Am i blocked if my call goes straight to voicemail

  • To know if someone blocked you on iPhone, send them an iMessage or SMS and see if it gets delivered.
  • You can also try calling them to see if it rings once before going to voicemail – a huge red flag.
  • It's hard to know for sure if you've been blocked, as these signs could have other explanations. 

Knowing your phone number is blocked is, if nothing else, a good way to know where you stand with someone.

While it's likely not OK to go ahead and contact someone who blocked you without their consent, there are a few ways you could try to check if you're blocked.

How to know if someone blocked you on iPhone

Finding out if you've been blocked on an iPhone isn't a clean cut-and-dried process. There's no definitive way to know if you've been blocked aside from the blocker telling you outright.

But to get a sense of whether you're blocked, you could try several different methods and cross-reference your results.

Send them an iMessage

If the person you suspect has blocked you has an Apple device, you can try sending them a courteous iMessage, which will be sent over the internet. You can tell the difference between a regular SMS and an iMessage by looking at the message bubble – a green bubble means it's an SMS, while a blue bubble means it's an iMessage.

Whenever you send someone an iMessage, you'll see the delivery status right below it. If you haven't been blocked, the status will read "Delivered." And if the person has enabled read receipts, it will later turn to "Read" once they open the message.

Check to see if the SMS message was delivered or not. Steven John

A red flag that you've been blocked is when you don't see the delivery status or the read receipt at all. The message you just sent will still be in a blue bubble, but it will have no delivery status below it – not even a "Not Delivered."

Send them an SMS message

When you send them an SMS and you get the "Delivered" notification underneath it, you weren't blocked. If you get a notification like "Message Not Delivered" or you get no notification at all, that's a sign of a potential block.

Give them a phone call

Next, you could try calling the person. If the call goes right to voicemail or rings once (or a half ring) then goes to voicemail, that's further evidence you may have been blocked.

Mask your number

After you've tried calling them a few times with no luck, then it's time to hide your number when calling them. 

Call again, but this time dialing *67 before you type in the phone number. If it rings through normally with this masked phone number (or if the person answers), then that almost definitely means your number was blocked.

Check if they've also blocked you on other messaging apps

If the person is set on blocking you, they will most likely block you in other places as well. If you contact them on WhatsApp, for example, you'll also notice these signs that you've been blocked on WhatsApp. 

If by any luck they haven't blocked you there as well, they will see your message when they're back online, but they may not respond. In that case, make the message you send them count, but be polite if you want to get to the bottom of why they blocked your texts and calls.

Potential false positive signs that you've being blocked

If you try to call someone and it goes right to voicemail, you might have been blocked. But on the other hand, the person's phone might be turned off or have a drained battery, or they might simply be in Airplane Mode or Do Not Disturb mode.

iPhones have many ways to automatically block calls without blocking a number — the person you're trying to call may just have one of these settings turned on. Stefan Ionescu

Otherwise, they might have immediately sent you to voicemail because they were on another call, in class, or just didn't want to talk at the moment.

Likewise, a text message that isn't delivered might be a result of poor cell service or occasional glitches in iMessage, not a fracture in your relationship. Wait a few hours, or even a day, and try to call or text again and see how it goes.

Steven John

Freelance Writer

Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com.

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It's easy to communicate with people anywhere in the world. You don't have to wait for the mail delivery. Instead, you can send a text message. However, people can cut communication quickly by blocking a phone number from an unwanted sender. And this can happen without you knowing. While the best way of knowing if someone is avoiding you is by asking them directly, there are other ways to find out.

How to know if someone blocked your number

When someone blocks you, you don't receive a notification of the action. Still, there are a few key signs. For example, a phone call that goes straight to voicemail instead of ringing many times. You do not want to trust this, because the recipient may have their phone turned off or they're on another phone call. You can leave a voicemail, but the recipient does not receive notification of the message if you're blocked. Another example is when you receive an automated message that the recipient is unavailable. The odds are the recipient blocked you.

Attempt text messages

iOS and Android phones work in different ways with their messaging services. iMessage makes it easier to know if someone blocked you. On Android, it depends on the recipient's phone and message type.

How to tell if you're blocked on your iPhone

iMessage uses two notifications to let senders know when message delivery and reading occur. One notification says "delivered" and the second says "read." While not a surefire way of knowing, they are among the methods available. It's possible the recipient is out of signal range or has their phone off. Still, there are other ways to find out if someone has blocked your number on iMessage.

How to tell if you're blocked on Android

Android phones use a service that doesn't notify you of the delivery or reading of messages. Therefore, a text message is not an ideal way of determining if blocking has occurred. If you send a text and don't hear back, they may not be able to respond or do not care to respond.

Similar to the iPhone, it's best to wait a few days to see if you get a response. If you still don't hear from the recipient, try a different method to determine if blocking occurred.

Attempt calling on iPhone or Android

Calling is an easier way to determine if someone blocked your number. First, call from your phone number. If the call goes to voicemail, listen to the message. If you receive a message that the number is unavailable, it generally means the recipient blocked you. If you don't, the recipient may not be in signal range or their phone is turned off.

In this case, your next option is to call from a different phone number or use *67 to hide your number. If the call goes through on that number, blocking may have occurred. You don't need to talk to the person, but rather see if it rings more than once.

Can you know for sure?

There's no clear way to use your phone to determine if someone blocked you. You'll see signs, such as undelivered messages and straight-to-voicemail phone calls. The only way to ensure someone blocked you is to find out from the recipient. Either ask them yourself or talk to a mutual friend.

The Do Not Disturb settings silence all calls and text messages unless the recipient has set a contact or application as an exception. This means the recipient still receives notifications of a call, but the notifications won't make a sound. The purpose of this setting is to allow people to get work done and only be disturbed by important notifications or calls.

Android has a setting that allows calls to come through if the caller phones twice in less than 15 minutes. You can use this to determine if you are blocked, but only if you know the recipient has the Repeat callers setting turned on.

Airplane mode on the phone also disables the recipient's Wi-Fi, data, cellular, and Bluetooth connections. This setting prevents them from receiving text messages or phone calls until they turn off the setting. It prevents people from emitting signals that interfere with piloting equipment. However, some use this to preserve battery life on their phones. Many people also use it while traveling to prevent roaming charges when they are outside their service areas.

Call, text, or walk away?

The short answer is that there is no definite way of determining if you've been blocked without talking directly to the person in question. Sure, there will be a few signs, namely silence from the person in question. Even if you purchase one of the best Android phones, you will remain blocked unless you change your number.

Does phone going straight to voicemail mean blocked?

Blocked phone calls go straight to voicemail When someone you've blocked calls you, they'll be sent right to your voicemail, as if your phone was turned off. This is their only clue that you blocked them. The blocked caller can still leave a voicemail, but it won't show up with your regular messages.

What does it mean when your call goes straight to voicemail without ringing?

Among the handful of things that might automatically send your calls to voicemail is your phone's Do Not Disturb mode, blocked numbers, call forwarding, Bluetooth connections, and your phone's SIM card. Whether you accidentally activated any of these phone features or forgot you turned them on, don't fret.

How do you know if someone has blocked your number?

If you call a specific number and it immediately goes to voicemail, or you get a strange message such as 'temporarily out of service' or 'the person is not taking calls,' this may mean your number has been blocked,” Lavelle says.