Spam and scam calls on WhatsApp often come from numbers you don't know, sometimes from other countries. Turn on Silence unknown callers and calls from numbers not saved in your phone will not ring. You can still see them later in the Calls tab.
On Android
- Open WhatsApp and tap ⋮ (top right) › Settings.
- Tap Privacy, then Calls.
- Turn on Silence unknown callers.
On iPhone
- Open WhatsApp and tap Settings at the bottom.
- Tap Privacy › Calls.
- Turn on Silence unknown callers.
This setting is changed on the phone, not on WhatsApp Web. You can also find it in Settings › Privacy › Privacy checkup › Choose who can contact you.
What happens after you turn it on
- Calls from saved contacts ring as normal.
- Calls from unknown numbers do not ring. They still appear in the Calls tab and in notifications, marked as silenced, so you don't miss a real call from, say, a new delivery person or a hospital.
- You can call back any silenced number if you know it is genuine.
- The caller is not told that you silenced them.
Block repeat callers
If the same unknown number keeps calling or messaging, open the Calls tab, tap the number, then choose Block (and Report if it is spam). Full steps: block and report a contact.
If it doesn't work
- Option missing: update WhatsApp from the Play Store or App Store.
- A known person's call is silenced: their number is not saved in your phone's Contacts, or it is saved with a different country code. Save it as +91 followed by the number.
- Normal phone calls still ring: this setting only affects WhatsApp calls, not normal SIM calls.
Safety tip
Video calls from unknown numbers (often starting +92, +84, +62, +254 or other foreign codes) are used for fake "police", "CBI" or "customs" threats, fake job offers and blackmail. No real police or government office arrests people or collects fines over a WhatsApp video call. Don't pick up, don't pay, and report the number. See WhatsApp scam messages.
This is GroupChatOn’s own easy guide. We are not WhatsApp and are not linked with WhatsApp or Meta. WhatsApp sometimes changes its menus: if a button looks different on your phone, update WhatsApp from the Play Store or App Store.
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