Lyft does not have a blanket rule that bans drivers from ever talking on the phone while driving, but drivers are required to follow all state and local laws about phone use behind the wheel, and Lyft's community guidelines emphasize safe, distraction-free driving throughout a ride.
The legal patchwork. Rules vary widely by state and country. Many U.S. states ban handheld phone use entirely while driving (requiring hands-free/Bluetooth for calls), some restrict phone use only for new or teen drivers, and a smaller number have no specific hands-free law at all. Because Lyft operates across many jurisdictions, it generally defers to these local laws rather than issuing one universal ban, but drivers are contractually obligated to comply with whatever law applies where they're driving.
Lyft's own guidance. Lyft's community guidelines and driver safety materials ask drivers to avoid distracted driving, which includes discouraging non-essential phone use — texting, browsing, or lengthy personal calls — while a passenger is in the car. Drivers are expected to use the Lyft app for navigation and ride requests, and hands-free setups are recommended if any call needs to be taken. Taking calls unrelated to the trip, especially in a way that seems distracting, unsafe, or unprofessional (like putting a passenger on hold for a personal chat), can lead to lower ratings or passenger complaints, which Lyft does take into account when evaluating driver performance.
Practical reality. Many drivers do use hands-free calling for business purposes (confirming pickup locations, customer service) or brief personal calls via Bluetooth, since this is legal in most places. However, holding a phone to talk, texting, or being visibly distracted during a ride is both against the law in most areas and against the spirit of Lyft's safety expectations, and passengers can report drivers for unsafe or distracting behavior.
In short: hands-free calls are typically tolerated if legal locally and not disruptive to the ride, but handheld or distracting phone use is discouraged and often illegal.