iPhone: Silence Unknown Callers, Focus, and contacts
Silence Unknown Callers, and on newer iOS versions Screen Unknown Callers, can send a number that is not in your contacts straight to voicemail. Open Settings, then Phone, or Settings, then Apps, then Phone. Turn that setting off, or leave it on and save our number so the call is no longer unknown.
Focus and Do Not Disturb have their own exceptions. Open the Focus or Do Not Disturb schedule and allow calls from contacts, favourites, or everyone, whichever matches how you saved the number. A call that is allowed in Phone settings can still be silenced by an active Focus.
The reliable step is to save the number as a contact named On Time Call. After that, how to allow calls from unknown numbers on iPhone matters less, because the call is from a known contact. Also check Settings, then Phone, then Blocked Contacts, in case the number was blocked earlier.
Android: Do Not Disturb, spam settings, and blocked numbers
Android menus vary by brand, so the names below may sit under Phone, Calls, or the app that handles your calls. Open Do Not Disturb and look for exceptions. Allow calls from contacts, or from a starred contact, and add the On Time Call number there.
Caller ID and spam settings can silence numbers the phone does not recognise. Look for a spam filter, "silence unknown callers," or a similar switch, and turn it off or add an exception. Then open blocked numbers and remove the On Time Call number if it is listed. A blocked number will not ring on any of these settings.
Carrier spam labels
Networks sometimes mark an unfamiliar number as spam likely before your phone even decides to ring. That label can hide the call or send it to voicemail. Saving the number as a contact tells the phone this caller is expected. If the label remains, the contact still lets you allow it through Do Not Disturb.
Why a call goes straight to voicemail
Why do calls go straight to voicemail when the phone is in your hand? The usual reason is a filter that never plays the ring: Silence Unknown Callers, Do Not Disturb, a spam filter, or a blocked number. Airplane mode and a phone that is off do the same thing. If none of those apply, the call can still fail because the number was typed wrong, or because the line was busy.
Save our number
Save the caller ID for the country you are calling, under the name On Time Call.
- UK: +44 7426 930907
- US: +1 (740) 693-0907
- Canada: +1 (431) 500-0907
A call to a UK number comes from the UK caller ID, even if you are scheduling it from somewhere else. Use the number that matches the phone that should ring. Then allow that contact through Focus or Do Not Disturb.
Frequently asked questions
Why do calls go straight to voicemail?
The phone often sends an unknown number to voicemail before it rings. Silence Unknown Callers, Screen Unknown Callers, Do Not Disturb, and a spam filter can all do that. A blocked number does it on purpose.
How do I allow calls from unknown numbers on iPhone?
Open Settings, then Phone, or Settings, then Apps, then Phone, depending on your iOS version. Turn off Silence Unknown Callers or Screen Unknown Callers, or save the On Time Call number as a contact so it is no longer unknown.
What if the caller ID says Spam Likely?
Carriers and phone makers sometimes label unfamiliar numbers as spam. A spam likely label can silence the ring or send the call to voicemail. Saving the number as a contact named On Time Call usually stops that label from hiding it.
Does Do Not Disturb block reminder calls?
It can. Do Not Disturb and Focus modes silence calls unless you add an exception for contacts, favourites, or repeated calls. Allow the saved On Time Call contact through that mode if you want the phone to ring.
Which number should I save?
Save the number for the country being called. UK calls come from +44 7426 930907. US calls come from +1 (740) 693-0907. Canadian calls come from +1 (431) 500-0907.
