Can I make certain contacts ring on silent Android?

Having the ability to silence calls and texts from certain contacts can be very useful. By putting contacts on silent or “do not disturb” mode, you can avoid being disturbed by unwanted calls or messages from specific people. This allows you to filter out interruptions from contacts you don’t necessarily want to block completely, but that you don’t need to hear from at all times of day. The benefit is that it reduces distractions and disruptions from chosen contacts, while still allowing you to receive notifications from everyone else.

Check OS Version

Newer Android versions have built-in per contact do not disturb features. To use these capabilities, you’ll first need to check which Android version your device is running.

To check your Android version, go to Settings > About Phone. Look for Android Version or Software Version. The latest Android versions at the time of writing are Android 10, 11, 12 and 13.

If your device is running Android 9 Pie or older, you will need to use a third party app for per contact do not disturb. If your device has Android 10 or newer, you can use the built-in per contact do not disturb features covered later in this guide.

According to Google’s Android support page, the per contact do not disturb features were first introduced in Android 10 and have been expanded in subsequent releases.

Use App for Older Android Versions

For older versions of Android that don’t have built-in call blocking features, third-party apps can provide similar functionality. Some popular options include:

Calls Blacklist – This app allows you to block calls and texts from specific contacts. You can create custom block lists and set schedules for when blocking should be enabled (Call Blocker – Apps on Google Play).

YouMail – This visual voicemail app has robust blocking capabilities, including the ability to block individual numbers or use spam detection to block robocalls (10 Best Call Blocker Apps for Android and iPhone in 2023).

Hiya Caller ID and Block – Uses crowd-sourced phone number ratings to identify and block spam calls. You can also block contacts manually (10 Best Call Blocker Apps for Android and iPhone in 2023).

These apps provide easy ways to block calls and texts from specific contacts, even on older versions of Android. Look for apps with custom block lists, scheduling options, spam detection, and other advanced call blocking features.

Enable Do Not Disturb Permissions

To allow an app to bypass Do Not Disturb on Android, you need to grant it Do Not Disturb access in your phone’s settings. Here’s how:

1. Open your Android device’s Settings app.
2. Go to Apps & Notifications > Advanced > Special app access.
3. Tap Do Not Disturb access.
4. Find the app you want to allow Do Not Disturb access and toggle it on.

This will allow that specific app to bypass Do Not Disturb and ring your phone even when Do Not Disturb is enabled. You can customize which apps have this permission.

According to Google’s support article, this feature works on Android 6.0 and higher.

Add Contacts to Blocklist

To stop receiving calls and texts from specific contacts, you’ll need to add them to your blocklist in the call blocking app. Here are the steps:

Open the call blocking app, such as Calls Blacklist – Call Blocker. Tap on the menu icon or tab labeled “Blocklist”.

Next, tap the plus icon to add a new blocked contact. You will be prompted to select a contact from your phone’s address book to block.

Once you have selected the contact, confirm to add them to the blocklist. You can repeat this process to add multiple contacts.

The app will now automatically block any calls or texts from these contacts. You will no longer hear your phone ring or get notifications from blocked numbers.

To view your full blocklist, open the app and tap the “Blocklist” section. You can edit or delete contacts from this list as needed.

Set Custom Notifications

You can customize notifications for blocked contacts on Android. This allows you to silence notifications for specific contacts while still receiving notifications from others.

On Android 8.0 and higher, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > Advanced > Conversations. Tap on the conversation you want to customize. You can toggle notifications on or off, change the sound, and more.

On older Android versions, you may need to use a third party app like Notification Manager. This app lets you customize notifications on a per app and per contact basis. You can block notifications from specific contacts within any app [1].

Another option is to use your phone’s Do Not Disturb settings. Enable Do Not Disturb and add the contacts you want to silence to the exceptions list. You’ll get notifications from everyone except those contacts [2].

Block Texts and Calls

Both Android and iOS give you options to block calls and texts from certain contacts or unknown numbers. On Android, go to Settings > Call Blocking & Identification (may be under Advanced Calling or Additional Settings). Toggle on “Block Calls” and/or “Block Messages” to enable blocking for calls and/or texts. You can block all unknown callers or select contacts to block.

On iOS, go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification. Toggle on “Silence Unknown Callers” to automatically block calls from unknown numbers. You can also go to Settings > Messages > Blocked to select specific contacts to block texts and calls from.

Third party apps like Truecaller and Hiya also offer advanced blocking and spam protection features on both platforms. With these apps, you can easily block callers not in your contacts from reaching you.

Schedule Blocking

You can schedule when to block calls and texts from certain contacts using apps like Calls Blacklist – Call Blocker and Call Blocker. These apps allow you to set specific times and days when calls and texts from selected contacts will be automatically blocked.

For example, in Calls Blacklist you can go to the app’s settings, choose “Blocking Schedule”, and select the contacts you want to block. Then tap on the time slots for the days and hours you want blocking enabled for those contacts. The app will block all calls and texts from the selected contacts during the scheduled blocking times.

Similarly, Call Blocker has an “Add Schedule” option where you can pick days of the week and time ranges to block calls and SMS from specific contacts or groups. This provides an easy way to set up automated blocking of unwanted communication during certain hours or on certain days.

Allow Contact Exceptions

You can whitelist important contacts so their calls and texts come through even when Do Not Disturb is enabled. On Android, go to Settings > Sound & vibration > Do Not Disturb preferences. Tap “Calls” or “Messages” and select “From starred contacts only” to allow calls or texts from your favorite contacts (source).

On iPhone, open Settings > Focus and select the focus mode you want to edit, like Do Not Disturb. Tap “Allow Calls From” and enable Contacts to let calls through from certain people. You can also customize notifications from apps (source).

Third party apps like Tasker for Android allow you to fully customize Do Not Disturb with whitelisted contacts and granular settings (source). This gives you maximal flexibility to allow exceptions only from your most important contacts.

Conclusion

In summary, there are several ways to block or silence calls and texts from specific contacts on Android phones. The key steps include:

• Enabling Do Not Disturb permissions and adding contacts to the blocklist.
• Setting custom notifications and call blocking in your dialer app.
• Using third party apps to block numbers and texts.
• Scheduling time frames to automatically block contacts.
• Allowing exceptions so certain contacts can bypass the block.

Blocking unwanted calls and texts from certain contacts can help reduce distractions and unwanted communication. It gives you greater control over your phone experience. With the options available natively on Android and through third party apps, you can easily block calls and texts as needed.