Cannot reject a call directly on iPhone while wearing an Apple Watch

Have you tried the different options in

Answer or decline incoming calls on iPhone - Apple Support

Note the instructions carefully. "Clicking the right button repeatedly" is not what Apple says to do. But rather "press the side button twice quickly" and for that the timing of the two presses makes a difference. Swiping up has to be done right also -- my wife still cannot reliably swipe up on her phone for anything.

If you just want to silence the call, Apple says to do this:

Silence a call

Press the side button or either volume button when a call is coming in.

When your iPhone is locked, the screen hides the red "Decline" button to prevent you from accidentally answering or hanging up calls while the phone is in your pocket or bag.

If you open the Watch app on your iPhone, you can explore some settings. For that app, in the Notifications=>Phone settings for the watch, do you have checked "mirror my phone"?

Also, you can go to the iPhone's Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay to toggle the Double-Click Side Button feature on or off.

I asked my browser about this and it returned this information (it is an AI response, so take with a grain of salt):

To stop Apple Wallet from opening when you double-press the side button to decline a call, you can turn off the side-button shortcut for Apple Pay or use alternative ways to handle the call. [1, 2]

How to Disable the Double-Click Wallet Shortcut

If you do not use Apple Pay via the side button, you can turn off the shortcut in your settings:

1. 1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
   2. Tap Wallet & Apple Pay.
   3. Toggle off Double Click Side Button (or navigate through Apple Pay Defaults to turn it off). [1, 2]

Alternative Ways to Decline a Call (Without Changing Settings)

If you keep the Wallet shortcut enabled, you can decline or silence calls using these methods instead of double-pressing the side button:

• • Decline with the screen: Tap the red Decline button (available when your phone is unlocked) or tap the decline/end icon if visible.
  • Silence the ringtone first: Press the side button once to silence the ringer without rejecting the call immediately, then let it go to voicemail or tap the screen to decline.
  • Swipe up: Swipe up on the incoming call banner to dismiss it. [1, 2] Note that Apple's instructions for this are to "swipe up on the call banner" not just swipe up.

Answer or decline incoming calls on iPhone - Apple Support

The reason I asked AI about this is that I know this behavior can be adjusted through Settings. On my iPhone, when I am wearing the Series 11 watch, I can easily decline calls from my iPhone doing what Apple says to do. But you have some Setting(s) that is changing this behavior, I just don't know which one.

You might also check the Accessibility settings because those can modify how the various buttons work and how notifications behave. I am having trouble suggesting the EXACT solution for you because I can't reproduce what you are seeing.

I figured out what what causing the issue. It’s call screening. If you have call screening turned on, it disables your ability to decline the call on the phone if you’re wearing an Apple Watch and the phone was locked. Seems like a screwy UI issue that means I’ll have to keep call screening turned off.

Thank you for your help. Pressing the side button twice quickly opens my wallet. Swiping up unlocks my phone and dismisses the ring to the Dynamic Island and my phone continues to ring loudly and vibrate. Clicking the volume buttons does nothing. I cannot find any option to reject an incoming call while wearing my Apple Watch, except with the watch itself, which is often inconvenient.