How to Stop an iPhone or Android Going Straight to Voicemail

Stop phone calls from going to voicemail

Co-authored by Rain Kengly Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: July 24, 2024 Fact Checked

Are your calls going straight to voicemail? If you're trying to receive a call or call someone else, certain call settings can redirect you to voicemail without ringing. Here's what to do if your iPhone or Android phone goes straight to voicemail.

Why Is My Phone Automatically Going to Voicemail?

If your phone goes straight to voicemail without ringing, it can be due to certain call features on your phone, Do Not Disturb modes, or even outdated software. Make sure you have call forwarding disabled and Focus modes turned off. Check with your carrier to confirm your cellular service is still active. If you're trying to call someone, try again in a few hours; they may have Do Not Disturb enabled or no cellular service.

1

Disable Call Forwarding.

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Turn off Call Forwarding . This feature can redirect calls to another device. To turn it off, do the following:
- iPhone :
  - Open Settings .
  - Tap Phone .
  - Tap Call Forwarding .
  - Toggle off Call Forwarding .
- Android :
  - Open the Phone app.
  - Tap the three-dots icon.
  - Tap Settings .
  - Tap Calling accounts and select your carrier.
  - Tap Call forwarding .
  - Set all options to Off .

2

Restart your device.

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A simple restart can fix certain software issues.

3

Turn off Do Not Disturb.

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Make sure you don't have Do Not Disturb on. This feature can block incoming calls and messages, whether you're waiting for a call or trying to call someone. ^{[1]
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- iPhone : Open the Control Center and make sure the crescent moon icon is not highlighted. If it is, tap it to turn it off.
- Android : Open the Quick Settings menu and tap the Do Not Disturb icon.

4

Disable Airplane Mode.

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Airplane Mode disables all Wi-Fi and cellular connections. If this is turned on, you won't receive any calls, and they'll go straight to voicemail. Open your phone's settings and make sure Airplane Mode is toggled off.
- If you're trying to call someone and it goes to voicemail, they may have Airplane Mode toggled on.

5

Turn off Bluetooth.

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If you have your phone connected to a Bluetooth headset or speaker in another room, the calls will be redirected. Open your phone's setting and make sure Bluetooth is turned off.

6

Check Announce Calls Settings.

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Disable "Announce Calls". On iPhone, this feature can redirect calls to voicemail if you're connected to CarPlay or another Bluetooth device.
- To disable this feature, go to Settings > Phone > Announce Calls . Toggle it off.

7

Check your SIM card.

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If you have a physical SIM card, remove it from your device and make sure there are no signs of physical damage. If you have an eSIM , contact your carrier to make sure it's still active.

8

Check your network.

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If you're not getting any voicemails, or if your call is redirected to someone's voicemail, the connection may be faulty. Check your signal strength in the corner of your phone. If you have a decent signal, the issue may be with the recipient's signal.

9

Increase your ringer volume.

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In some cases, you may not hear the incoming call alert. Make sure your phone isn't on silent mode when you receive calls.

10

Disable Silence Unknown Callers.

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This feature is meant to prevent spam callers from bombarding your phone. However, if you're waiting on a call from someone new, they may be automatically blocked by your phone. Find this option in your phone's call settings, and toggle it off.

11

Update your phone.

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If this is a recurring issue, your carrier or phone company may already be working on a fix. You can check for updates on an Android or iPhone .

12

Turn off VoLTE.

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If you use this feature often, turn it off temporarily to see if this is the issue. You can find this option in your phone's mobile network settings. This may also look like Enhanced Calling .

13

Check your Driving Mode app.

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In some cases, the voice navigation can take priority over other alerts on your phone. Uninstall or offload the app temporarily to see if it fixes your issue.

14

Wait some time.

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Wait a few hours before calling again. If you're trying to call someone and it goes straight to their voicemail, they may be in an area without service, their phone battery may be dead, or they may be too busy to pick up. In this case, try again in a few hours.
- If the message is urgent, try sending a text instead.

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How to Stop an iPhone or Android Going Straight to Voicemail

Why Is My Phone Automatically Going to Voicemail?

Steps

Disable Call Forwarding.

Restart your device.

Turn off Do Not Disturb.

Disable Airplane Mode.

Turn off Bluetooth.

Check Announce Calls Settings.

Check your SIM card.

Check your network.

Increase your ringer volume.

Disable Silence Unknown Callers.

Update your phone.

Turn off VoLTE.

Check your Driving Mode app.

Wait some time.

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