​Your Phone, Your Rules: Tips to Block and Silence Intrusive Callers

Posted by iCoverLover on Oct 23, 2023

Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives. While they bring the world closer, they also expose us to unsolicited calls and disturbances. Whether it's telemarketers, spammers, or just a contact you'd rather not hear from, both Android and iPhone offer solutions to silence or block these unwanted callers. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate these features.

1. Android Devices

Silencing Calls:

Do Not Disturb (DND):

  • Open the 'Settings' app on your device.
  • Tap on 'Sounds' or 'Sound & Vibration'.
  • Navigate to 'Do Not Disturb'.
  • You can choose to turn on DND immediately or schedule it for specific times.
  • Within the DND settings, you can also allow exceptions like alarms or calls from favourite contacts.

Your Phone, Your Rules: Tips to Block and Mute Intrusive Callers | iCoverLover Australia

Blocking Calls:

From Call Log:

  • Open the 'Phone' app.
  • Navigate to 'Recent' or 'Call Log'.
  • Find the number you want to block and tap on it.
  • Click on 'Details' or the 'i' (information) symbol.
  • Tap 'Block Number' or 'Block Contact'.

From Contacts:

  • Open the 'Contacts' app.
  • Search for and select the contact you wish to block.
  • Click on 'Details' or the 'i' symbol.
  • Tap 'Block Number' or 'Block Contact'.

2. iPhones

Silencing Calls:

Do Not Disturb:

  • Go to 'Settings'.
  • Select 'Do Not Disturb'.
  • Toggle the switch to enable DND.
  • You can also schedule it or allow calls from favourites or specific groups.

Blocking Calls:

From Call Log:

  • Open the 'Phone' app.
  • Go to 'Recents'.
  • Find the number or contact you want to block and tap the 'i' symbol next to it.
  • Scroll down and tap 'Block this Caller'.

From Contacts:

  • Go to the 'Phone' app or 'Contacts' app.
  • Search and select the contact you wish to block.
  • Scroll down and tap 'Block this Caller'.

Unblocking Numbers:

If you change your mind and wish to unblock a number:

On Android:

  • Go to the 'Phone' app.
  • Tap on the three dots (menu) at the top right corner.
  • Go to 'Settings' > 'Blocked Numbers'.
  • Find the number you wish to unblock and tap the 'Remove' or 'Unblock' option.

On iPhones:

  • Go to 'Settings'.
  • Scroll down and tap on 'Phone'.
  • Tap 'Blocked Contacts' or 'Blocked Numbers'.
  • Find the contact or number you wish to unblock, swipe left, and tap 'Unblock'.

Conclusion

Blocking or silencing calls is a useful feature to ensure peace of mind and reduce disturbances from unwanted callers. While the steps might vary slightly depending on the model and OS version, the general process remains quite straightforward on both Android and iPhones. Remember, you can always unblock contacts if you change your mind in the future.