Call goes straight to voicemail without ringing but messages deliver

It's easy to communicate with people anywhere in the world. You don't have to wait for the mail delivery. Instead, you can send a text message. However, people can cut communication quickly by blocking a phone number from an unwanted sender. And this can happen without you knowing. While the best way of knowing if someone is avoiding you is by asking them directly, there are other ways to find out.

How to know if someone blocked your number

When someone blocks you, you don't receive a notification of the action. Still, there are a few key signs. For example, a phone call that goes straight to voicemail instead of ringing many times. You do not want to trust this, because the recipient may have their phone turned off or they're on another phone call. You can leave a voicemail, but the recipient does not receive notification of the message if you're blocked. Another example is when you receive an automated message that the recipient is unavailable. The odds are the recipient blocked you.

Attempt text messages

iOS and Android phones work in different ways with their messaging services. iMessage makes it easier to know if someone blocked you. On Android, it depends on the recipient's phone and message type.

How to tell if you're blocked on your iPhone

iMessage uses two notifications to let senders know when message delivery and reading occur. One notification says "delivered" and the second says "read." While not a surefire way of knowing, they are among the methods available. It's possible the recipient is out of signal range or has their phone off. Still, there are other ways to find out if someone has blocked your number on iMessage.

How to tell if you're blocked on Android

Android phones use a service that doesn't notify you of the delivery or reading of messages. Therefore, a text message is not an ideal way of determining if blocking has occurred. If you send a text and don't hear back, they may not be able to respond or do not care to respond.

Similar to the iPhone, it's best to wait a few days to see if you get a response. If you still don't hear from the recipient, try a different method to determine if blocking occurred.

Attempt calling on iPhone or Android

Calling is an easier way to determine if someone blocked your number. First, call from your phone number. If the call goes to voicemail, listen to the message. If you receive a message that the number is unavailable, it generally means the recipient blocked you. If you don't, the recipient may not be in signal range or their phone is turned off.

In this case, your next option is to call from a different phone number or use *67 to hide your number. If the call goes through on that number, blocking may have occurred. You don't need to talk to the person, but rather see if it rings more than once.

Can you know for sure?

There's no clear way to use your phone to determine if someone blocked you. You'll see signs, such as undelivered messages and straight-to-voicemail phone calls. The only way to ensure someone blocked you is to find out from the recipient. Either ask them yourself or talk to a mutual friend.

The Do Not Disturb settings silence all calls and text messages unless the recipient has set a contact or application as an exception. This means the recipient still receives notifications of a call, but the notifications won't make a sound. The purpose of this setting is to allow people to get work done and only be disturbed by important notifications or calls.

Android has a setting that allows calls to come through if the caller phones twice in less than 15 minutes. You can use this to determine if you are blocked, but only if you know the recipient has the Repeat callers setting turned on.

Airplane mode on the phone also disables the recipient's Wi-Fi, data, cellular, and Bluetooth connections. This setting prevents them from receiving text messages or phone calls until they turn off the setting. It prevents people from emitting signals that interfere with piloting equipment. However, some use this to preserve battery life on their phones. Many people also use it while traveling to prevent roaming charges when they are outside their service areas.

Call, text, or walk away?

The short answer is that there is no definite way of determining if you've been blocked without talking directly to the person in question. Sure, there will be a few signs, namely silence from the person in question. Even if you purchase one of the best Android phones, you will remain blocked unless you change your number.

Ever place a phone call to someone that goes unanswered? Or you’re met with a voicemail recording? No big deal — unless this happens every time you call that person. What could be wrong? Why are your calls not going through?

There may be an innocent explanation. Maybe the person you’re attempting to contact turned off their phone by accident, or the battery is dead. Tap or click here if they have an Android — there’s a reason their batteries are dying quickly.

Of course, there could be another reason: your number could be blocked. Before you begin to stress over what you could have said or done to warrant being ignored, there are several ways to determine if your number is really blocked.

Hello?

We’ve all called people and have been sent straight to voicemail; however, if continued attempts to contact the same person via call or text result in total silence, a blocked number is a possibility.

Note: This shouldn’t be your first conclusion unless it occurs every time you call or text over a length of time. If it’s only been a day or two, don’t assume you’ve been blocked. Sometimes people really do lose their devices, accidentally crack their screens or just turn their phones off to tune out the world.

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You should really become suspicious if it’s been several days or even a week.

One ring

Repeated redirects to voicemail after a single ring, or none at all, could be an indication your number is blocked.

If you hear multiple rings before hearing the voicemail prompt, chances are the person has not blocked your calls but is just rejecting them.

Domo arigato?

Do you hear automated messages that inform you the person you’re calling is unavailable or is not accepting calls right now? Since there is no standard “you’ve been blocked” message, all you can do is assume yours is blocked if you received automated messages. This includes messages like, “the number you are calling is temporarily out of service.”

If you can’t even reach the person’s normal voicemail, it’s a clear indication you’ve been blocked.

It may not be you

Although the idea of having your phone number blocked is a bit disconcerting, it may not be because you somehow messed up the relationship. Several situations can cause one’s phone to go straight to voicemail, continue ringing without answer or deliver automated messages. Here are a handful of possible scenarios:

  • The person is traveling and has limited or no service.
  • The battery is dead.
  • A natural disaster has damaged network infrastructure.
  • The phone is turned off, or the Do Not Disturb feature is enabled.
  • (S)he forgot to pay his or her phone bill and has had service disconnected.
  • The phone is lost or not in their possession.
  • The person has blocked all contacts for whatever reason(s).
  • The person has used Apple’s new feature to block robocalls and doesn’t have your number in their phone. Tap or click here for more information on how the block works.

Last resorts

Unfortunately, if someone blocks your number, there’s nothing you can do to reverse it; however, there are a few ways to help confirm whether you are blocked or just calling at bad times.

Consider the following methods:

  • Conceal your phone number when calling. You can type *67 before you dial their number or disable caller ID from outgoing calls in your phone’s settings.
    • Options will vary depending on your wireless provider, phone model, manufacturer and operating system.
  • Call from a different phone number.
  • If you have a trusted family member or mutual friend, ask if they would be willing to contact the person directly for you.
  • Attempt to reach out via social media or email.

If you’re still getting the silent treatment, especially if others are able to reach the person you’ve been trying to contact, we’re sorry to say you’ve been blocked.

While you can use any of the above options, continued attempts to contact someone who has taken steps to cut communications with you can be viewed as crossing a line (harassment or stalking), which could result in legal consequences.

One of the best things you can do in this situation is to not reach out repeatedly, unless you have reason to believe the person is in danger. If this is the case, notify authorities; otherwise, step back and take a few days between calls to offer the other person an opportunity to get back to you.

If you’re the one who wants to block someone, simply tap or click here to learn how.

Why are texts delivering but call goes straight to voicemail?

Helpful answers Their phone is powered off. If you're blocked, you won't know. You have to call the person to find out. Their phone is powered off.

Why do my calls go straight to voicemail iPhone but my messages deliver?

It's possible your iPhone is going straight to voicemail because of Call Forwarding. Open Settings and tap Phone -> Call Forwarding. Turn off the switch next to Call Forwarding. Note: You may not see this setting on your iPhone if your carrier does not support call forwarding.

Do messages deliver when phone is blocked?

If an Android user has blocked you, Lavelle says, “your text messages will go through as usual; they just won't be delivered to the Android user.” It's the same as an iPhone, but without the “delivered” notification (or lack thereof) to clue you in.

What does it mean when you call someone and it goes straight to voicemail without ringing?

When you call, there is a telltale sign to listen out for. If you only hear one ring before the voicemail picks up, there are three possible reasons: their phone is off, they've set their phone to auto-divert to voicemail (i.e., they've enabled Do Not Disturb mode), or you've been blocked.