Forum Discussion

DanielMy_399855's avatar
DanielMy_399855
SMARTY Pioneer
20-03-2024

Incoming calls end after 2 mins 5 secs

I have a recurring issue with incoming calls ending at exactly 2 mins 5 secs. Its repeatable until I place an outgoing call, which works as expected, after placing an outgoing call usually incoming calls will work for a few hours before the issue reoccurs.

When the call ends, the phone does not report the call has ended, it just returns to the home screen. The phone placing the outgoing call (tested from Vodafone and O2 gets a 'Call Ended' message).

I've tested my SIM on two phones (Motorola Edge 40 Neo, Moto G14), and found that the issue occurs on both, and once it starts it repeats until I either restart the phone, or place an outgoing call.

Any ideas on what the cause could be?

I couldn't find any posts of the same issue on the Smarty forum, but could find the exact same issue reported by an ID Mobile customer (ID Mobile being a Three MVNO the same as Smarty) here: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/device-phone-support-26/incoming-calls-cut-off-after-2min-5sec-57728

Call Issues
Network

10 Replies

  • SmartyTrousers's avatar
    SmartyTrousers
    SMARTY Centurion
    06-08-2024

    I've read about a similar issue on Vodafone some time ago, although in that case it was after 29 minutes and 50 seconds. Still, I think it could be the same issue and it's just that different networks set different timeouts.

    The issue seems to be that on 4G calls (and I think WiFi calls) the network requires the handset to periodically send in a keep-alive message during the call, to let the network know that the call is still active. And some Android handsets send the keep-alive signal in a format the network equipment doesn't recognise.

    So I'm guessing Three's/Smarty's network tells the handset to send the keep-alive message every 2 minutes. Your handsets are probably doing this, but in a format the network doesn't recognise. So after waiting a few seconds' grace period, the network decides it hasn't received a valid keep-alive message, so the call must be over.

    I believe this is why Smarty has a list of devices which are not compatible with its 4G calling here. The two Motorola devices you have tested are not listed, but maybe Smarty's list isn't comprehensive.

    Here's a discussion on Reddit which goes into technical detail about the issue which was occurring on Vodafone.

  • Michael_2408837's avatar
    Michael_2408837
    SMARTY Maverick
    05-08-2024

    I'm also having this issue and it's damned annoying. Have no idea how to stop it. Restarting the phone seems to stop it but eventually the problem returns. 

  • Charmai_2074403's avatar
    Charmai_2074403
    SMARTY Rookie
    11-11-2024

    How did this get solved in the end as I'm still having this issue. 

    Thanks 

    • SmartyTrousers's avatar
      SmartyTrousers
      SMARTY Centurion
      11-11-2024

      Presumably by the user either switching to another network where their phone was compatible, or getting a phone which was compatible with Smarty.

  • Charmai_2074403's avatar
    Charmai_2074403
    SMARTY Rookie
    11-11-2024

    How did you get this solved in the end please? I'm having this issue 😞

  • AndyPed_1201103's avatar
    AndyPed_1201103
    SMARTY Rookie
    04-02-2025

    Hi, I have the same, been happening on and off for a couple of years. Andy refuses sometimes to connect it going calls, out to even recognise that there is an incoming call. But it's a two SIM phone and when I've not been able to leave a call on the smarty SIM, which is the primary one, switching to the alternative,a Three SIM, do on the same network, it works perfectly and immediately. Perplexed!

  • DanPott_1451320's avatar
    DanPott_1451320
    SMARTY Rookie
    25-03-2025

    Same issue as above. Is there a resolution? Am using Nothing CMF 1. It's only started to happen and a phone reset did clear it for a couple days. Wife has a Xiaomi something that suddenly started behaving like this so she now has a Lebara dual SIM until we can safely Xfer the number.

    Anything from Smarty technical on this as I have ordered a Lebara sim and when it arrives will switch unless I hear something.

    Smarty are losing customers which is surely a P1 incident but if they aren't bothered someone else can have the business.

    • MSF's avatar
      MSF
      SMARTY Guru
      25-03-2025

      DanPott_1451320  Have you actually written to Smarty for their tech people to consider the problem? If not, I don't think that they will respond via the community forum.

      As they still apparently have over a million customers, they presumably are not losing people in droves.

      I cannot say that we have experienced this particular problem in our household.

      Has the problem disappeared on your wife's phone while using the Lebara sim? What is the dual sim?

      Presumably you have decent Vodafone coverage there?

      • DanPott_1451320's avatar
        DanPott_1451320
        SMARTY Rookie
        25-03-2025

        I did with my wife's phone and it went nowhere - just hit a script loop of phone models and restarting the phone. If I have time I will contact them again but tbh Lebara works which is what I want from a provider. 

        Shame as I have been a smarty advocate. They clearly won't miss out two phones but I will tell people this is an issue when people ask what provider I am with.