You may have thought of blocking some of the contacts on your iPhone when they bombard you with frequent calls. However, you can’t cut off connections with them, as you may still want to receive texts from the numbers you want to block.
In this article, we’ll provide you with different ways to do this and give you a step-by-step guide on how to stop calls on your iPhone without blocking a contact.
Can You Stop Calls on iPhone Without Blocking Anyone?
Yes, you can stop calls on your iPhone without blocking your contacts. Some effective ways to do this are turning on Airplane Mode, Do Not Disturb, the Silence Unknown Callers option, and call forwarding. iPhones with iOS version 15 and above may also use Focus Mode.
These methods are temporary ways to prevent calls, texts, and other notifications from sending alerts on your iPhone. Some of these techniques, such as Do Not Disturb, might completely block you from receiving other notifications.
Meanwhile, other options like the Focus Mode will give you more options on which apps or contacts can alert you.
Related Post: The Cost of Unlocking an iPhone
How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone Without Blocking Contacts
Here are the steps you can follow to stop receiving calls on your iPhone without blocking any of your contacts:
Solution 1: Turn on Airplane Mode
The first method you can try to stop calls on your iPhone without blocking someone is to turn on Airplane Mode. This setting disables your device’s cellular capabilities and puts it off the grid, jamming and blocking all network signals.
These are the steps to turn on your iPhone’s Airplane Mode:
Method 1. Using The Control Center
-
Step 1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone’s screen.
-
Step 2. Find the “Airplane Mode” icon and tap it to turn it on.
Method 2. Using The Settings App
-
Step 1. Open the “Settings” on your iPhone
-
Step 2. Tap the “Airplane Mode” switch to turn it on.
Important Reminder: When Airplane Mode is enabled on your iPhone, no one from your contacts can text or call you. However, you can still use your device’s Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Learn more about how Airplane Mode on Apple devices works.
Solution 2: Enable the “Do Not Disturb” Mode
Aside from Airplane Mode, you can also turn on Do Not Disturb on your iPhone to stop receiving calls without blocking your contacts. This setting allows you to still receive calls, texts, and other notifications without ringing, vibrating, or lighting up in response.
Follow these steps to enable Do Not Disturb:
-
Step 1. Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone
-
Step 2. Go to “Do Not Disturb” and switch it on.
Important Reminder: This setting is only applicable for iPhones with iOS 14 and earlier. Check this Apple Support article about using Do Not Disturb on iPhone or iPad to know more.
Solution 3: Activate “Focus” Mode (For iOS 15 & Above)
Another way to stop calls from coming to your iPhone without blocking someone is by enabling Focus Mode. This feature is an upgrade from the Do Not Disturb setting in older iPhones, so it is available for iPhones with iOS 15 and above.
Focus Mode allows you to specify which apps or contacts can send notifications to your device.
Follow these steps to turn on Focus Mode on your iPhone:
-
Step 1. Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone and tap “Focus”.
-
Step 2. Choose which “Focus” option you prefer.
You can choose between “Do Not Disturb”, “Personal”, “Sleep”, or “Work”.
-
Step 3. Customize the focus you selected.
You can choose which apps or contacts can send you notifications and which ones cannot as you customize your focus.
For more information, check this article about using Focus Mode on iPhones and iPads.
Solution 4: Set up Call Forwarding
Setting up call forwarding can stop your iPhone from receiving calls without blocking a contact. However, you can only use this solution if you have a different phone number besides the one you’re using. This feature allows your device to redirect incoming calls to a different number.
You can activate call forwarding by following these steps:
-
Step 1. Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone and tap “Phone.”
-
Step 2. Under the “Calls” section, select “Call Forwarding.”
-
Step 3. Turn on “Call Forwarding.”
-
Step 4. Tap “Forward To” & type the number where you want the calls to be forwarded.
Learn more about Call Forwarding & Call Waiting Features on iPhones.
Solution 5. Silence Unknown Callers/Numbers
iPhone’s Silence Unknown Callers feature allows you to mute calls from numbers that are not saved in your contacts. Your phone will not ring when you receive spam calls, but those callers can still leave you voicemails.
Here are the steps you need to follow to silence unknown callers:
-
Step 1. Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone and tap “Phone.”
-
Step 2. Scroll down and tap “Silence Unknown Callers.”
-
Step 3. Toggle the button next to this option to turn this setting on.
You’ll still get calls from your contacts, Siri suggestions, and previous contacts that aren’t saved in your list, even after silencing unknown callers. This setting is also available for iPhones with iOS 13 and later.
Learn more about Detecting & Blocking Unknown Callers on iPhone
What Happens When Someone Calls While Your iPhone Is on “Do Not Disturb”?
You will still receive notifications on your iPhone when someone calls you while it’s in Do Not Disturb mode. But this option will prevent calls, texts, and other notifications from ringing, vibrating, or lighting up your phone. You will only see these notifications when you open your phone.
The phone calls you receive while your iPhone is on Do Not Disturb will be redirected to voicemail. By default, DND will only stop notifications when your phone is locked.
However, you can set DND mode to stop notifications even when your phone is unlocked if your iPhone has iOS 14.8 or older. To enable this option, navigate to “Settings > Do Not Disturb > Selection > Always.”
Find out how to view old calls history on iPhone and bypass the limit of 100 last calls.
How to Tell If Someone Blocked You on iPhone?
Calling the number is the easiest way to check if someone has blocked you on iPhone. If your phone calls are always sent directly to voicemail after just one ring or even half a ring, then chances are you’ve been blocked. If their voicemail is not activated, you will get the usual automated message saying the caller is not available.
These are other ways to tell if someone blocked you on their iPhone:
- Send Them an SMS
- Send an iMessage
- Mask Your Number
- Disable Your Caller ID
- Try a Different Number or App
We actually have a whole article on the topic. Read more about how to tell if someone blocked you on iPhone without calling.
Find out how to fix “message blocking is active” error on iPhone
You Can Stop Calls on Your iPhone Without Having to Block Someone
Settings like Do Not Disturb mode, Airplane mode, and Active Focus let you stop calls on your iPhone without blocking anyone. Each method of stopping calls has advantages and disadvantages; you can use them depending on your situation.
For instance, you can use iPhone’s Silence Unknown Callers feature if you only want to stop receiving calls from people you don’t know. You can also use the Do Not Disturb function if you don’t want to receive any notifications.
