When i call it goes straight to voicemail

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.

It can be very frustrating when you call someone and they go straight to voicemail. It’s even more frustrating when they ring a few times and then go to voicemail, you know they’ve cut you off. In this post, we’ll take a look at why this happens and how to stop this from happening.

There are a few possible reasons why someone’s phone might go straight to voicemail. One reason could be that the person has their phone turned off. Another possibility is that the person’s phone is out of range or they have no service. It’s also possible that the person has set their phone to go straight to voicemail for all calls.

The first thing we need to consider is why people send you straight to voicemail. When someone’s phone goes straight to voicemail, it means that they are not available, but why? You need to think about what this person could be doing and go from there.

5 Reasons A Phone Goes Straight To Voicemail

There are 5 possible reasons if you hear one ring and it goes to voicemail.

Their Phone Is off.

The most common reason someone’s phone goes straight to voicemail is their phone is turned off or the battery has run out of power.

Call Diverted.

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time on the road. When I’m in the car, I don’t have to worry about being distracted by phone calls because it’s set to automatically divert and go straight to voicemail when it recognizes that I’m driving.

I also set my phone to divert calls when I’m in a meeting.

No Signal.

Most built-up areas have signals, but the more rural you go, the more likely it is that you will have no signal. Cities even have “blind spots.” If you call someone and it goes straight to voicemail, this could be the reason.

You’re Blocked.

If you only hear one ring then it could be that the person you’re trying to ring has blocked you.

They Don’t Want To Speak To You.

If someone’s phone goes straight to voicemail when you try to call them, it could be because they don’t want to talk to you. Did you do something to make them mad?

Next up we will take a look at some of the most commonly asked questions.

frequently asked questions

How Do We Get Around This?

There is a solution to when a phone goes straight to voicemail and it is to call that person on Whatsapp, Facetime or Messenger. If the person has no signal but is connected to WiFi they can still pick up their phones.

Another way around this is to send them a text or email if you drop a read receipt to see if they pick it up. The read receipt is a feature that will show you when the person you sent an email or text message has opened it. This can be a helpful way of checking if they are on their phone, in a meeting, or otherwise unable to respond.

When Someone’s Phone Goes Straight To Voicemail, What Does It Mean?

There are generally two reasons why a phone goes straight to voicemail. One reason is that the person has their phone turned off. The other reason is that the person has set their phone to do not disturb mode.

What Are Some Possible Reasons Why Someone’s Phone Might Go Straight To Voicemail?

  • The person’s phone may be turned off or out of battery.
  • The person may have set their phone to do not disturb or to automatically send calls to voicemail.
  • The person may be in an area with poor or no cell coverage.
  • The person may be on the phone with someone else.

If You Try To Call Someone And Their Phone Goes Straight To Voicemail, What Should You Do?

If you receive someone’s voicemail directly when you try to call them, it could mean that their phone is turned off, they’re in an area with no service, or they’re screening their calls. If you believe it to be the latter, you could try calling them back at a different time or send them a text message.

What Are Some Tips For Leaving A Good Voicemail Message?

Some general tips that may be useful include: keeping the message brief, avoiding background noise, clearly stating your name and purpose for calling, and being polite. Additionally, it may be helpful to try to anticipate what information the recipient might need or want to know and to structure the voicemail accordingly.

How Can You Tell If Someone Has Blocked Your Number From Their Phone? 

If someone blocks your number from their phone, you will no longer be able to call them or send them messages. Additionally, if you are already on a call with someone and they block your number, the call will disconnect.

Are You Blocked If It Goes Straight To Voicemail?

It is difficult to say definitively because it could be due to a number of reasons such as a busy signal, the person’s phone being turned off, or they could have set their phone to go straight to voicemail. Best to try them over a few days to work out if your number is blocked.

Final Thoughts

If someone’s phone goes straight to voicemail, it can be hard to figure out why this is the case. There are a few things you can do to try and resolve this. If, on the other hand, you have tried to reach out and you have definitely been blocked, then it’s time to move on and stop wasting energy on that person.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please check out my detailed post on digital body language here.

What does it mean if you call someone and it goes straight to voicemail?

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.

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

Your iPhone typically goes straight to voicemail because your iPhone has no service, Do Not Disturb is turned on, or a Carrier Settings update is available.

Am I blocked if my call goes straight to voicemail?

It may just mean the person is talking to someone else at the same time you're calling, has the phone off, or sent the call directly to voicemail. Try again later. If the one-ring and straight-to-voicemail pattern persists, it likely may be a case of a blocked number.

Why does a call go straight to voicemail without ringing?

Your phone may be rejecting some incoming calls, sending that caller to voicemail. You may have a number rejection list where you've accidentally blocked some contacts. It's also possible to accidentally set your phone to reject all private numbers. Those are numbers that block their Caller ID.