Why are my Calls Going Straight to Voicemail [13 Fixes]

By Sruthy

By Sruthy

Sruthy, with her 10+ years of experience, is a dynamic professional who seamlessly blends her creative soul with technical prowess. With a Technical Degree in Graphics Design and Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Communication, she brings a unique combination of artistic flair…

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Updated January 6, 2025

Looking for answers to: Why are my Calls Going Straight to Voicemail? Read this tutorial to explore all the reasons with solutions:

I never had this problem until now, but I know someone who was irritated because all his calls were going straight to voicemail without ringing.

It is a trivial issue until you miss an extremely important call because your phone is enjoying sending your calls to voicemail. I can still remember him shouting in frustration, “Why are my calls going straight to voicemail?”

There could be various reasons for phone calls to go straight to voicemail and each of them has to do something with your phone’s settings. That’s why they are easy to troubleshoot. If you are among those wondering why my phone goes straight to voicemail, I have tons of solutions for you.

Troubleshooting Phone Goes Straight to Voicemail Issues

Why are my Calls Going Straight to Voicemail

If your phone call goes straight to voicemail and keeps working on time and time again, here are the things you can do to fix it.

#1) Check Call Settings

If one of the call rejections, call blocking, call barring, or forwarding to voicemail options is turned on, that could be why your phone goes straight to voicemail.

Fix this. Follow the steps listed below:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap on Apps.
  • Go to System Apps.
system app settings for why are my calls going straight to voicemail
  • Select Call Settings.
Select Call Settings1
  • Tap on call forwarding.
call forwading setting
  • Disable it.
Disable it
  • Tap on Advanced Settings.
Advanced settings
  • Select Call Rejection.
  • Turn it off.
  • Check the call block.
  • See if the number from which you need to receive the call is on the list.
  • If yes, remove it.

Restart your phone and see if your call still goes straight to voicemail.

#2) Check the Do Not Disturb Settings

Sometimes, if you have activated DND and forgot to turn it off, it can prevent your phone from ringing, and eventually, your call will be diverted to your voice mail upon not answering. DND is yet another reason why does phone go straight to voicemail without ringing.

Here are the steps:

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap on Sound and Vibration.
sound and vibration
  • Toggle off the slider beside DND.
do not disturb

See if your call goes straight to voicemail now.

#3) Disable Airplane Mode

One of the most common problems with touchscreen phones is that sometimes accidental touch can change certain settings without you knowing. This has happened to me one too many times. Since Airplane mode is one setting extremely easy to access, it gets turned on often. Or maybe you forgot to turn it on after the flight.

Anyway, that could be the reason your phone goes straight to voicemail without ringing or calls going straight to voicemail on your iPhone.

  • Pull down the top of your phone screen.
  • Make sure your Aeroplane mode is turned off.
aeroplane

#4) Check Your Mobile Network

Another most commonly compromised settings for touchscreen devices is mobile data. Mine keeps turning off by itself. If you are having issues with calls, check if your mobile data is turned on.

  • Drag down to the top of your home screen.
  • See if the Mobile data is lit.
data
  • Long press on Mobile data.
  • See if the correct Sim and network are selected.
sim card
  • If you are roaming, make sure Data Roaming is turned on in Advanced Settings.
advanced settings1

This should fix your call going straight to voicemail without a ringing problem.

#5) Turn Up your Ringer Volume

Sometimes when the ringtone is at a low volume, you miss the incoming call. This could be the reason why your phone is going straight to voicemail. Press the volume up button on the side of your phone to see if you can hear the ringer now.

#6) Turn Off Silence Unknown Caller Setting

If you have an iPhone, there is an option of silencing an unknown caller. You will still see the number on your recent call list, but your phone won’t ring and the call will go to your voicemail. Some high-end Android devices also have this setting. So, for calls going straight to voicemail on your iPhone, check if you have used this setting.

Here is how to do it:

  • Launch Settings.
  • Go to Phone.
  • Tap on the arrow beside Silence Unknown Callers.
  • Select Off.
silence-unknown-callers

See if this fixes the problem.

#7) Update Your Device

When you don’t update your device, several issues occur after some time. If you are still wondering why my phone is going straight to voicemail, this could be the reason.

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap on About Phone.
settings - why are my calls going straight to voicemail
  • Select your Device name.
about phone
  • Tap on Check for Updates.
Check for Updates - why are my calls going straight to voicemail

#8) Turn Off Your Bluetooth

We often have headphones or a smartwatch connected to the phone’s Bluetooth and in that habit, we often forget to turn it off even when not in use. In such cases, sometimes Bluetooth gets confused when it is connected to some device. So, if you are still asking yourself “why are my calls going straight to voicemail Android”, this could be the answer.

  • Pull down the top of your home screen.
  • Once your Bluetooth icon is lit up, tap on it to turn it off.

See if it works.

#9) Turn Off VoLTE

Don’t get me wrong, VoLTE is amazing. However, if there’s no data connection or 4G in the area, you will not be able to make or receive calls. If your phone calls are going straight to your voicemail, it could be because there’s no 4G connection on your phone.

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap on Sim card and networks.
  • Select the Sim card in use.
  • Toggle the slider beside using VoLTE to off.
sim settings - why are my calls going straight to voicemail

#10) Issue With Sim Card

Sometimes, it could be because of a shifted or damaged sim card that your calls are getting directly to voicemail. Try removing and reinserting your sim card. Make sure your device is turned off when you do that. If it still doesn’t work or you see some kind of damage to the card, visit the service center of your service provider and get it replaced.

Recommended Reading => Explore the Top Second Phone Number Apps

#11) Change Preferred Network Type

Another reason why your calls are going directly to your voicemail is because the network type you have selected is not supported. Try changing the network type.

  • Launch Settings
  • Go to Sim Cards and mobile networks
  • Tap on your sim card
  • Select the Preferred network type
  • Change your network selection
preferred network type1 - why are my calls going straight to voicemail

#12) Check Announce Call Settings on iPhone

Sometimes, when you announce that call settings on an iPhone are set to headphones and car or headphones only, you might not hear your phone ring or calls announced. To do that, check the Always option in the settings.

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap on Siri & Search.
  • Go to Announce calls.
  • Choose Always.

#13) Check Your Driving Mode App

If the issue of calls going straight to voicemail on your iPhone arises only while you are driving, then it might be your driving mode. Often iPhones automatically switch to driving mode when you are driving and it can activate the Do Not Disturb option.

  • Go to Settings.
  • Tap on Focus.
  • Slide the bar beside Driving to off.
  • Also, change the settings from Turn on Automatically to Manually or when connected to the car Bluetooth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a call go straight to voicemail without ringing?

It could be because you have turned on the Do Not Disturb option or maybe you have blocked that number.

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

This usually means that either your number is blocked or the person you are calling has been turned on Do Not Disturb mode.

Why is my phone not receiving phone calls?

Make sure the Airplane mode is turned off. If it is already, remove the sim and reinsert it. Also, make sure your sim card is not damaged. If it is damaged or too old, get it replaced.

Why doesn’t my phone ring when someone calls me?

This usually happens if your ringer volume is turned down or you have put your phone in silent or vibrate-only mode. Turn on the ringer and turn up its volume to make it ring.

Why can’t I receive calls but I can make them?

It could be a software or configuration issue. Try updating your software or rebooting your device.


Conclusion

In this article, I have listed all possible resolutions for phone calls going straight to voicemail problems. This usually happens due to network issues or when you have activated the Do Not Disturb mode.

In the worst-case scenario, you might need to get your sim card replaced which is a good option if your sim card is extremely old. If the problem still exists, take your phone to the device’s service center.

Suggested Reading =>> Popular Call Recorder Apps for Android and iPhone

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