Hearing a phone call go to voicemail can be very annoying. There is something even more annoying; When you hear a phone ring, you will immediately go to voicemail, even if the phone doesn’t ring first. Many of us have gone through this, and from several complaints in many forums, it is clear that this problem did not suddenly appear.
We’ve covered it for you and figured out what’s going on and why it’s happening. It turns out that the article below was only written to help you solve this problem on your Android smartphone. Here’s what you can do when your Android phone call goes straight to voicemail.
Why does my Android phone call go directly to voicemail?
Incoming calls may go to voice mail even without multiple rings for several reasons. These are the factors that can redirect calls you receive to voicemail or transfer calls you make to voicemail:
Bluetooth interference
Bluetooth is a useful feature, but in this situation, the active Bluetooth frequency may forward the voicemail message during an incoming call. This problem can often occur if Bluetooth headphones are connected to your Android smartphone. You will have to disable this feature for the bell to ring.
Problems with the SIM card
There may be problems with the SIM card and the server. However, this is very unlikely and the chance that this problem is caused by the SIM card is infinitesimal. But let’s not rule out the possibility, even if we can’t do anything about it.
Blocked number
On Android devices, blocking someone’s mobile number tells the caller that the recipient is busy. However, if the voicemail feature is enabled on the Android device, a voicemail message will be sent to the caller. It’s also a tricky way to know if someone has blocked a caller.
Disabled Features
Every Android smartphone has certain features that can cause this problem if they are enabled. You can always turn them on or off as long as they don’t affect the Android phone call and the voice message you send or receive.
What if my Android phone call goes straight to voicemail?
- Turn off Bluetooth connection
- Remove a number from the black list
- Reinsert the SIM card
- Features to disable on your Android device
- Call barring
- Call forwarding settings
- Disable Do Not Disturb
Prevent a phone call from going straight to voicemail on your Android device
Turn off Bluetooth connection
As discussed earlier, an enabled Bluetooth connection can interfere with phone calls you make or receive and redirect them to voicemail. This cause cannot be determined without checking it by temporarily disabling the smartphone’s Bluetooth service.
Every Android device has two ways to disable/enable Bluetooth audio:
Notification panel
The notification bar is a very resourceful tool that has shortcuts to enable features on Android. You just need to slide up from the bottom of the screen or from the top to access it. Here you should see a toggle switch with a Bluetooth icon that you can use to enable or disable Bluetooth and other features.
Your device settings
System Preferences is the phone control center that includes your Android. The icon to open it usually has the shape of a gear and is located in the phone menu.
The Bluetooth settings on this page can be used to turn this feature on or off. Alternatively, you can disable Bluetooth devices on your system.
Remove a number from the black list
You may have blocked some phone numbers on your device. This does not mean that these contacts will never be able to contact you again. When this happens, the blocked number will not ring, but will instead transfer the caller to voicemail. You can try unblocking a specific number to see if that helps in our case.
- Launch the contacts or dialpad app on your Android smartphone.
- Now open the menu item for the dial pad. This is usually available as a three-dot menu or a hamburger menu.
- Select the “Settings”option and go to the “Black List”section. In some user interfaces (UIs), the blacklist will be available directly from the hamburger menu itself.
- When you see a list of all the contacts you have blocked, select the number that belongs to the caller or recipient you want to call.
- In the pop-up that appears, you will need to select “Unblock”in order to whitelist a specific contact. Each contact must be unlocked individually.
After completing these steps, you will be able to make or receive calls from the number we just unblocked. If this method does not resolve the issue, you can block the number again.
Reinsert the SIM card
The SIM card installed on your phone may be causing the problem with voicemail. In this position, it is best to update the SIM card. This is not a very difficult process as you just need to remove it from the device and install it again.
To do this, you will need a SIM eject tool to remove the tray that contains your SIM card. Android devices have a tiny hole with a button to pop this tray out. Start by shutting down the Android system.
Gently press it down with the pusher. Once the tray pops out, turn it upside down and lightly tap on the top to pop the SIM card out. Make sure it falls on a soft surface. Place it back into the perfectly shaped slot and slide the SIM tray back.
When the system reboots, it will take a few seconds to reinitialize the SIM card. Once this is done, the voicemail problem should be gone. If this is not the case, let’s try disabling some of the features that might be causing the problem we’re discussing.
The same procedure can be used to troubleshoot network issues. However, this will not help if the problem is related to the network operator.
Features to disable on your Android device
There are three features on your Android mobile phone that can cause a direct voice mail connection problem. If you want to work on it, your only option is to turn them off. If they don’t help you, you can leave them permanently disabled.
The following are the features that should be disabled to resolve the direct voicemail connection issue and the steps required to do so.
Call barring
Call barring is a smartphone feature that allows users to turn off certain calls based on callers and call types. This is recommended and can be very helpful when there is a possibility that international calls will be made by mistake.
This is the procedure to disable call barring on your Android −
- Launch the phone app and enter the settings (three horizontal lines or vertical dots in the top corner of the screen).
- Now, in some interfaces, the “Call barring”option is available on the main or advanced settings page.
- Find the “Call barring”option and turn off the toggle switch.
This is what you need to do for another SIM if you have two. Some phones require these features for both outgoing and incoming calls.
Call forwarding settings
Android devices allow users to forward incoming calls to voicemail or another phone number. Sometimes this feature can be your enemy here.
The steps to turn off call forwarding settings are given below:
- Open your phone’s dial pad and go to dial pad settings (hamburger icon in the top right corner).
- Select the “Call Forwarding”section and disable it. This should be available as a direct toggle switch or an advanced setting with access to other settings.
The settings for this can be slightly extended. If this is your case, you may need to follow this procedure for two SIM cards. You may even have an interface defining this function with a different term in some situations. This may be in the advanced voice settings, or be labeled as an “Always Forward”option.
Do not disturb mode
Do Not Disturb is a great feature to avoid unwanted calls from telemarketers or your contacts when you’re busy. When enabled, callers receive a voicemail system, and DnD mode may cause a problem with voicemail on your device. This is the only reason why we will disable it with the methods below.
Two methods can be used to deactivate DnD:
- Your device’s notification shade has a Do Not Disturb option. The toggle option here can be used to disable the feature on your system.
- There is also a toggle switch in your device’s audio settings to disable or enable Do Not Disturb.
This should solve the problem of direct communication with voicemail, and calls should normally be made or received as usual.
If none of the above methods helped you resolve your voicemail direct connection issue, you will need to contact your service provider or mobile device manufacturer. Happy call!
FAQ
Can you tell if someone has blocked your number?
Mobile phones do not notify callers if the recipient has blocked their numbers. However, if you try to call someone who has blocked you, the interface will tell you that they are busy, no matter how many times you call them.
What does it mean when the phone goes straight to voice mail without ringing?
When your phone call goes straight to voicemail, it may mean that some factors are causing this problem – – SIM card issues – Blocked phone numbers – Bluetooth issues – Disabled features
Why do some phone calls go straight to voicemail?
Sometimes there is a possibility that a phone call can be forwarded to voice mail directly, even without calling first. This may mean that you have problems with your SIM card or Bluetooth. This can also happen if you have blocked the caller on your device.
Why do my calls go straight to voicemail on my Android phone?
On Android, a phone call goes straight to voicemail under the following circumstances: – SIM card issues – Blocked mobile numbers – Bluetooth audio is enabled – Call features such as call forwarding and call barring are disabled – Do not disturb mode is active