Troubleshooting
If simulated calls aren't behaving as expected, the cause is almost always one of the settings below. The same list lives in the app under More → Tips & fixes, with buttons that open the right settings screen.
No call appears at all
If tapping Now or a scheduled trigger produces no call screen, Self Call's calling account is most likely not switched on. It is the one thing Self Call cannot work without. Open More → App permissions and check the Calling account switch, or follow the setup tutorial.
Scheduled calls don't ring when the app is closed
Some phones aggressively stop apps in the background to save battery, which can silently cancel a scheduled call. On Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, vivo, Samsung, TECNO, Infinix, OPPO, realme and OnePlus phones there is a specific setting to change: battery settings by brand. On other phones, excluding Self Call from battery optimization (App permissions → Battery optimization exemption) is the fix.
A call froze and couldn't be declined
This happens when the phone's battery manager freezes Self Call in the middle of a call. The ringing itself is played by Android, but answering, declining and the ring duration run inside the app; while it is frozen, the call is stuck, sometimes until the phone is restarted. The vendor setting in the battery settings tutorial prevents it. The app also notices a dead call afterwards and offers to pause calls until the setting is fixed.
Scheduled calls ring late
On Android 12 and newer, exact timing requires the Alarms & reminders permission. Without it the system may delay a scheduled call by several minutes. Switch it on from More → App permissions.
The caller's photo doesn't appear on the call screen
The incoming-call screen is drawn by Android, which looks the caller's number up in your device contacts and shows that contact's photo. A photo appears only if the caller is saved as a real contact with a picture and the same number. Details and the fix.
Silent ring mode vibrates instead
Muting the ringer needs Do Not Disturb access for Self Call. Grant it from More → App permissions → Do Not Disturb access. More.
The prepared-call gesture does nothing
Check that the Quick Settings tile shows Armed and the "Prepared call gesture active" notification is present; if it vanished, the battery manager stopped the listener (see above). Press the power button three times quickly, within about a second and a half between presses. Prepared call tutorial.
My phone can't make real calls any more
Self Call was selected under "Make calls with" in your phone's calling-account settings. Open your Phone app → Settings → Calling accounts (wording varies) and set "Make calls with" back to your SIM. Self Call only needs to be enabled there, never selected for outgoing calls.
Still stuck?
Use Report bug in the app menu. It opens your email app with a message that includes your phone model and Android version, which makes these issues much easier to track down. Or write to stefanov.alexandre@gmail.com.