So, you’ve been waiting for an important call all day, but your phone just won’t ring. When you check it, you realize the call went directly to your voicemail. Show
Your phone automatically sending every incoming call to your voicemail isn’t only annoying; it can be a serious issue in an emergency. Fortunately, tweaking your settings usually fixes the problem. Let’s check out some tricks you can try before contacting your provider. Reasons Calls Go Straight to Voicemail on an iPhoneAre your friends complaining that they can’t get through to you? Calls going straight to voicemail can have many causes. Here’s what to check on your iPhone. Turn Off Airplane ModeIt might sound straightforward, but the first thing you should check is that your phone has reception. Accidentally turning Airplane Mode on could prevent your phone from connecting to a network. Swipe down on your screen to open your iPhone’s Control Center and ensure Airplane Mode is off. If you can’t see the airplane icon in your Control Center, find it in your Settings app. Disable Do Not DisturbAnother minor mishap that could be preventing incoming calls from coming through is having turned on your iPhone’s Do Not Disturb (DND) mode. iPhones have several Focus Modes you can activate when you don’t want your phone to distract you. This feature was implemented in iOS 15. Unlike putting your iPhone on Silent, these modes might block calls entirely, depending on their settings. You can enable and disable DND manually, but it’s also possible to schedule it, so it’s easy to forget whether it’s active. Here’s how to disable DND to ensure you can be reached.
You can also find DND in your Settings:
Don’t Silence Unknown CallersAnother iPhone setting that redirects incoming calls to your voicemail is silencing unknown callers. This feature, introduced in iOS 13, can be useful when you don’t want people that are not on your contacts list reaching you. Many users decide to turn this feature on to screen scam calls. The downside is that you never know when one of your contacts changes their number. Accidentally turning this feature on can also be an issue. Here’s how to turn it off.
Edit Your Notification SettingsInnocuous notification settings can also cause issues with receiving calls sometimes. Take a look at your iPhone’s notification settings in the following way.
Test if this resolved your issue. Update Your Carrier SettingsBefore contacting your carrier for assistance, you can try one last method. Updating your carrier settings can often resolve issues when calls go straight to voicemail. Follow these steps on your iPhone.
Reasons Calls Go Straight to Voicemail on an Android DeviceAre incoming calls going straight to your voicemail on your Android device? Let’s see what you can do about it. Disable Airplane ModeFirst, ensure that your phone has service. If you see an X sign next to the network icon in your Android phone’s status bar, you may be in a place with no signal, resulting in calls going straight to your voicemail. Unless you’re in the middle of the wilderness, though, the problem is on your end. If you see an airplane icon in your status bar, pull down your Quick Settings and disable Airplane Mode. Your phone will connect to a network, and you’ll be able to receive calls again. Turn Off Do Not DisturbThe next Android function that can interfere with incoming calls is Do Not Disturb (DND). This feature is handy when you don’t want your phone distracting you. However, you’ll need to turn it off to receive calls.
You can also customize your DND settings here, including scheduling this mode and allowing calls selectively. Unblock NumbersIf certain calls go straight to your voicemail, you might have blocked those contacts. Check your block list in the following way.
Allow Unknown NumbersIf your friends’ calls come through, but you’re having issues receiving calls from unknown numbers, you might have another blocking feature enabled. Follow the steps below to check for unknown number blocking.
Disable Call ForwardingSome Android phones allow call forwarding, which is another factor that can potentially interfere with your incoming calls. Disabling call forwarding might resolve your issue.
Replace Your SIM CardIf your SIM card is old or you remove it frequently, it’s also possible that it got damaged over time, which might make it act oddly. If none of the above solutions fixed your issue with calls going straight to your voicemail, contacting your provider and explaining the situation is the way to go. Requesting a new SIM card is often free, and it might end the problem. Stay in ContactNot being able to receive calls can be a serious hindrance in your everyday life. Try to troubleshoot the issue with the methods above. If none works out, the issue is likely with your SIM card or provider. Don’t hesitate to request assistance if the problem persists. A cell phone is as good as useless if you can’t use it for its primary purpose. Which of the solutions mentioned above did the trick for you? Or have you found an alternative way to fix your voicemail issue? Let us know in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way. Send To SomeoneMissing DeviceWhat does it mean when a phone doesn't ring but goes straight to voicemail?If your phone is set to "Do Not Disturb," most or all of your phone calls will go directly to voicemail. So it's worth checking to see if the phone has been accidentally put in that mode. 1. Pull down your phone's Control Center by swiping down from the top of the screen.
How do I stop my Samsung Galaxy going straight to voicemail?FORWARD TO VOICEMAIL IS ON:. Start your PHONE app.. Click MORE (or three dots icon) in the top right corner of the screen (or the OPTIONS/MENU button on older devices). Click SETTINGS.. Click CALL FORWARDING.. Click VOICE CALL.. Click ALWAYS FORWARD and then DISABLE.. |