Why Calls Get Through Do Not Disturb and How to Fix It

Published 2026-10-16 · Marion Phone Repair

You turned on Do Not Disturb to get some uninterrupted sleep or focus time, and your phone still rings. A call comes through, or a notification makes a sound, and you grab the phone expecting to see an emergency — but it is just a regular call or a spam number. Do Not Disturb has several exceptions built into it by default, and understanding what those exceptions are and how to tighten them is the fix.

Why calls get through DND

Do Not Disturb does not block all calls by default on either iPhone or Android. Both platforms include exceptions designed to let important or emergency calls through. The problem is that these exceptions are broader than most people expect:

• Favorite contacts: Calls from contacts marked as Favorites often bypass DND by default
• Repeated calls: If the same number calls twice within 3 minutes, the second call is allowed through. This is designed as a safety feature — the assumption is that someone calling twice in quick succession may have an emergency. Spam callers and robocallers sometimes trigger this by calling back immediately
• Emergency bypass: Individual contacts can be set to always ring regardless of DND. If someone has emergency bypass enabled, their calls and texts always make sound
• Connected apps and alarms: Alarms always sound through DND. Some connected apps (smart home devices, medical alert systems) may also bypass DND depending on notification settings

Fix on iPhone

Check Focus settings (iOS 15 and later)

Starting with iOS 15, Do Not Disturb is part of the Focus system. Each Focus mode (Do Not Disturb, Sleep, Work, Personal) has its own set of allowed contacts and apps.

1. Go to Settings, Focus, Do Not Disturb
2. Tap People (or Allowed People)
3. Check who is listed under Allowed Notifications. By default, this may include Favorites or specific contacts. Remove anyone you do not want to be able to reach you during DND
4. At the bottom, look for the setting Allow Calls From. This dropdown controls which calls bypass DND:

• Everyone: All calls ring — DND is effectively disabled for calls. Change this immediately if selected
• Allowed People Only: Only contacts you specifically added to the allowed list can call through
• Favorites: Anyone in your Favorites list can call through
• Contacts Only: Any saved contact can call, but unknown numbers are silenced
• No One: All calls are silenced. The strictest setting

For the tightest DND experience, set Allow Calls From to No One or Allowed People Only.

Disable the repeated calls exception

1. In Settings, Focus, Do Not Disturb, People
2. Find the toggle for Allow Repeated Calls. Turn it off
3. With this off, a caller who calls twice in 3 minutes will not bypass DND. Only disable this if you are comfortable that genuine emergencies will reach you another way (a family member who is on your allowed list, or calling your partner's phone instead)

Check for emergency bypass on specific contacts

1. Open Contacts and find any contact whose calls are getting through DND
2. Tap Edit
3. Scroll down and look for Ringtone and Text Tone. Tap each one
4. Check if Emergency Bypass is toggled on at the top. If it is, this contact's calls and texts always make sound regardless of any Focus mode or DND setting
5. Toggle Emergency Bypass off unless you specifically want this person to always reach you

Check scheduled DND

If DND seems to turn itself off at certain times, it may be on a schedule:

1. Settings, Focus, Do Not Disturb
2. Check the Schedule section. If a schedule is set, DND only activates during those times. Outside the schedule, all calls come through normally
3. If you want DND active outside the scheduled times, manually activate it from Control Center (long-press the Focus button, select Do Not Disturb)

Fix on Android

Check DND exceptions

1. Go to Settings, Sound and vibration (or Sound), Do Not Disturb
2. Tap Calls (or People, depending on the manufacturer)
3. Check who is allowed to call through. Options vary by manufacturer but typically include: Starred contacts, Contacts only, All, or None
4. Set this to None for the strictest DND, or Starred contacts only if you want a small group to reach you

Samsung phones

1. Settings, Notifications, Do not disturb
2. Tap Calls and messages allowed (or Exceptions)
3. Set Calls to None, or select only Favorite contacts or specific contacts from a custom list
4. Under Repeated callers, toggle off the allow option if you do not want the 3-minute repeat exception

Google Pixel phones

1. Settings, Sound and vibration, Do Not Disturb
2. Tap People
3. Under Calls, select who can interrupt: Starred contacts, Contacts, Anyone, or None
4. Toggle Allow repeat callers off if desired

Check app exceptions on Android

Android DND lets you allow specific apps to send notifications through DND:

1. In DND settings, look for Apps or App exceptions
2. Check which apps are allowed to interrupt. Remove any apps you do not need to hear from during DND
3. Some apps (Google Home, security cameras, medical apps) may be allowed through by default. Review each one and decide whether it genuinely needs to bypass DND

Alarms and DND

On both iPhone and Android, alarms set in the default Clock app always sound through DND. This is by design — you do not want to miss your morning alarm because DND is active. Third-party alarm apps may or may not bypass DND depending on their notification settings. If you are using a third-party alarm and it is not sounding through DND, switch to the built-in Clock app for your alarms.

Notifications appearing silently

DND may be working correctly for sound but still showing notifications visually — the screen lights up, or banners appear on the lock screen. To prevent this:

• iPhone: In Focus settings for DND, tap Lock Screen and check Dim Lock Screen or Hide Notification Badges. Under Lock Screen Appearance, choose to silence notifications completely or show them only in the notification center without waking the screen
• Android: In DND settings, look for Notifications or Display. Set it to No visuals or interruptions from notifications, or hide notification dots and status bar icons during DND

DND and driving

Both iPhone (Driving Focus) and Android (Driving Mode) have a DND mode specifically for driving that auto-replies to texts and silences calls. If calls are getting through while driving:

• The driving DND may have a separate set of allowed contacts that is different from your regular DND settings. Check the Driving Focus (iPhone) or Driving Mode (Android) settings and configure them independently
• CarPlay and Android Auto may override some DND settings when connected. Calls through the car's hands-free system may ring even when DND is active

DND help in Marion

If you cannot get Do Not Disturb to work the way you want — calls still getting through, notifications still making noise, or DND turning itself off unexpectedly — Marion Phone Repair can audit your DND and Focus settings, remove unwanted exceptions, and configure your phone so silence actually means silence.