Want to stop calls on your Apple iPhone without the hassle of adding contacts to your block list? Here are a few ways to do so.
iOS provides a convenient contact block list so you can easily stop calls from someone. But what if you want to temporarily stop incoming calls or prevent calls from unknown numbers?
Fortunately, instead of blocking numbers on your iPhone, you can stop unwanted calls using several alternative methods. This article will show you how to do each of these.
How to Enable focus mode
If your iPhone is running on iOS 15 or later, Focus is the best way to stop unwanted call and text message notifications. This mode includes Do Not Disturb (DND) from older versions of iOS and comes with several pre-set Focus profiles, such as Work, Fitness and Driving. – so you can quickly switch between them depending on your activity.
Focus blocks all incoming mobile and FaceTime calls, including those from instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp. To activate Focus, go to the Control Centre (swipe down from the top left of the screen).
Then long-press the Focus tile and select the Focus you wish to enable, e.g. Goodnight. Tap the More icon and specify in advance how long you want to activate the focus (e.g. 1 hour).
When you activate the Focus profile, iPhone will intercept all incoming calls and the caller receives a busy signal. The ‘History’ list in the Phone app shows any contacts or phone numbers that may have tried to reach you in the meantime.
Instead of blocking all calls, Focus also allows all or certain contacts to contact you. To do this.
- open the Settings app on your phone, tap Focus and select Do Not Disturb or the Focus profile you want to change (for example, Work).
- tap People under Allowed notifications and add contacts who can be called when Focus is switched on.
- Under Allow again, tap Callers to decide whether you want to allow calls from all contacts, favourite contacts, or specific contact groups. Alternatively, switch on Allow Repeat Calls to allow repeat calls from the same number.
Optionally switch to the Apps tab to determine which apps can send notifications when Focus is on; you can also return to the main Focus screen to set it to activate by schedule or automation. using Focus on iPhone and Learn more about creating custom profiles.
Notes: If you’re using iOS 14 or earlier, Focus is only available as Do Not Disturb on iPhone. To enable this, go to Control Centre and tap the moon icon. Go to Settings > Good Night Mode to adjust the behaviour of Good Night Mode.
How to Enable Airplane Mode.
Enabling Airplane Mode on iPhone is another way to block incoming calls and SMS texts without using the iOS Blocked Contacts list. It works by switching off the functions of your iPhone handset. People who try to contact you will receive an unreachable phone response.
Airplane mode also switches off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radio, but you can choose to switch them on if necessary. This is a good option if you want to eliminate distractions. However, unlike Focus, you cannot allow contact from specific contacts.
To enable Airplane Mode on your iPhone, go to Control Centre and tap the Airplane Mode icon. Then switch on the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi icons if you want your iPhone to retain these features.
To switch off Airplane Mode, simply open the Control Centre again and tap the Airplane Mode icon. Another way to switch Airplane Mode on or off is to open the Settings app and use the Airplane Mode switch at the top of the screen.
Silence unknown callers
Do you often receive calls on your iPhone? Or maybe you don’t like getting calls from people who aren’t in your contact list? iOS 13 or later iPhones can deal with this by activating the built-in feature called ‘Clear Unknown Callers’. To activate.
- open the Settings app and tap Phone.
- Tap the ‘Delete unknown calls’ option. Then switch on the switch next to ‘Hang up unknown calls’.
If you receive a call from a number that is not in your contact list, your iPhone automatically silences it and sends it to voicemail. You can receive calls from numbers on your Recent Calls list.
If you want to deal specifically with unwanted calls, consider using caller ID or a call blocking app for iOS.
Activate silent mode
Silent mode on the iPhone mutes the ringtone rather than stopping the call. Think of it as a more subtle way to avoid answering calls without using the options above – simply use the Ringer/Silent switch on the left side of the iPhone case to switch Silent Mode on or off.
If your iPhone vibrates in silent mode, you can also choose to stop it. To do this, open the Settings app on your phone and tap Sound and Haptics. Then switch off the switch next to ‘Vibrate when silent‘.
Setting silent ringtone
If you only want certain contacts to be silent, you can purchase and use silent ringtones.
To purchase a silent ringtone and set it for a contact
- open the iTunes Store on your iPhone and search for ‘Silent ringtones‘. Then, preview and purchase silent ringtones.
- open the Contacts app and select a contact. Then tap the Edit option and tap Ringtone to set the silent ringtone you have just purchased.
- tap Done. Continue to set silent ringtones for other contacts.
Enable call forwarding
If you’re using another Android or iOS device, you can stop iPhone calls and forward them to another phone using a feature called call forwarding. If you want to do that.
- open the Settings app and tap Phone > Call forwarding.
- activate the button next to Call Forward. Then enter the phone number to which you want to forward the call and tap Back.
To disable call forwarding, refer to the above screen again and switch off the switch next to ‘Call forwarding’.
Stop calls on iphone without blocking 2022
Stopping calls on iPhone without blocking is relatively simple when you have all the above methods at your disposal.
Focus is arguably the best of the bunch, but the rest have unique use cases, depending on the situation. Try them out and see for yourself.