stop this from working.

4. Settings on a Samsung Galaxy

1. Open Settings > Display and turn on Accidental touch protection. Samsung's UK support page describes this setting for Galaxy phones; it uses the proximity sensor to ignore touches in a dark place such as a pocket.
2. Turn off On-body detection (older Galaxy phones: Settings > Lock screen and security > Smart Lock), as Samsung's page on preventing pocket dialing advises.
3. Consider turning off Lift to wake and Double tap to wake under Motions and gestures, which Samsung also lists.

On older models the display setting may be called Block accidental touches.

5. Accidental emergency calls

Many Android phones have Emergency SOS. According to Google, you start it when you "press the power button 5 times or more", and depending on your settings you either touch and hold to confirm or wait for an automatic countdown before it calls. To avoid accidental calls, choose the option that asks you to touch and hold, rather than starting after a countdown. Google also notes that Emergency SOS does not work in airplane mode or when Battery Saver is on.

If you call emergency services by accident, Google's advice is clear: "do not hang up. Tell the emergency operator that the call was accidental and that you do not need assistance." FCC guidance published by the State of Connecticut also suggests locking keypads and turning off any automatic 911 dialing feature.

6. Accidental calls to one number keep happening

Sometimes the accidental calls keep going to the same person, usually the most recent or favorite contact. The settings above make that less likely, but they cannot guarantee it. If you want calls to that number to be impossible at certain times, for example while you are at work or out in the evening, you can block them on the phone:

• One number ✓
• Only at set times ✓
• Other calls unaffected

NoDial stops calls from your phone to the numbers you choose, always or on certain days and hours. An accidental tap on that contact simply does not connect, and every other call works as usual. The first number is free. For schedules, see How to Block Outgoing Calls Only at Certain Hours.

* NoDial never blocks emergency calls, so it does not prevent accidental emergency calls; use the Emergency SOS settings in section 5 for those.

7. FAQ

How do I stop my Android phone from pocket dialing?

Use a screen lock, turn off on-body detection in Extend Unlock or Smart Lock, and on Samsung turn on Accidental touch protection in Settings > Display. Also turn off lift to wake if your phone keeps waking in your pocket.

Why does my phone keep calling people by itself?

Usually the phone is staying unlocked while you carry it, the screen wakes up in a pocket, or a button shortcut such as Emergency SOS is being triggered. A screen lock and turning off on-body detection solve most cases.

What is Accidental touch protection on Samsung?

A Samsung Galaxy setting under Settings > Display that uses the proximity sensor to ignore touches when the phone is in a dark place such as a pocket or bag.

What should I do if I call emergency services by accident?

Do not hang up. Tell the operator the call was accidental and that you do not need help. To prevent it, set Emergency SOS to require touch and hold before calling.

Can I stop accidental calls to one specific contact?

Yes. An outgoing call blocker such as NoDial can block calls from your phone to that number, always or during set hours, while all other calls work normally.

8. Summary

• Screen lock: the single most effective setting.
• On-body detection keeps the phone unlocked on you; turn it off.
• Samsung: Accidental touch protection, and lift to wake off.
• Emergency SOS: choose touch and hold. If you call by accident, stay on the line.
• One contact keeps getting called: NoDial can block calls to it, always or at set times.

NoDial: block calls to the numbers you choseStop calls to one number, always or at set times. First number free.

Sources

• Android Help, "Choose when your Android phone can stay unlocked" (Extend Unlock, on-body detection, up to 4 hours) support.google.com
• Pixel Phone Help, proximity sensor (screen off near your face and when locked; avoid accidental taps) support.google.com
• Android Help, "Get help during an emergency with your Android phone" (Emergency SOS; press the power button 5 times or more; do not hang up after an accidental call) support.google.com
• Samsung UK, "How to prevent accidental touches on your Galaxy smartphone" (Settings > Display > Accidental touch protection) samsung.com
• Samsung Singapore, "How to prevent pocket dialing on Samsung Mobile Device" (on-body detection, Block accidental touches, motions and gestures) samsung.com
• State of Connecticut, Office of Consumer Counsel, "Avoid Making Accidental 911 Calls" (FCC guidance: lock keypads, turn off auto-dial 911) portal.ct.gov
• Android Developers, "CallRedirectionService" (outgoing call blocking on the phone; emergency calls not redirected) developer.android.com

Settings and their names change with Android and One UI updates. Check your phone maker's help pages for your model.