How To Stop Calls On Your iPhone Without Blocking Them

How To Stop Calls On Your iPhone Without Blocking Them

Your phone is an extension of your life. You answer calls, check messages, and so much more whenever you have access to the phone. If you’re like most people, you probably don’t contemplate the way that you answer calls on your phone until someone else does it for you. It can be awkward when someone calls and you don’t want to pick up. How do they know? What if it was important? These are just a few of the questions that come to mind when we think about not answering calls on our phones. So how do we stop being nervous callers without having to block them? Here are some tips on how to stop calls on your iPhone without blocking them.

How To Stop Calls On Your iPhone Without Blocking Them

1. Forward Calls To Another Number

If you don’t mind being called by the person you want to block, but you don’t want to answer their calls, then this is your best bet. You can forward the call to another number by going into Settings -> Phone -> Call Forwarding -> Add New Number -> Enter the phone number and tap “Add New Entry”:

2. Block Calls From Specific Numbers

If you don’t want anyone calling but certain people still get through, then this tip will help! You can block individual numbers from calling by going into Settings -> Phone -> Blocked -> Add New Number -> Enter the Phone Number or contact name and tap “Add New Entry”:

3. Disable the Call Forwarding Feature

Call Forwarding is a great feature that allows you to set up all of your phone numbers with a specific number, and it’ll forward all of the calls to that number. This can be really useful if you want to stop receiving calls from a particular person. If you want to stop receiving calls from someone, you can set up their phone number with a specific call forwarding number. This means that they will get forwarded straight to voicemail, and then they won’t be able to call you back. You can make this process even easier by using an app called Number9. Number9 is an app that lets you forward all of your phone numbers directly from your iPhone or iPad. You can use a single click on the app to forward any phone number in your contact list, and it works beautifully for blocking unwanted calls on your iPhone without blocking them.

4. Forward Calls To An External Device

If you don’t want calls going directly to voicemail, but rather you prefer that they go to an external device, then this will be your best bet. You can forward any phone call directly to an external device by going into Settings -> Phone -> Call Forwarding -> Add New Number (this will open up a new page on your iPhone) and enter the phone number and tap “Add New Entry”:

ount with iCloud on your Mac if you want to use them on your computer.

Set Up A Call Forwarding Number

  1. Go to Settings -> Phone (on your iPhone)
  2. Tap Call Forwarding (this will open up a page on your iPhone)
  3. Tap the “Add New Entry” button on the bottom of the page
  4. Type in the phone number that you would like to forward
  5. Tap “Save”

Or 

1. Create An Account With A Call Forwarding Service

If you want to set up call forwarding on your iPhone and don’t want to use an app, then you can use a service called ReachOut. ReachOut is a service that allows you to forward all your calls directly to a separate phone number anywhere in the world. It also allows you to make outbound calls from your iPhone. You can forward any phone call by simply tapping on the “Forward” button, enter the phone number, and then tap “Confirm SMS”:

2. Forward All Calls To Your Current Phone Number

Once you have signup information for the service, you can go into Settings -> Phone -> Call Forwarding -> Add New Number (this will open up a new page for your iPhone) and enter the phone number that will be forwarding all calls:

3. Forward Some Calls To Your Current Number And Some To Another Number You Control

Once again, go into Settings -> Phone -> Call Forwarding and add several different numbers that are allowed to make calls:

4. Forward All Calls To Your Current Phone Number And Another Number You Control

Now that you have the ability to forward calls, go into Settings -> Phone and edit the forwarding number. Go into “Calling” and then select a name for the new forwarding number and enter a PIN:

5. Forward All Calls To A Staffed Number On An External Device

You can also set up an external phone so that all calls will be forwarded. This can be done by using ReachOut or any other service of your choice (Shaw has one). Simply call that number from your iPhone, enter the name of the company you work for and tell them to forward all incoming calls to your iPhone.

Restrict Who Can Text You

1. Create An Account With A Mobile Number Blocker (MNB)

There are two companies that allow you to keep an account for your business and block all texts, calls, and emails from your iPhone. Zendesk has an iOS app that allows you to create a free profile and sign up for the service:

Either way, you’ll be prompted to set up a new number as we saw in Step 2 of this tutorial. Just enter your primary phone number and PIN when asked, or have someone in your company do it for you. Once everything has been completed, go into Settings -> Messages -> Blocked Numbers -> Add New Number:

2. Block Phone Numbers From Sending Texts To Your iPhone

If you don’t want any SMS texts coming in from anywhere, there are several ways of doing this. You can delete them from the contact list or either use the Contact Blocker app from Apple called Phonescout:

3. Create An Account With A Remote Call Blocking Service (RCBS)

If you run an office/studio where people call frequently with random questions about how to use Dreamweaver or Photoshop then RCBS is an amazing app that blocks calls from specific numbers based upon geographic location. By default, these specific numbers will not be able to call you until they leave the specified area (in red above). Locations can be added by clicking on “Edit” on the right hand side of the window and then “Add:”:

When adding a new location, you’ll be able to enter a region or city name for it and it will add the number in your account by default. You can search for specific numbers by clicking on “Add Search Criteria” and typing in any term you like. Examples of some terms are “Bob Smith” and “Accounting Department;, then click away from there to add the found number. This app works exceptionally well when you have several locations but still want to be able to call into one without getting an incoming call notification. 

4. Block Call And Text Messages In The iOS Contacts App

You can also block numbers right off of your iPhone contacts list with a couple of different services called CallBlock and Message Block size:

5. Block Calls From Your iPhone To A Number On Your Computer

If you are using an HTC device such as the Hero or Droid, there is an extension called Phone Control Pro that blocks calls (usually on WiFi) from your phone directly to any computer running the program that has been set up as an online service:

Conclusion

There are a few ways to stop answering calls on your iPhone without blocking them. If blocking people on your phone isn’t an option for you, try setting up a call forwarding number or a do not disturb schedule. If you don’t want to receive texts while you aren’t checking them, you can also set up a do not disturb schedule. If you don’t care if you miss calls but want to keep your phone silenced, always assume that you’ll be blocked. These tips will help you stop answering calls on your iPhone without blocking them. They can be a little awkward when you first do it, but it will get easier with time. If you want to stop answering calls on your iPhone without blocking them, don’t forget to try out one or more of these tips.

Erik McKenzie
Erik is an expert in technology trends and writes tech tips on blogs. He has a passion for helping people understand new technologies and how they can be used to improve their lives.