In Summary
- Spam calls have become increasingly common these days. People often prefer to block numbers immediately.
- However, blocking numbers is not an effective solution as it has its own disadvantages. Apart from blocking, you can use various techniques to control calls.
- In this guide, you will learn different methods to stop incoming calls. These methods include using features such as Do Not Disturb, screening calls or using third-party apps that filter incoming calls based on their credibility.
Incoming calls, especially from unknown numbers and automated calls, can be very harmful. You might also receive automated calls trying to sell you things you don’t want, callers trying to get your personal information, and frequent calls from someone you don’t want to talk to. Over time, these calls can distract you, cause you stress, and even lead you to commit fraud.
The first thing most people do to stop unwanted incoming calls is to block them immediately. But this isn’t always the best idea and can be a tedious process for some people. Besides, blocking has its disadvantages as well: When you block a number, you’ll no longer receive calls or messages from that number, even if you need them in the future. Besides, people who harass you can simply call from another number, which makes blocking useless.
Fortunately, there are other ways to prevent incoming calls without necessarily blocking them. These include features like Do Not Disturb, screening calls, or using third-party apps that filter incoming calls based on their credibility. In this guide, we’ll look at different methods to stop incoming calls without blocking them.
Table of Contents
How To Stop Incoming Calls Without Blocking
Turn On Do Not Disturb Mode
Do not disturb mode, or DND for short is a popular feature found on most smartphones to limit distractions on the smartphone. When DND mode is enabled, all calls, alarms, and notifications on your device are muted so that you are not alerted by incoming calls, messages, and other unwanted notifications.
This is especially useful if you want to mute incoming calls when you are in a meeting, at work, or need a temporary break from incoming calls. However, the DND mode also has some disadvantages. It may prevent you from receiving important calls if you forget to add them to your whitelist. Also, if you are expecting an important call from an unknown number, such as a job offer or a delivery call, you might miss it if you have set your phone to mute unknown callers. To avoid this, you can whitelist calls from important contacts and also use focus mode instead of DND, which is more flexible and allows users to select and mute specific apps.
How to turn on DND mode on Android
- Open Settings on your Android smartphone
- Now look for the “Sound” or “Sound & Vibration” option. This may vary from smartphone to smartphone. If you can not find the option, you can use the search to find the DND mode.
- Find the “Do not disturb” option and tap it.
- Now turn on the DND mode to enable the Do Not Disturb mode on your smartphone
- Scroll to the Exceptions tab and select the people and apps you want to add as exceptions.
- Also, disable the “Ring on repeated calls” option. This will allow calls from the same number within 3 minutes. Most spam and unwanted calls fall under this category.
How to enable DND mode on iPhone
- Unlock your iPhone and swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to bring up the Control Center.
- In the control center, look for the “Focus” tile and tap on it.
- Now tap on “Do not disturb” in the list of options to enable it.
- If you want to receive calls from important contacts, you can add their numbers to a “whitelist.” this will ensure that their calls will be put through even if your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode.
Silence Calls From Unknown Numbers
Another simple way to stop unknown incoming calls is to mute them. If the “Silence unknown callers” feature is enabled on your smartphone, the call from numbers that aren’t stored in your contacts will be automatically muted. The phone will still ring, but you’ll no longer hear the ringtone. These calls will still appear in the recent call history, and you’ll receive a missed call notification.
How to silence calls on an Android smartphone
- Open
dialer app on your smartphone - Click on the three-dot menu in the upper corner of the screen
- Now tap on the settings
- First, tap on the “Caller ID and spam options” option. Now turn on the option “Filter spam calls”
- Now scroll down and find the “Blocked numbers” option and tap on it
- Now turn on the Unknown – Block calls from unidentified calls option.
How to silence calls on iPhone
- Open Settings on your iPhone
- Tap on “Phone.” You’ll probably need to scroll down the menu a bit.
- Tap “Silence” and then tap “Unknown callers“./li>
- Tap the Silence Unknown Callers On/Off switch. The switch turns green when the function is activated.
Enable Call Forwarding
Another popular method you can use to stop incoming calls on your smartphone is to enable the call forwarding feature. When the call forwarding feature is enabled on your device, incoming calls are forwarded to another phone number that you specify. Anyone who calls your phone number will be connected to the forwarding mobile number you set. Call forwarding can be helpful in preventing spam calls by redirecting calls from unknown or suspicious numbers to another line or voicemail. This method helps you filter out unwanted calls and focus on the important ones.
How to enable call forwarding on Android
- Open the Phone app on your Android device.
- Tap the three-dot menu button in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Tap on the settings in the list of options
- Scroll down and select Calling accounts.
- Tap on your main SIM and tap on Operator-related settings (may vary depending on the smartphone)
- Now tap on Call forwarding.
- You will see multiple options, including: Always forward: All calls are forwarded to the desired second number, When busy: Calls go to your secondary number of choice when you are on another call., When unanswered: Calls go to a secondary number when you don’t take a call, When unreachable: Calls go to a secondary number when your phone is off, in airplane mode, or has no signal.
- Select Enable, Turn on, or OK.
How to enable the call forwarding feature on iPhone
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap “Phone”.
- In the Phone menu, tap “Call Forwarding”.
- You will see a switch next to “Call Forwarding”. Tap this switch to turn it on.
- A new screen will appear where you can enter the phone number you want your calls forwarded to. Enter the number and then tap “Back”.
- The button next to “Call Forwarding” should now be green. This means it is turned on.
Turn On the Call Barring
Call barring is a service that helps you avoid unwanted incoming or outgoing calls on your smartphone by blocking them. This feature is similar to the call-blocking feature but provides more control over incoming and outgoing calls. When you enable call barring on your smartphone, you can block all incoming calls or specific numbers by adding them to a block list. You can also block outgoing calls, international calls, and more.
How to enable call barring feature on Android
- Open the Phone app on your Android device.
- Tap the three-dot menu button located in the top right corner of the screen
- Tap on the settings in the list of options
- Scroll down and select Calling accounts.
- Tap on your main SIM and tap Operator-related settings (terms may vary slightly depending on the smartphone).
- Now tap on the Call barring option and turn it on.
How to turn on call barring feature on iPhone
- Open the settings on your iPhone
- Scroll down, go to the phone option and tap on it
- Now tap on the “Call Blocking & Identification” Option
- Toggle the “Block All Calls” option to get rid of all calls
- You can also select to choose a different number by tapping on the contact and also remove the number from blocking.
Activate DND Through Your Telecom Operator
Telecom providers offer DND services to block advertising calls and messages from certain services. You can contact your telecom provider to activate the DND service for your mobile number. Here are the steps to activate the DND service for the most popular telecom services.
How to activate DND on Verizon Network
- Open the One Talk app on your smartphone
- Navigate to Menu > settings > call settings‘
- Tap on the Do Not Disturb switch to turn on.
How to activate DND on T-Mobile
- Open the Digits app on your smartphone
- Choose settings
- Choose Do Not Disturb
- Turn on the Do No Disturb mode
How to activate DND on AT&T
- Dial *78# on your home phone to turn on Do Not Disturb.
- Dial *79# to turn off Do Not Disturb when you’re ready to receive calls.
How to activate DND on Reliance Jio
- Go to the MyJio app and go to Settings
- Now look for Service settings and then tap on Do not disturb.
- Select the categories you want to block from receiving calls and messages.
How to activate DND on Airtel
- Visit Airtel’s official site – airtel.in/airtel-dnd.
- Now Enter your mobile number
- Next, enter the OTP received.
- Select the categories you wish to block.
How to activate DND on Vi
- Open your favorite browser and visit https://www.myvi.in/dnd
- Now enter your mobile number, email address, and name.
- Next, Select the categories you wish to block
Blocking Unwanted Calls Made Simple
This is the list of five different methods you can use to stop incoming calls without blocking them. As mentioned earlier, blocking calls has its own disadvantages. Using these alternative methods will not only stop incoming calls, but you will not miss any important calls that need to be answered. I hope you find these methods helpful. If you have any suggestions or know of alternative methods, feel free to mention them in the comments below.
FAQs on How To Silence Incoming Calls Without Blocking
How can I block specific incoming calls without blocking all calls?
If you use Do Not Disturb mode, you can mark important contacts white to prevent them from being affected by the mute. This also applies to other methods such as call forwarding, muting calls, and more.
Will blocking incoming calls also block text messages or other forms of communication?
No, blocking incoming calls does not block text messages or other forms of communication. Call-blocking features are designed to block incoming calls from specific numbers or call types specifically, they do not usually affect text messages, emails, or other messaging platforms. If you want to block them, you can visit the individual platforms and block them manually.
Is there a way to schedule call blocking for specific time periods, such as during meetings or at night?
Yes, you can schedule DND mode to automatically suppress calls from unknown numbers for a specified period of time.
How does “Stop Incoming Calls Without Blocking” work?
The exact implementation of "Stop Incoming Calls Without Blocking" can vary depending on the device or app you are using. However, in general, it involves configuring your phone settings or using specific applications that provide this functionality. The feature typically allows you to mute or silence incoming calls, redirect them to voicemail, or automatically send them to a designated contact or message.
Why would I want to stop incoming calls without blocking them?
There are various reasons why you might prefer to stop incoming calls without blocking them. For example, you may want to avoid interrupting important or urgent calls while still preventing unwanted or nuisance calls from disturbing you. By using this feature, you can maintain accessibility to important contacts while selectively filtering out specific callers.
Will the caller know that I’ve stopped their incoming call without blocking it?
Typically, when you stop incoming calls without blocking them, the caller is not directly informed about the action you've taken. However, they may notice that the call goes to voicemail or that they consistently receive specific responses, such as being redirected to a particular contact or hearing a specific message. The exact behavior can depend on your settings or the app you're using.