Do you get calls from telemarketers or spammers that you don’t want to answer? It can be so annoying when your phone rings and you see an unknown number, only to find out it’s someone trying to sell you something.
Well, here’s the good news: there is a way to stop these calls without having to block the number! In this blog post, we will show you how to do it. Keep reading for more information.
If you have an iPhone, there is a way to stop unwanted calls without blocking the number. In iOS 11, Apple introduced a new feature called Do Not Disturb Mode. When enabled, it will silence all incoming calls and notifications.
This is a great way to avoid being distracted by phone calls when you are behind the wheel. It also has the added benefit of silencing unwanted incoming phone calls from telemarketers and other spam calls coming your way. It’s one of ways how to stop calls on iPhone without blocking.
Table of Contents
Do Not Disturb Mode

To enable Do Not Disturb Mode, go to Settings > Do Not Disturb > Activate. You can also schedule it to turn on automatically at certain times of the day or when you connect to your car’s Bluetooth system.
Once it is turned on, all incoming calls will be silenced. If you still want to see who is calling, you can enable the “Show on Lock Screen” option. This will allow you to see the caller’s name or number on your screen, but your phone will not ring.
The Do Not Disturb schedule can be found in the same menu. Here you can set specific times when Do Not Disturb Mode should be enabled. For example, you could set it to turn on automatically at night or when you are at work, or even when you’re studying.
You can also enable Do Not Disturb Mode manually by swiping up from the bottom of your screen to access the Control Center. From here, tap on the crescent moon icon to enable Do Not Disturb Mode.
The Do Not Disturb option sends incoming calls straight to voicemail. If you want to see who called while Do Not Disturb Mode was enabled, you can go to the Phone app and tap on the Voicemail tab. Here you will see a list of all messages received while calls were redirected.
The Do Not Disturb mode will also silence all notifications on your iPhone. If you want to see what notifications you missed, you can go to the Notification Center. To do this, swipe down from the top of your screen. Here, you will see all of your missed notifications.
Airplane Mode

Another way to silence incoming calls and notifications is to put your phone in Airplane Mode. This will disable all wireless radios on your iPhone, including the cellular connection. This means you will not be able to make or receive phone calls, but you will still be able to use apps that don’t require an internet connection.
Keep in mind you won’t be able to place outgoing calls either.
To put your phone to Airplane Mode, go to Settings > Airplane Mode > Activate. You can also enable it from the Control Center by tapping on the airplane icon.
When Airplane Mode is enabled, you will see a small airplane icon in the status bar at the top of your screen.
Another way to keep people from calling you is having no service on your phone, but I bet you’d prefer not to do it this way. If you are having problems with the “No service” message, check out our guide on how to resolve the issue.
Putting Your iPhone on Silent Ringtone
This isn’t exactly a way to stop calls, but rather a way to not notice them. If you put your ringtone on silent, you will still get calls and notifications, but your phone will not make any noise. This can be useful if you want to avoid being disturbed by phone calls but still want to see who is calling.
To put your ringtone on silent, open the Settings app and go to Sounds > Ringtone > Silent.
Focus Mode
If you want to silence all incoming calls and notifications but still be able to use your iPhone, you can enable Focus Mode. This mode will temporarily disable all notifications and incoming calls. You can also set it to turn on automatically at certain times of the day for a certain period of time.
To enable Focus Mode, go to App Settings. Then tap on the “Focus” option and select the amount of time you want Focus Mode to be enabled for. You can also create your own personal settings for Focus Mode. For some people, focus might mean avoiding all distractions, while others will still want notifications coming in.
Tap on the “+” icon in the top right corner, then select the options you want to be customized for your own Focus Mode. You can save each Focus Mode option under a different name.
Once Focus Mode is turned on, you will not receive any calls or notifications, but you will still be able to use your iPhone as normal.
Call Forwarding
Of course, you can also just forward all of your calls to another number. This way, you will not get any calls on your iPhone, but they will go straight to another line or set-up voicemail.
To set up call forwarding, open the Settings app and go to Phone > Call Forwarding > Activate. Enter the phone number you want to forward your calls to.
Now when someone calls your iPhone, it will ring once and then be forwarded straight to the alternate number.
Blocking a Number
Finally, if you really want to stop getting calls from people, you can always block calls from certain people. This will prevent the specific number from being able to call or text you.
To block unwanted callers, open the Settings app and go to Phone > Blocked Contacts > Add New. Enter the number you want to block and tap on Block Contact.
You can also block numbers from your recent calls list or your contact list. To do this, open the Phone app and tap on the Recents tab. Find the number you want to block and tap on the “I” icon next to it. Scroll down and tap on Block, This Caller > Block Contact. You will see all the numbers you have blocked on the block list.
If you wish to stop someone from contacting you completely, be sure to remove them from your group chats also. See how in our other article.
How to Only Stop Incoming Calls From Unknown Numbers
If you want to only stop unknown calls or mute calls from unknown numbers, there is a setting for that as well. Open the Settings app and go to Phone > Silence Unknown Callers > toggle it on. Now only your contacts will be able to call you, and all other spam callers will go straight to voicemail.
What Happens When Someone Calls Me While I’m In A Call?
If someone calls you while you’re already on a call, you will see a notification with the option to answer the new call or ignore it. If you choose to answer it, your current call will be put on hold.
You can also set up your iPhone so that all incoming calls go straight to voicemail when you’re already on a call. To do this, open the Settings app and go to Phone > Respond With Text. From here, you can create a custom message that will be sent to anyone who calls you while you’re already on the phone.
The “Call Waiting” option gives you a choice on how the incoming call will be handled. So if your “Call Waiting” option is on, then the person’s phone will normally ring while calling you (even though you are on another call). However, if your “Call Waiting” option is turned off, then the person calling will just get the busy tone or busy signal sound.

How to Stop Calls on iPhone Without Blocking FAQs
What happens when I block a number on my iPhone?
When you block a number, that person will not be able to call or text you. The number will also be added to your blocked contacts list. To view this list, open the Settings app and go to Phone > Blocked Contacts. Here, you will see all of the numbers that you have blocked.
How do I know if someone has blocked my number?
If someone has blocked your number, you will not be able to call them or send them texts. Additionally, if you try to call a person who has blocked your number, you will hear one ring, and then it will go straight to voicemail.
Can I still see who called me while Do Not Disturb Mode was enabled?
If you want to see who called you while Do Not Disturb Mode was enabled, go to the Notification Center. To do this, swipe down from the top of your screen. Here you will see all of your missed notifications.
I accidentally blocked someone. How do I unblock them?
If you accidentally block someone, don’t worry! You can easily unblock them by going to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts. Here you will see a list of all the numbers that you have blocked. To unblock a number, tap on the “Unblock” button next to it.
Conclusion
To summarize, you can keep unwanted calls off your iPhone by turning on Focus mode or Do Not Disturb Mode. You can also silence your ringtone, enable call forwarding or put your phone to airplane mode.
We hope this blog post has helped show you how to stop calls on iPhone without blocking the number! Let us know if you have any questions in the comments below. Thanks for reading! Next, check out our guide which will help you to prevent your iPhone from hanging up while holding it close to your ear.