WhatsApp is mainly used to send messages, but you can also make calls with it. This is especially useful if you only have a limited amount of calling minutes or if you are often abroad, where calling minutes are sometimes not included in your bundle. But the function is also sometimes abused by spammers, scammers and other people you would rather not have on the phone. For these types of cases, the new feature for silencing unknown callers in WhatsApp comes in handy.
Silence unknown caller in WhatsApp
The feature to silence an unknown caller in WhatsApp has been available since June 2023. To use the feature, make sure you have WhatsApp version 23.12.71 or newer. Then enable it as follows:
- Open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Privacy.
- Tap the new Conversations option.
- Turn on the switch for Silence unknown callers.
In the future, calls from numbers that are not in your address book will be silenced. This means that your phone will no longer ring. However, missed calls from unknown callers will still appear in the Calls tab and you may receive a notification. But your phone will no longer ring like any other phone call if it comes from an unknown caller.
Of course, you can always block people on WhatsApp. In that case, they will no longer be able to contact you via the chat app at all.
Can I disable WhatsApp’s calling function?
You may be wondering: can I disable calling in WhatsApp so that I don’t receive calls at all? If you never call via WhatsApp, you may not want to receive calls at all. Unfortunately, it is not possible to disable the calling function. What you can do is to deny WhatsApp permission to your microphone. You will receive calls, but you will in any case not be able to make conversations. Please note that you cannot send WhatsApp voice messages.
The function to silence unknown callers in WhatsApp is very similar to the function of the same name that is in the standard Phone app on your iPhone. The difference is that a caller immediately goes to voicemail, while WhatsApp calling just keeps ringing. You can read more about this in our tip about silencing and blocking unknown callers on the iPhone.
