5 Ways to Silence Calls on iPhone

Picture this: you’re in a library or at an important meeting, and suddenly, your iPhone starts ringing loudly, causing embarrassment and disturbance. Well, your iPhone lets you silence calls by more than one method to avoid such predicaments. Here are five ways to silence calls on your iPhone.

5 Ways to Silence Calls on iPhone

You can put your iPhone on silent, but this will silence all your calls without any filter, which might cause you to miss some important calls, too. But fret not; in this article, we will explore five different methods to silence calls without missing any calls from your loved ones. Let’s dive in.

Method 1: Use Mute Switch or Action Button

The best and easiest way to silence phone calls on iPhone is by using the mute switch or the newly introduced Action button (on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max only).

On iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and Older Models: Flip the switch downwards to switch to silent mode on your iPhone. From now on, all calls will be silenced.

Note: If you flip the mute switch when there’s an incoming call on the screen, it won’t silence the current call.

Mute to Silence Calls on iPhone

On iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max: Press and hold the Action button to trigger the Silent mode. Now, all the calls will be silenced.

Use Action Button to Silence Callls on iPhone
Source: Apple

Method 2: Press the Side Button

Since the Mute switch or Action button doesn’t allow you to silence an incoming call, try pressing the side button to silence the incoming call on your iOS device. Follow these steps.

Step 1: When there’s an active incoming call on the screen, press the side button once to silence the call.

Note: Be cautious because pressing the side button twice might reject the call. Furthermore, you can prevent the side button from ending calls from the Settings.

Press the Side Button to Silence the Call on iPhone

Method 3: Silence Calls on iPhone using the Volume Button

Apart from that, you can also press either of the volume keys to silence an incoming call on your iPhone.

Press the Volume Buttons to Silence the Call on iPhone

Also Read: How to silence a contact on your iPhone.

Method 4: Silence Unknown Callers on iPhone

If you get too many spam calls from the numbers not in your contacts, your iPhone also lets you silence these unwanted calls. Here are the steps to take:

Silence Unknown Numbers on iPhone

Step 1: Open the Settings app and tap on Phone.

Step 2: Tap Silence Unknown Callers.

Phone Settings

Step 3: Tap and turn on the toggle for Silence Unknown Callers.

Turn On Silence Unknown Callers

Silence Unknown Calls on WhatsApp

Just like the Settings app, WhatsApp also allows you to silence unknown calls. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open WhatsApp on your iPhone and tap the Settings tab.

Step 2: Now, tap Privacy.

WhatsApp Settings iPhone

Step 3: Tap Calls.

Step 4: Turn on the toggle for Silence Unknown Callers. And that’s it.

Silence Unknown Callers in WhatsApp on iPhone

Also Read: How to silence a contact on your iPhone

Method 5: Switch to Focus Modes

Your iPhone has an amazing feature called Focus modes. You can also use it to silence calls on your iPhone without permanently blocking someone. With the help of a Focus mode, you can create a filter and silence/mute calls from a specific contact.

Let’s look at the steps:

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Focus.

Step 2: Tap the ‘+’ button to create a new focus.

Focus Settings iPhone

Step 3: Tap Custom.

Step 4: Type the name for Focus mode and tap Next.

Create a Custom Focus

Step 5: Now, tap Customize Focus.

Customize Focus on iPhone 1

Step 6: Tap Apps.

Step 7: Select Silence Notifications From and tap ‘+ Add’ button.

Silence Apps in Focus

Step 8: Tap and select Phone app and then tap on the search bar.

Step 9: Search and select WhatsApp. Tap Done.

Quick Tip: If you receive calls on Telegram, search for Telegram and select it.

Select Apps to Silence in Focus Mode

Now, you won’t be notified of any calls on your iPhone. But if you only wish to silent calls from specific contacts, follow these steps:

Step 10: Go to the same Focus mode and tap People.

Step 11: Select Silence Notifications From and then tap ‘+ Add’.

Silence People in Focus Mode

Step 12: Select contacts whose call you want to silence and tap Done.

Select People to Silence in Focus Mode

And now, simply enable this Focus mode on your iPhone.

Step 13: Swipe down from the right corner of the screen to access the Control Center and tap Focus.

Step 14: Tap the mode we created. In our case, it is Silent. And that’s it.

Turn on Focus to Silence Calls on iPhone

Bonus Tip

Apart from these tips, what I like to do with my iPhone to avoid distracting or spam calls is create a contact named ‘SPAMs’ and block it. Now, whenever I receive such a call, I add it to the same contact. And since this contact is already blocked, the caller will never bother me again.

Give it a try; it might suit you.

Must Read: How to block spam calls on iPhone

No More Distracting Calls

In short, if you want to silence an incoming call temporarily, use the side button or any of the volume buttons to silence the call. However, if you wish to silence all unknown calls, use the Phone settings. But if you want to customize or create a filter and silence some contacts, use a Focus mode. These methods will keep you away from distracting calls.

Last updated on 25 October, 2023

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