Why My Phone Call Goes Straight to Voicemail? Causes and Fixes

Calls may go straight to voicemail due to a weak network signal, blocked number, active Airplane mode, or Do Not Disturb mode. Additionally, a faulty SIM card, low battery mode, or network congestion can occasionally be the reason.

If you're in an area with no signal or weak coverage, your carrier provider cannot connect the call to your phone. As a result, all the incoming calls go directly to voicemail rather than ringing on your device.

Turning on  “Airplane mode” blocks incoming calls and sends them directly to voicemail. If you notice your calls are suddenly sent to voicemail, it's possible that you may have accidentally turned on “Airplane mode”.

If your SIM card is not inserted correctly, is damaged, carrier-locked, or region-locked, calls could be sent directly to voicemail. Your SIM slot could also be the reason behind it, at times.

 DND mode silences incoming calls and sends them to voicemail. Sometimes, you might also have activated your cell phone’s Do Not Disturb feature accidentally.

When your phone is off, the calls are directly sent to voicemail. Your phone may also send your call straight to voicemail without ringing your phone when the battery is low and your phone is in power-saving mode. This happens because your phone may disable incoming calls when the battery is too low.

iPhones have a built-in Call Filter feature called “Silence Unknown Caller”. When this is turned on, any call from a number not saved in your contacts will be automatically sent to voicemail without notifying you.

When too many users attempt to connect to the same network at once, network congestion can prevent the call from reaching you and forward it directly to your voicemail. This is common in a crowded place, such as a concert or sports arena.

Call filtering apps sometimes mistakenly flag a caller’s number as a scam or spam. For instance, when someone calls you frequently in a short time and disconnects the call repeatedly, call-filtering apps can recognize such numbers as spam. It sends these callers directly to your voicemail without ringing your phone.

VoLTE is a technology that enables voice calls over a 4G LTE network, offering improved call quality and the ability to use data and voice services simultaneously. When your phone switches to the VoLTE network, certain call forwarding options, including conditional call forwarding, may direct calls to voicemail instead of the previously saved forwarding number.

Outdated software can also be the reason for your calls going to voicemail directly. This is because old software versions may not be compatible with the upgraded call handling and routing feature in your device.

The call is sent to your voicemail when you receive a Ringless Voicemail (RVM). RVM technology allows callers to leave a voicemail without ringing by delivering a pre-recorded message. Today, many telecom carriers and phone service providers offer this feature for delivering the audio message discreetly to your voicemail server.

If you've accidentally blocked a number, their calls will be sent directly to voicemail without ringing your phone. This can happen unintentionally when managing the call blocking feature on your device.

If your incoming calls are going directly to voicemail, ensure a strong network connection, disable DND, Airplane mode, or Power Saving mode, and try reinserting your SIM card and updating your device. Additionally, check if the sender’s number is blocked or mistakenly marked as spam.

Ensure you're in a location with a strong network connection. You can check the signal bars on your phone to know the network strength.

To check the signal, check your screen's top-right (iPhone) or top-left (Android) corner.

Turning off Airplane Mode reactivates all wireless communication on your phone. As such, it enables your device to ring before sending calls to the voicemail.
 

Here’s how to turn off Airplane mode on iPhone and Android:
 

For iPhone:

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen.
2. Access the Quick Settings menu.
3. Tap the airplane mode icon.

For Android:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Quick Settings.
2. Tap on the Airplane mode and turn it off.

If your device is sending calls directly to voicemail due to a faulty SIM, try re-inserting it. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Turn off your phone.
2. Eject the SIM tray using the SIM card ejector tool or a paperclip.
3. Check the SIM card for dust, damage, or scratches.
4. Gently clean the SIM with a dry, soft cloth.
5. Reinsert the SIM properly and close the tray.
6. Turn on your phone and check for signal bars.
7. Try another SIM or contact your carrier if the issue continues.

Turning off DND mode puts your device back on “Sound” or “Ring” mode so that you can hear the ring for all incoming calls, before they go to voicemail.
 

For iPhone:

1. Swipe down from the top right of your home screen.
2. Access the Quick Settings menu.
3. Tap the Focus icon.
4. Turn off the DND mode.

For Android:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen
2. Access the Quick Settings menu,
3. Tap "Do Not Disturb".

If power-saving mode is active on your device, turn it off to restore full functionality for incoming calls.

You can turn off power saving mode by:

1. iPhone: Settings > Battery > Toggle off Low Power Mode.
2. Android: Settings > Battery > Battery Saver > Turn off.

Disable “Silence Unknown Callers” to prevent calls from unknown numbers from going to your voicemail before ringing your phone.

Here’s how to turn off “Silence Unknown Callers” on iPhone:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap on Phone.
3. In the Phone settings menu, find and tap on Silence Unknown Callers.
4. Toggle the switch to off (it should no longer be green).

If your call filtering app is falsely marking the validated number as spam, then unmark it to allow incoming calls.

1. Open the call filtering app.
2. Search the number
3. Open details
4. Select "Report as not spam" or "Mark as not spam".

Disable VoLTE on your device if it's interfering with your call forwarding apps or feature, leading the calls directly to voicemail.

To turn off VoLTE:

• For iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data > select 2G or 3G.
• For Android: Settings > Network & Internet > Mobile Network > Advanced, then toggle off VoLTE. (Depending on your Android devices)

Upgrade your phone's software to the latest update. Then, restart your phone.

• For iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Download and Install.
• For Android: Go to Settings.> Software Update or System > Updates.> Download and Install.

Check your blocked contacts list in your phone’s settings. If the specific number is there, remove it from the blocked list to allow incoming calls and prevent it from going to voicemail directly.

For iPhone:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Phone and then select Blocked Contacts.
3. Find the number you want to unblock, swipe left on it, and tap Unblock.

For Android:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Tap the three dots (More) icon in the top-right corner, then select Settings.
3. Tap Blocked numbers or Call blocking.
4. Locate the number you want to unblock and select Unblock.

When phone calls go straight to voicemail unexpectedly, it can be annoying. Network problems or incorrect phone settings most commonly cause this issue.

Sometimes, your phone may also be connected to Bluetooth without you realizing it. When this happens, the phone may be ringing, but you may not notice it as the sound is directed to your Bluetooth device. So, before diving into the above solutions, it’s advisable to check if your Bluetooth is on and disconnect it first.

If your call goes straight to voicemail, it doesn't always mean you've been blocked. It could also mean the recipient's phone is off, in Airplane mode, or facing network issues.

You can prevent phone calls from going straight to voicemail by ensuring a robust network, turning off Do Not Disturb (DND), and disabling Airplane Mode.

Your incoming calls may not ring if your device is set to Do Not Disturb or silent mode, if call forwarding has been inadvertently activated, or if the phone is unintentionally connected to a Bluetooth device.