How to Stop Incoming Calls Without Airplane Mode (and Keep Your Data On) (2026)

Airplane mode is the fastest way to make a phone stop ringing, and also the clumsiest. It cuts the mobile connection completely, so mobile data, maps, ride-hailing apps and WhatsApp go quiet along with the calls. If what you want is "no phone calls for a while, but keep everything else working," Android gives you five better options. They differ in one important way: some only keep the phone quiet, and some actually stop the call from reaching you. This guide compares them side by side, shows what still works with each, and how to switch incoming calls back on.

NoDial: Block Outgoing CallsBlocks calls to numbers you choose

NoCall: Blacklist Call BlockerBlock unwanted calls before they ring.

Steps are current as of November 2026. Menu names vary by phone maker, carrier, and Android version. Carrier features and charges depend on your mobile operator and plan.

1. The short answer

To stop incoming calls while keeping mobile data, Wi-Fi and internet apps working, pick the method that matches what you want:

• You just want the phone to stay quiet — turn on Do Not Disturb and set calls to "None." Calls still arrive, but the phone doesn't ring or vibrate. One tap to undo.
• You want every incoming call refused — use your carrier's call barring, "All incoming calls": dial *35*password# or switch it on in the Phone app. The network refuses the calls before they reach you; you can still call out.
• You want callers sent somewhere else — forward all calls to your voicemail or another number. Forwarding can cost money, so check your plan first.
• You have two SIMs — turn off the SIM people call you on and keep mobile data on the other one.
• You want it on your phone, without a carrier code — a call-blocking app can reject calls before they ring, either from numbers you choose or from everyone except a list you allow.

2. Why airplane mode is the wrong tool

Google's Pixel help page states that airplane mode turns off cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. You can switch Wi-Fi and Bluetooth back on while airplane mode stays active, but the cellular connection stays off — and that connection carries your calls, your texts and your mobile data together. Away from Wi-Fi, airplane mode leaves you with no internet at all.

That's why people search for a way around it: on the road, during a work shift, while studying, or simply when there are too many calls, they want the phone to stop ringing but still want navigation, messaging apps and mobile data. The methods below each cut only the calls.

3. Method 1 — Do Not Disturb: silence calls, keep everything else

Do Not Disturb is the quickest option and needs no carrier. Be clear about what it does: it silences calls, it doesn't refuse them. Google's Android help describes it as a way to silence your device. The call still arrives — it just doesn't ring or vibrate — and the caller can still reach your voicemail.

On a Google Pixel (Android 15 and later):

• Swipe down to open Quick Settings and tap Do Not Disturb, or open Settings → Modes → Do Not Disturb → Turn on now.
• To silence every call, open the mode's People → Calls and choose None.
• Turn off Allow repeat callers if you don't want a second call from the same person within 15 minutes to ring through.

On a Samsung Galaxy:

• Open Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb and turn it on.
• Tap Calls and choose None (other choices are All, Contacts only and Favorite contacts only).
• Turn off Repeat callers, which otherwise lets calls through from the same number received more than once within 15 minutes.

Do Not Disturb also applies to app notifications, so calls in WhatsApp and other internet calling apps may be silenced too. If you want those to ring, add the app as an exception in the mode's Apps settings. For a deeper look at Do Not Disturb versus true call blocking, see How to Block All Incoming Calls on Android.

4. Method 2 — The call barring code: refuse every incoming call at the network

Call barring is a carrier service defined in the 3GPP standard (TS 22.088) that GSM and LTE networks follow. The category you want is Barring of All Incoming Calls (BAIC), usually shown in the Phone app as "All incoming calls." When it's on, your carrier's network refuses every call aimed at your number, so your phone never rings. The standard leaves your ability to make calls unaffected, so you can still call out, including emergency calls. Call barring covers voice calls, so mobile data and internet apps keep working.

With a code:

• Turn on: dial *35*password# and press call.
• Turn off: dial #35*password#.
• Check the status: dial *#35#.

In the Phone app:

• Samsung Galaxy — Phone → the three-dot menu → Settings → Supplementary services → Call barring → All incoming calls. Samsung's support page suggests 0000 if you don't know the password, and contacting your carrier if that fails.
• Google Pixel and phones using the Google Phone app — Phone → the three-dot menu → Settings → Calling accounts → your SIM → Call barring → All incoming calls. The entry only appears if your carrier offers it.

The "password" is a four-digit barring password set by your carrier, not by you. Whether call barring works depends on your carrier and plan; some networks don't offer it, or only offer it in the Phone app settings rather than through codes. If the code is rejected or the menu is missing, see Call Barring Not Working, and for the full list of codes and default passwords, Call Barring Codes.

5. Method 3 — Call forwarding to voicemail or another number

Instead of refusing calls, you can send all of them somewhere else. Unconditional call forwarding ("Always forward") redirects every incoming call before your phone rings, and the destination phone rings normally for the caller.

• Turn on: dial **21*number#, using your voicemail number or another phone number you trust.
• Turn off: dial #21#.
• Or use the Phone app: Settings → Supplementary services (Samsung) or Calling accounts (Pixel) → Call forwarding → Always forward.

Check the cost first. Carriers can charge you, the person forwarding, for the forwarded leg of each call — carriers' own pages note charges when calls are forwarded to a long-distance number. Never forward to a number you don't know or one that doesn't exist; your calls end up wherever that number goes. Forwarding to your own voicemail is the safest choice.

6. Method 4 — Dual SIM: turn off the SIM you get calls on

If your phone has two SIMs (a physical SIM and an eSIM, or two SIM cards), you can switch off the one people call you on and keep mobile data on the other. This only helps if the two numbers have separate jobs — one for calls, one for data.

• Google Pixel — Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → choose the SIM → turn off Use SIM.
• Samsung Galaxy — Settings → Connections → SIM manager → turn off the switch next to that SIM.

Before you switch it off, make sure mobile data is set to the SIM you're keeping on. While a SIM is off, calls and texts to that number don't reach the phone, and you can't call out from it. What the caller hears depends on the carrier.

7. Method 5 — An app that rejects calls before they ring

A call-blocking app works on the phone itself, so it needs no carrier code or password. Android lets an app you choose screen incoming calls and reject them before the phone rings.

NoCall, for example, can block the numbers you add to a list, or block every incoming call except the numbers on your "Never block" list, including calls with no number. It rejects calls before they ring and doesn't touch mobile data. Turning it off brings calls back immediately.

8. What still works with each method

9. Which method fits your situation?

• For a few hours — a meeting, a class, a nap: Do Not Disturb. Nothing to set up, one tap to undo, and you still see who called.
• While driving: Do Not Disturb, with your family as exceptions so important calls still ring. Navigation and music keep working.
• When you want nobody to get through at all: call barring, if your carrier offers it, or an app that blocks every call except an allow list.
• When too many calls are coming in: an app that blocks every call except the people you allow, or forwarding to voicemail.
• On a dual-SIM phone with a separate data SIM: turn off the calling SIM.
• Abroad: call barring also has a roaming-only version (BIC-Roam, *351*password#). See How to Avoid Roaming Charges on Android.

10. How to turn incoming calls back on

• Do Not Disturb: tap it off in Quick Settings.
• Call barring: dial #35*password#, or switch off "All incoming calls" in the Phone app.
• Call forwarding: dial #21#, or switch off "Always forward."
• Dual SIM: turn the SIM back on in the SIM settings.
• App: turn off blocking in the app.

Then call your number from another phone to confirm it rings.

11. FAQ

How do I stop incoming calls without turning on airplane mode?

Use Do Not Disturb with calls set to "None" to silence them, or turn on your carrier's call barring for all incoming calls (*35*password#) to refuse them at the network. Both leave mobile data, Wi-Fi and internet apps working, unlike airplane mode.

Can I block calls but keep mobile data on?

Yes. Do Not Disturb, call barring, call forwarding, turning off a calling SIM on a dual-SIM phone, and call-blocking apps all leave mobile data on. Only airplane mode turns off mobile data along with calls.

Does Do Not Disturb block calls or just silence them?

It silences them. The call still arrives and can go to voicemail; your phone just doesn't ring or vibrate. To refuse calls instead, use call barring or a call-blocking app.

Will I still get WhatsApp calls?

With call barring, call forwarding, a switched-off calling SIM or a blocking app, yes, because WhatsApp calls use the internet, not the phone line. With Do Not Disturb, WhatsApp calls may be silenced too unless you add WhatsApp as an exception.

Can I still make calls and emergency calls?

Yes, with Do Not Disturb, call barring of incoming calls, forwarding and blocking apps. Barring incoming calls doesn't affect your ability to make calls, including emergency calls. With airplane mode, your own calls are off too.

What if I don't know my call barring password?

The four-digit password is set by your carrier. Samsung suggests trying 0000 first; if that fails, contact your carrier. Default passwords and how to reset them are covered in our Call Barring Codes guide.

12. Summary

• Do Not Disturb: Settings → Modes → Do Not Disturb (Pixel) or Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb (Samsung), calls set to None.
• Call barring, all incoming calls: *35*password# on, #35*password# off, *#35# to check.
• Call forwarding: **21*number# on, #21# off. Check charges first.
• Dual SIM: turn off the calling SIM and keep data on the other.
• NoCall rejects calls before they ring, from the numbers you choose or from everyone except the people you allow.
• NoDial is for the other direction: it stops your own calls to numbers you choose.

NoCall: Blacklist Call BlockerBlock unwanted calls before they ring.

NoDial — stop yourself calling a numberOutgoing calls only. Emergency calls never blocked.

Sources

• Pixel Phone Help, "Keep your Android's wireless connections on in Airplane mode" (airplane mode turns off cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can be turned back on) support.google.com
• Android Help, "Limit interruptions with modes and Do Not Disturb" (Do Not Disturb silences the device; Settings → Modes path) support.google.com
• Pixel Phone Help, "Limit interruptions with modes and Do Not Disturb on Pixel phone or Pixel Tablet" (People → Calls; Allow repeat callers within 15 minutes) support.google.com
• Samsung Support, "How to use Do not disturb on your Galaxy phone" (Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb; Calls options; Repeat callers within 15 minutes) samsung.com
• 3GPP TS 22.088 V13.0.0, "Call Barring (CB) supplementary services" (BAIC; the ability to originate calls is unaffected by an incoming bar), ARIB copy of the 3GPP text arib.or.jp
• ETSI TS 122 030 (3GPP TS 22.030), "Man-Machine Interface (MMI) of the User Equipment" (service codes 35 and 351 for incoming call barring, 21 for unconditional call forwarding; activation and deactivation syntax) etsi.org
• Samsung Support, "How to activate and use the call barring feature on my Samsung phone" (Supplementary services → Call barring; default password 0000, then contact your carrier) samsung.com
• Airtel, "Call forwarding and its use" (charges apply when forwarding to a long-distance number; the destination rings normally) airtel.in
• Pixel Phone Help, "How to use dual SIMs on your Google Pixel phone" (Network & internet → SIMs; Use SIM) support.google.com
• Samsung Support, "How to use dual SIM cards on your Samsung phone" (Settings → Connections → SIM manager) samsung.com

Carriers and phone makers change these menus, services and charges over time. Check your carrier's and phone maker's current help pages if a step does not match what you see.