When you block a phone number, you are preventing that number from being able to call or text you directly. However, blocking a number does not prevent that caller from being able to leave a voicemail on your phone if you have a voicemail service active.
How does blocking a number work?
Blocking a phone number works by informing your mobile carrier that you do not wish to receive calls or texts from that specific number. When that number tries to call or text you, your carrier intercepts the attempt and blocks it from going through to your phone.
However, blocking only stops the call or text from ringing your phone directly. It does not block the caller from being able to leave a voicemail with your voicemail service provider if you have an active voicemail account.
Why can blocked numbers leave voicemails?
There are two main reasons why blocked numbers can still leave voicemails:
- Your voicemail service is separate from your mobile carrier’s regular voice network.
- Blocking only stops the ringing of your phone, not access to voicemail.
Most voicemail services today work independently of your mobile carrier’s phone network. When someone calls you, the voicemail system detects if you do not answer and prompts the caller to leave a message. This all happens separately from the normal call routing.
So when you block a number, your carrier stops the blocked number from making your phone ring. But it does not block access to your separate voicemail system. As long as voicemail picks up when you don’t answer, the caller can still leave a message.
Can you stop blocked numbers from leaving voicemails?
There are a couple options to prevent blocked callers from being able to leave voicemail messages:
- Disable your voicemail – Turning off voicemail will mean blocked callers hear a message that the number does not accept voicemail.
- Change voicemail settings – Some voicemail systems let you set up screening or other options to filter messages from blocked numbers.
- Block messages through voicemail provider – You may be able to fully block specific numbers from accessing your voicemail system.
Disabling voicemail altogether is the simplest option if you do not need a voicemail service. However, this means you won’t get any messages from non-blocked numbers either.
Modifying your voicemail settings is the next best option. Many modern voicemail systems let you screen incoming messages, reject anonymous calls, and set other options to filter out unwanted voicemails.
Finally, some voicemail providers may allow you to completely block access to certain numbers at the voicemail level, stopping them from interacting with your voicemail system at all. Contact your provider to see if they offer this capability.
Key points
- Blocking only stops the ringing of your phone, not voicemail access.
- Voicemail systems work independently from your carrier’s call network.
- You can prevent blocked voicemails by disabling voicemail, modifying voicemail settings, or blocking through your voicemail provider.
Conclusion
In summary, blocked phone numbers can still access voicemail because call blocking only prevents your phone from ringing. It does not block access to separate voicemail systems. To prevent unwanted voicemail messages, you will need to disable voicemail, adjust voicemail settings, or completely block numbers through your voicemail provider.