Android phone goes straight to voicemail without ringing

Having your Samsung S6, s5, Note, Note II or other device send calls directly to voicemail can be caused by several things, most of which are easily resolved:

CALL REJECTION IS TURNED ON:

1. Start your PHONE app
2. Click MORE (or three dots icon) in the top right corner of the screen (or the OPTIONS/MENU button on older devices)
3. Click SETTINGS
4. Click AUTO REJECT LIST
5. Remove any numbers in the list

BLUETOOTH IS CONFUSED:

If all of your inbound calls are going straight to voicemail, try turning OFF your Bluetooth connection.  Sometimes your phone may think it has a connection to a Bluetooth device (like your car or an earpiece) but that device is not talking to the phone.  In this situation, you will not hear the phone ring and think that the calls are going straight to voicemail.

1. Swipe down from the top to bring up the status / notices screen
2. Click on the BLUETOOTH icon to turn it off

CALL BARRING IS TURNED ON:

1. Start your PHONE app
   
2. Click MORE (or three dots icon) in the top right corner of the screen (or the OPTIONS/MENU button on older devices)
3. Click SETTINGS
4. Click MORE in the top right corner of the screen (or the OPTIONS/MENU button on older devices)
5. Click CALL BARRING
   1. These settings let you block inbound or outbound calls in various situations like:
      1. ALL INCOMING CALLS
      2. ALL INCOMING CALLS WHEN ROAMING
      3. ALL INTERNATIONAL CALLS
      4. …
   2. If you click MORE in the top right corner of the screen (or the OPTIONS/MENU button on older devices) you can then set a password for these rules.  This is a great tool for parents that a travelling with kids who are too little or too stupid to understand the cost of international calls.

SIM CARD HAS SHIFTED:

1. Swipe down from the top to bring up the status / notices screen
2. At the bottom right confirm that your cellular provider name is shown on the bottom of the screen .
3. If you see NO SERVICE it means there is something wrong with your account with your provider (Telus, AT&T, Orange…) or your SIM card
4. If your account is fine, it likely means the SIM card has shifted and you should:
   1. Power down the phone
   2. Take the SIM card out
   3. Put the SIM card in
   4. Power up
   5. Swipe down from the top to bring up the status / notices screen
   6. Within one minute or so, your cell should show the name of your cellular provider at the bottom of the notices screen
5. If this still shows no service, you might have a bad SIM and you should take it back to the store for them to check it

VOLUME IS TURNED DOWN:

If your volume is turned down, the calls may be coming in but you did not hear the ringing so you think they are being sent directly to voicemail.

1. Start your PHONE app
2. Click the VOLUME UP button (physical button on the side of your cell)

FORWARD TO VOICEMAIL IS ON:

1. Start your PHONE app
2. Click MORE (or three dots icon) in the top right corner of the screen (or the OPTIONS/MENU button on older devices)
3. Click SETTINGS
4. Click CALL FORWARDING
5. Click VOICE CALL
6. Click ALWAYS FORWARD and then DISABLE

VOICE OVER LTE IS ON:

1. Start your PHONE app
2. Click MORE (or three dots icon) in the top right corner of the screen (or the OPTIONS/MENU button on older devices)
3. Click SETTINGS
4. Find and disable VOICE OVER LTE
   1. only available on some models and firmware versions, so don’t look too hard
   2. This will be on ALL devices in the future
   3. LTE is a Data Only network and does not carry voice… but voice can be converted into digital data and sent over LTE.

ANTENNA IS BROKEN:

This is quite rare but possible.  If your cell have very intermittent connectivity the cold solder joint that connects the internal antenna (really just a small white clad  copper wire) may have come loose.  To test this turn OFF your WiFi to verify that you are ONLY receiving data from your cellular provider and try to send or receive calls, or surf the internet or send/receive emails… .

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.

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 iPhone

Are 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 Mode

It 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 Disturb

Another 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.

1. Pull up your iPhone’s Control Center and look for a crescent moon tile.
   
   
2. If the button is white with a violet moon, DND is on. Tap it to turn it off.
   
   

You can also find DND in your Settings:

1. Go to your iPhone’s Settings.
   
   
2. Find “Focus.”
   
   
3. Tap “Do Not Disturb” or any Focus Mode you use.
   
   
4. Toggle the switch to turn it off or customize the settings to allow calls from select people.
   
   

Don’t Silence Unknown Callers

Another 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.

1. Open your Settings and find the “Phone” option.
   
   
2. Tap “Silence Unknown Callers.”
   
   
3. Toggle the switch off.
   
   

Edit Your Notification Settings

Innocuous notification settings can also cause issues with receiving calls sometimes. Take a look at your iPhone’s notification settings in the following way.

1. Open your Settings app and go to “Notifications.”
   
   
2. Select “Phone” and make sure notifications are enabled.
   
   
3. Ensure “Badges” is on.
   
   

Test if this resolved your issue.

Update Your Carrier Settings

Before 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.

1. Open Settings and go to “General.”
   
   
2. Select “About” and wait a few seconds. If there’s an update available, it will pop up automatically.
   
   
3. If you get a popup, tap “Update.” If nothing happens, your settings are already up to date, and this isn’t what’s causing your voicemail issue.

Reasons Calls Go Straight to Voicemail on an Android Device

Are incoming calls going straight to your voicemail on your Android device? Let’s see what you can do about it.

Disable Airplane Mode

First, 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 Disturb

The 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.

1. Open your Settings.
   
   
2. Find “Sound and vibration.”
   
   
3. Tap “Do Not Disturb” and ensure it’s off.
   
   

You can also customize your DND settings here, including scheduling this mode and allowing calls selectively.

Unblock Numbers

If certain calls go straight to your voicemail, you might have blocked those contacts. Check your block list in the following way.

1. Open your Android Phone app.
   
   
2. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner and choose “Settings.”
   
   
3. Tap “Block numbers.”
   
   
4. You’ll see your block list here. Remove any contacts to receive calls from them.
   
   

Allow Unknown Numbers

If 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.

1. Go to your Phone app and tap the three dots in the top right corner.
   
   
2. Select “Block numbers.” Tap the “Settings” option if you aren’t taken directly to the settings.
   
   
3. Toggle “Block unknown/private numbers” off.
   
   

Disable Call Forwarding

Some Android phones allow call forwarding, which is another factor that can potentially interfere with your incoming calls. Disabling call forwarding might resolve your issue.

1. Open your Phone app and tap the three vertical dots in the corner.
   
   
2. Select “Settings.”
   
   
3. Tap “Call forwarding” if it’s available. Disable all call forwarding options.
   
   

Replace Your SIM Card

If 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 Contact

Not 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.

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