Yes, on most phones blocked numbers still reach voicemail unless carrier tools or visual voicemail stop the message.
Spam calls and unwanted numbers waste time. If you’ve blocked a caller, you want silence—and no message waiting later. This guide explains what really happens on iPhone and Android, why messages still slip through, and the exact settings that prevent it. You’ll also see carrier options that stop the recording before it lands in your inbox.
Can A Blocked Number Still Leave A Voicemail?
Quick answer: On iPhone, blocked callers are sent straight to voicemail with no alert on your end. On many Android phones, the result depends on your Phone app and voicemail setup; with visual voicemail on, some devices won’t accept a blocked caller’s message at all. Carrier apps can also intercept the call before voicemail.
That mix creates confusion around the search, “can a blocked number still leave a voicemail?” The short version is: phone-level blocking usually declines the call and your carrier’s voicemail may still pick it up. Network-level blocking or certain visual-voicemail settings can stop the message entirely.
Blocked Number Still Leaving A Voicemail — Real Behavior
What your phone does: A device block tells the network to decline the call instantly. From there, two systems decide the outcome—the carrier switch and your voicemail platform. If the carrier simply routes declined calls to voicemail, the caller can still talk. If your setup uses a feature that refuses blocked callers at the mailbox level, the message never records.
- iPhone path — Decline to mailbox: Calls from blocked contacts go straight to voicemail. The entry may appear in your list, but you won’t get a notification.
- Android path — Depends on app/voicemail: The Google Phone app can auto-decline. With visual voicemail enabled, many models prevent blocked callers from leaving a message. On other devices or third-party dialers, the call may still roll to voicemail.
- Carrier path — Intercept upstream: Network screening (Verizon Call Filter, AT&T ActiveArmor, T-Mobile Scam Shield) can block at the network and either forward to voicemail, send to a separate spam bin, or terminate the call with no recording—based on your settings or plan tier.
How To Stop Voicemail From Blocked Numbers (Works Now)
Goal: keep your phone quiet and keep your inbox clean. Use these methods in order, starting with free settings on your device.
- Turn On Visual Voicemail Controls (Android): In the Google Phone app, block the number, then make sure visual voicemail is active. Many devices reject blocked callers at the mailbox when visual voicemail is on.
- Use Carrier Blocking With “Terminate” Or “Send To Voicemail” Off: Open your carrier’s call-screening app. Look for a toggle that stops blocked numbers before voicemail. On Verizon Call Filter, ensure blocked calls aren’t forwarded to voicemail if you want zero messages.
- Send Unknowns To Screeners, Not Voicemail: On Android, enable caller ID/spam protection and tighten the filters. On recent iPhones, use call screening features that ask callers to state a reason; only answer when it’s legitimate.
- Block At The Account Level For Persistent Numbers: Use your online carrier portal to add a specific number to a network block list. Network blocks are tougher to bypass than device-only blocks.
- Route Through Google Voice (Strongest Wall): If you use a Google Voice number, blocking a contact there can play a “number not in service” style message and end the call with no voicemail on your mobile line.
- Try A Call-Blocking App With Hang-Up Mode: Some third-party blockers end the call without sending it to voicemail. Check privacy terms and test with a secondary number first.
Carrier Tools That Can Stop The Message
Heads-up: plan tiers matter. Free levels often forward spam to voicemail, while paid tiers can block at the network with no recording. Here’s a quick view you can scan on your phone.
| Carrier/Service | Default Handling Of Blocked/Spam | Voicemail Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon Call Filter | Detects spam; can block or forward categories | Often forwards to voicemail by default; settings or plan can terminate before voicemail |
| AT&T ActiveArmor | Lets you allow, block, or send call types to voicemail | You choose: block outright, allow, or route to voicemail |
| T-Mobile Scam Shield | Labels and blocks; premium adds granular routing | Basic may allow voicemail; premium options can change routing behavior |
Why Voicemail Still Gets Through
Two layers at play: device logic and the carrier mailbox. A device block is a local rule—it declines the call without ringing you. The network then decides what to do with that declined call. If the carrier sends all declined calls to your mailbox, the blocked caller can still talk. When features like visual voicemail or network-level filters refuse blocked calls at the mailbox, nothing records.
On iPhone, the pattern is consistent: a blocked number is sent to voicemail silently, and you don’t get an alert. On Android, outcomes vary across manufacturers and apps. The Google Phone app adds a key twist: when visual voicemail is active, blocked callers may be unable to leave a message at all, which is the behavior many users want.
Can A Blocked Number Still Leave A Voicemail? (Deep Dive Steps)
Use this step-by-step plan to match your phone and carrier. You can do it in five minutes.
iPhone: Keep The Inbox Clean
- Block The Contact: Phone → Recents → info icon → Block Caller. Calls from that contact go straight to voicemail with no alert.
- Use Silence Unknown Callers: Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers. Unknowns go to voicemail. Save key numbers to Contacts so they still ring.
- Add A Carrier Filter: Install your carrier’s app and set high-risk or specific numbers to block without routing to voicemail if the app offers that option.
Android (Google Phone App): Get No Message
- Block In Recents: Phone → Recents → tap the number → Block/report spam.
- Enable Visual Voicemail: Phone → Voicemail → turn on visual voicemail. With this on, many devices prevent blocked callers from leaving messages.
- Tighten Spam Protection: Phone → Settings → Caller ID & Spam → turn on filtering so spam is screened or dropped.
Carrier Apps: End The Call Before Recording
- Verizon Call Filter: Check Block settings for a switch that stops blocked callers from leaving voicemail. If available on your plan, turn off “forward blocked to voicemail.”
- AT&T ActiveArmor: In Call Routing, set unwanted categories or numbers to “Block” instead of “Send to voicemail.”
- T-Mobile Scam Shield: Free labeling helps, while premium adds routing controls. If you want zero messages, use the option that ends the call.
Google Voice: Brick Wall Option
- Use A Google Voice Number: Route calls through Voice and block there. The caller hears a “not in service” style message and no voicemail records on your mobile line.
Practical Tips To Reduce Noise Without Missing Calls
- Save Real Contacts: Add clients, family, and services you trust. Screening tools pass saved numbers through.
- Screen Unknowns Smartly: On Pixel, use Call Screen to hear a short reason before you pick up. On Galaxy, use Bixby Text Call.
- Use Allow Lists: In carrier apps, keep an allow list so work or school numbers never get blocked.
- Protect Voicemail Access: Set a strong voicemail PIN. That stops mailbox hackers from changing greetings or forwarding paths.
- Test Your Setup: From a second line, call your phone while blocked. Confirm the outcome: ring/no ring and message/no message.
FAQs You’d Ask If We Did Them (But Here’s The Info)
Short clarifications without the long FAQ block:
- Does iPhone ever block voicemails from blocked contacts? Not by default. The call is declined and routed to your mailbox without an alert. To stop the message, add a network block or use a screening app with termination.
- Why do some Android phones drop blocked voicemails? When the Phone app’s visual voicemail handles your mailbox, it can refuse blocked callers, leaving no message.
- Which option is most reliable? Network-level blocking or Google Voice. Both prevent the recording instead of sending the caller to your mailbox.
Bottom line: If you want a clean inbox, combine device blocking with carrier screening (set to “block,” not “send to voicemail”). If you need the strictest result, route through a service that ends the call before the mailbox—no message, no notification.