First-time setup
Self Call needs one setting the app cannot switch on by itself. The app walks you through it on first launch; this page is the same walk-through for reference.
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Install and open Self Call
Get it from Google Play. The welcome screen explains that calls are simulated locally: Self Call never places or receives real calls and never touches your SIM, carrier or billing.
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Switch on the calling account
Tap Continue on the welcome screen. Android opens its Calling accounts settings. Find Self Call in the list and switch it on, then go back to the app.
Why: Android only shows its genuine incoming-call screen for registered calling accounts. Without this switch, Self Call cannot display simulated calls at all.
Do not select Self Call under "Make calls with" on that screen. That setting chooses which account places your real outgoing calls. Self Call cannot make real calls, so your phone would be unable to call anyone until you switched back to your SIM.
If the settings screen did not open automatically, open your Phone app, then Settings → Calling accounts (on some phones Settings → Apps → Phone → Calling accounts) and switch Self Call on there.
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Phones with a vendor battery manager: one more step
On Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO, vivo, iQOO, Samsung, TECNO, Infinix, itel, OPPO, realme and OnePlus phones the app shows a second setup screen. These phones ship their own background killer that can stop a scheduled call from ringing, or freeze a call mid-ring. The screen names the exact setting for your phone and opens it for you.
The app cannot read that setting back, so please check it yourself. All the steps per brand are in the battery settings tutorial.
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Allow Alarms & reminders
On Android 12 and newer, exact timing needs the Alarms & reminders permission. Open the app menu (More tab) → App permissions and switch it on. Without it Android may ring a scheduled call several minutes late.
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Ring a test call
Tap the big green button in the middle of the bottom bar, pick Boss or any other caller, and tap Now. Your phone's incoming-call screen appears. Answer it, decline it, or let it ring out and watch the missed-call notification arrive.
Optional permissions
Each of these unlocks one feature and can be granted later, right where the feature is used:
- Contacts, to pick a caller from your device contacts (with their photo on the call screen).
- Microphone, to record an audio message.
- Music & audio, to attach an audio file (full version).
- Do Not Disturb access, for the Silent ring mode (full version).