Where to Find Call Settings on Your iPhone

Call settings on an iPhone live in the Phone app and the main Settings app. Most of what you need is in the Phone app itself — tap the phone icon on your home screen, then look for the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right. From there, tap Settings to see options for voicemail, call forwarding, call waiting, and caller ID.

Some settings also appear in the main Settings app under Phone. This is where you'll find options to change your caller ID name, block numbers, and adjust how calls are handled when you're using Do Not Disturb or Focus modes. The exact location depends on what you want to change, but both places are straightforward once you know where to look.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Phone app and tap the menu icon (three lines) at the bottom, then Settings, to reach most call options in one place.
  • Call forwarding, call waiting, and voicemail settings are all in the Phone app's Settings menu and take seconds to turn on or off.
  • To block a specific number, open the Phone app, find the contact or recent call, swipe left, and tap Block This Caller.
  • Do Not Disturb and Focus modes let you silence calls from everyone except your favorites, and you can set these to turn on automatically at certain times.
  • Changes to call settings take effect when ready — you don't need to restart your phone or confirm anything in a separate step.

Turning Call Forwarding On or Off

Call forwarding sends incoming calls to a different phone number. Open the Phone app, tap the menu icon at the bottom right, then tap Settings. Look for Call Forwarding and toggle it on. When you turn it on, you'll be asked to enter the phone number where you want calls sent.

Type the number carefully — if you enter it wrong, calls will go to the wrong place. Once you've entered it, tap Save or Done. A small arrow icon will appear next to the signal bars at the top of your screen to show that call forwarding is active. To turn it off, go back to the same menu and toggle it off. Your phone will when ready stop forwarding calls.

Changing Voicemail Settings

Your voicemail greeting and password are both in the Phone app. Open the Phone app, tap Voicemail at the bottom right, then tap Greeting at the top left. You can choose Default to use your carrier's standard greeting, or tap Custom to record your own message. If you choose Custom, tap Record, speak your greeting, then tap Stop and Save.

To change your voicemail password, go to Settings on your iPhone, tap Phone, then scroll down and tap Change Voicemail Password. Enter your current password, then type a new one twice to confirm it. Your carrier may have additional voicemail settings available through their website or customer service line, but the greeting and password are controlled from your phone.

Blocking Calls and Managing Do Not Disturb

To block a specific number, open the Phone app and find that contact in your recent calls or contacts list. Swipe left on the number, then tap the block icon (a circle with a line through it). Confirm by tapping Block Contact. Blocked callers will hear that the number is not available, and their calls won't ring through to you.

For broader control, use Do Not Disturb or Focus modes. Open Settings, tap Focus, then choose or create a Focus mode (like "Work" or "Sleep"). Turn it on, then tap Calls and choose who can reach you — you can allow calls from Favorites, specific contacts, or nobody. Set a schedule so the mode turns on automatically at certain times each day. When active, calls from people not on your allowed list will go straight to voicemail.

Adjusting Caller ID and Call Waiting

Your caller ID name and number are controlled by your phone carrier, not your iPhone. To hide your number from people you call, open Settings, tap Phone, then tap Show My Caller ID and toggle it off. This hides your number on outgoing calls. If you want to show it again, toggle it back on.

Call waiting lets you hear a beep when a second call comes in while you're on a call. Open the Phone app, tap the menu icon, then Settings, and look for Call Waiting. Toggle it on to hear incoming calls, or off to send them straight to voicemail. Some carriers charge a small fee for call waiting, so check with your provider if you're unsure whether it's included in your plan.

Setting Up Silence Unknown Callers

If you're tired of spam calls, turn on Silence Unknown Callers. This feature sends calls from numbers not in your contacts straight to voicemail. Open Settings, tap Phone, then toggle on Silence Unknown Callers. Calls from people you know will still ring through normally.

This setting works best if you've saved most of your regular contacts. Keep in mind that legitimate calls — from doctors' offices, banks, or businesses you've contacted — may also be silenced, so check your voicemail regularly. You can always turn this off if you find it too restrictive, and the change takes effect right away.

Handling Calls During Focus Modes and Do Not Disturb

When Do Not Disturb or a Focus mode is on, calls behave differently depending on your settings. By default, calls from people in your Favorites list will still ring through, while others go to voicemail. You can change this by opening Settings, tapping Focus, selecting the active mode, then tapping Calls. Choose Allow Calls From and pick who can reach you — Favorites, specific contacts, or everyone.

You can also set a Focus mode to turn on automatically. In the Focus settings, tap Turn On Automatically and choose a time, location, or app. For example, you could set your Work Focus to turn on every weekday at 9 a.m. and turn off at 5 p.m. During those hours, only calls from your Favorites will ring through. This keeps you from missing important calls while still blocking interruptions from unknown numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if call forwarding is actually on?

Look at the top of your screen near the signal bars. When call forwarding is active, a small arrow icon appears there. You can also go back to the Phone app's Settings menu and check the Call Forwarding toggle — it will be green and switched on.

Can I block calls from a specific area code?

iPhone doesn't have a built-in feature to block entire area codes. You can block individual numbers by swiping left on them in the Phone app, but you'll need to do this one at a time. For broader blocking, consider using a third-party call-blocking app from the App Store.

What happens to calls when Do Not Disturb is on?

Calls from people in your Favorites list will still ring through. All other calls go straight to voicemail. You can change this by opening Settings, tapping Focus, selecting Do Not Disturb, and adjusting who can call you under the Calls section.

Will my contacts know if I've blocked them?

Blocked callers will hear a message saying the number is not available. They won't receive a notification that they've been blocked, but they may figure it out if calls consistently go unanswered and they can't leave voicemail.

Can I change my caller ID name on my iPhone?

Your carrier controls your caller ID name, not your iPhone. To change it, contact your phone company directly. Some carriers let you change it through their website or app, while others require a phone call to customer service.