If you’re like most iPhone users, you probably get one or two unsolicited calls each week. These calls range from telemarketers who won’t take no for an answer to relatives with whom you’ve lost touch who still think they can call you whenever they feel like it (regardless of your feelings on the matter). Thankfully, there’s an easy way to stop these calls before they start… and if you do it right, your friends and family will never know that you’ve blocked them.
6 Easy Way How To Stop Calls On Iphone Without Blocking
#1. Use the built-in Do Not Disturb mode
Do Not Disturb is a handy tool for staying focused and away from distractions when you’re at work or just trying to get things done. When Do Not Disturb is turned on, incoming calls are silenced, notifications are blocked, and alarms will not sound.
If you have important calendar appointments or reminders set for these times, they will continue. You can easily schedule Do Not Disturb for certain periods throughout your day—like work hours—or activate it manually when you need some peace and quiet. To activate the feature in Settings, go to General > Do Not Disturb. From there, toggle the switch next to Manual so that the screen says ON.
#2. Set up a custom rule to stop calls from certain numbers
If you want to actually block certain callers, Apple has a feature that lets you create custom rules for incoming calls. Using any mobile number or contact as a trigger, you can set up custom actions—such as rejecting all incoming calls from that number (instead of automatically going straight to voicemail), or sending a text message back with pre-written responses.
Here’s how: Go into Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification > Block Contact. Click add new, and select Custom. Scroll down and choose whether you’d like to block any number, those in your contacts list, or those who are not in your contacts list but have called recently.
If you’re just looking for a quick way to block specific numbers—and not an overall do not disturb mode—try one of these free call-blocking apps. To use them, you simply add numbers you want blocked, and these services will render those people silent when they call.
The best part: These apps also work with iMessage. They won’t spam text messages out to contacts that are blocked, but if someone who isn’t already in your phone book sends you a message, they won’t be able to get through until they unblock themselves.
#4. Answer calls only if you know the number
If you have an iPhone, you can use a feature called Recents to quickly check who’s calling. If you pick up before they even say hello, it’s easy to tell if it’s someone you want to talk to or not. The best part is, they won’t know that you’ve rejected them since they’ll never hear a thing.
It’s kind of like having caller ID but in reverse—instead of knowing who’s calling before picking up, now only those unwanted phone callers will be able to identify themselves beforehand. You can also prevent future calls from specific numbers by using Do Not Disturb or adding them directly into your contacts under Blocked. They won’t even get a notification letting them know that their call has been rejected.
#5. Let your voicemail take messages instead of answering the phone
Voicemail is a less-invasive way of receiving phone calls. The downside is that you have to wait until a message is left before listening, and some people have a hard time waiting that long. If you’re short on time and don’t want to miss important messages, try having voicemail take all incoming calls when you can’t answer. Voicemail takes messages as soon as they are received, meaning you can get back into your day rather than being tied up with every incoming call. Simply dial *97 or check settings for other options.
#6. Forward all calls to another phone number
If you want to instantly dismiss unwanted incoming calls but not eliminate that person’s ability to contact you, forward all of your phone lines (home and mobile) to another number. Do a quick Google search for [your carrier] call forwarding or check out how AT&T handles it here. This will route all of your incoming calls directly to a separate number so they will still be able to reach you when they need something.
But, when they call you directly and receive a busy signal instead, there’s no doubt in their mind that they won’t be able reach you personally at any given time.
Conclusion
Don’t want to block a phone number from calling you, but also don’t want them contacting you? There is an easy solution that requires zero technical skills. Simply go into your call history (the list of numbers that have called and/or left voicemails) and long-press on any number. A menu will pop up with various options, one of which being Don’t Allow Caller ID. Select it, confirm by pressing Call Settings, and that’s it!
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