How do I stop phone calls while listening to music?

Understand Why Incoming Calls Interrupt Your Music

Incoming phone calls are able to interrupt music playback because the phone’s operating system gives call audio priority access to the speakers and audio output. When a call comes in, the operating system (like Android or iOS) pauses any media playback and routes the call audio to the speaker or headphone jack so you can hear the caller.

This is by design – incoming calls are seen as important and time-sensitive, so the OS ensures they can come through even if you’re listening to music or watching videos. The music app gets paused and its audio output gets temporarily suppressed while the call audio takes over.

The call is usually routed to the same speaker or headphone output that the music was playing through. So if you were listening to music through headphones, the call audio will play through the headphones too, interrupting your music.

This routing of call audio happens at the operating system level, which is why it affects playback in any media app on your phone. The OS overrides the audio across the device to enable call functionality when needed.

Enable Do Not Disturb While Listening

One of the easiest ways to stop phone calls from interrupting your music listening is to enable Do Not Disturb mode on your device. Both Android and iPhone allow you to access Do Not Disturb settings that will silence notifications and calls while media is playing.

On Android devices running 8.0 or higher, open the Settings app and go to Sound > Do Not Disturb. Under “What can interrupt Do Not Disturb,” toggle on “Media” to enable Do Not Disturb while media playback is detected [1]. This will silence calls and notifications whenever you are listening to music or other media.

For iPhones, open Settings and tap on Do Not Disturb. Under “Silence,” choose “Always” to enable Do Not Disturb at all times. Then under “Allow Calls From,” select “No One” to block all calls when Do Not Disturb is on. You can also create an automation in Shortcuts to enable Do Not Disturb when a music app starts playing [2].

With Do Not Disturb enabled for media playback, you can listen to music without any disruptive notifications or calls. Just don’t forget to turn it off when you’re done!

Switch to Airplane Mode

One simple way to stop incoming calls while listening to music is to switch your phone to airplane mode. Airplane mode disables all wireless connections, including cellular data, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and more. This blocks any incoming calls or texts from interrupting your music playback.

To enable airplane mode on an iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center and tap the airplane icon. On most Android phones, swipe down from the top and toggle on the airplane mode switch. You can also find the setting under Settings > Network & Internet > Airplane mode.

The key benefit of airplane mode is that it blocks all incoming interruptions, allowing you to listen to music undisturbed. Just remember to disable airplane mode when you want to receive calls and messages again. For more details, see this guide on activating airplane mode.

Use a Separate Device for Music

Dedicated MP3 players provide an enhanced listening experience compared to smartphones in several key ways. Since MP3 players are designed solely for playing audio files, they offer superior sound quality with better digital-to-analog converters (DACs), amplifiers, and audio components than phones [1]. This results in a richer, more immersive listening experience.

Unlike smartphones receiving notifications and calls, dedicated players remain focused just on the music. By using a separate MP3 player, incoming calls will never interrupt your listening sessions. With music as the sole function, MP3 players also offer longer battery life and larger storage capacity for audio files. Popular options like the Sony NW-A55 Walkman provide up to 36 hours of playback time and support high-resolution formats like FLAC and ALAC [2].

For those who want to completely immerse themselves in music without any disruptions, a dedicated MP3 player remains an excellent choice over a smartphone.

Get Bluetooth Headphones

One way to stop phone calls from interrupting your music listening is to get Bluetooth headphones. With Bluetooth headphones connected to your phone, incoming calls will only be audible through the phone speaker itself, not through the headphones.

This allows you to continue listening to music uninterrupted through your Bluetooth headphones when a call comes in. You’ll still see the incoming call notification on your phone screen, but the audio from the call won’t disrupt your music playback.

To enable this feature on most phones, simply go into your Bluetooth settings when your headphones are connected and disable “Call Audio” for your headphones. This stops the phone audio from routing to the headphones during calls, while still allowing music playback audio.

According to Bose (source), you can do this by going into your device’s Bluetooth settings, selecting your Bluetooth headphones, and unchecking the “Call Audio” option.

With this setup, you can seamlessly listen to music and screen calls without any audio interruption. Just remember to manually answer or decline any calls from your phone screen while using Bluetooth headphones for uninterrupted music.

Leave Phone Behind

One of the simplest ways to avoid interruptions from incoming calls while listening to music is to leave your phone behind. If your phone is not with you, it cannot disturb you with rings, vibrations, or notifications.

Studies show that taking a break from our devices can have numerous benefits. According to research from UC Berkeley, unplugging from technology increases present-moment awareness, helps avoid distractions, reduces stress, and improves focus and mental clarity (source). Leaving your phone behind allows you to immerse yourself in the music and provides a mental health break from technology (source).

When listening to music, try leaving your phone behind in another room or keeping it in your bag. This prevents you from being interrupted and allows for a more enjoyable, uninterrupted listening experience. You can reconnect with your phone after your music session is over.

Set Up Call Forwarding

One option to stop calls while listening to music is to set up call forwarding to send incoming calls directly to voicemail when your phone is busy. This allows you to avoid interruptions from calls while enjoying your music.

Most cell phone carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, allow you to enable call forwarding when busy by dialing *72 on your phone. After dialing this code, you will be prompted to enter the number you want calls forwarded to, which in this case would be your voicemail.

According to Verizon’s Call Forwarding FAQs, when call forwarding is enabled on their network, “all incoming calls will go directly to voicemail when your phone is in use.” This is an easy way to avoid disruptions without declining the calls entirely.

You can also set up call forwarding through your carrier’s website or mobile app. For example, with the My Verizon app you can toggle call forwarding when busy on or off remotely. Check with your provider for details on enabling this feature through an online account.

With call forwarding enabled, you can listen to music on your phone without worrying about interruptions from incoming calls. The callers can still leave a voicemail that you can listen to when your music session is over.

Block Specific Contacts

Blocking specific phone numbers or contacts is an effective way to stop calls from certain people while listening to music. When you block a number on an iPhone, all calls, messages, and FaceTime requests from that number will be sent directly to voicemail and you will not receive notifications.[1]

To block a number or contact on an iPhone, go to Settings > Phone, then tap Blocked Contacts. Tap the ‘+’ icon to add a new number or contact to block. You can also block contacts directly from Recents in the Phone app by tapping the ‘i’ icon next to a number and selecting Block this Caller.

Blocking contacts prevents their calls from interrupting your music listening. You won’t hear their call ring or get notifications. By selectively blocking distracting contacts, you can minimize disruptions while still receiving other important calls.

Use a Call Blocking App

One effective way to stop calls from interrupting your music is to use a call blocking app. These apps act as an intermediary between incoming calls and your phone – screening calls and blocking those identified as spam.

Call blocking apps contain databases of known spam numbers. When you receive a call, the app checks the number against its database. If identified as spam, the call can be automatically silenced and sent to voicemail. You won’t even know that the call came through.

Popular call blocking apps like Robokiller, Hiya, and Nomorobo claim to block over 90% of spam calls. Many offer free versions with limited call blocking as well as paid premium options.

With a call blocker enabled, you can listen to music uninterrupted without needing to manually reject spam calls. Just be sure to set your phone to ring only contacts so your music is never needlessly disrupted.

Understand Options to Minimize Disruption

There are several techniques you can use to prevent incoming calls from interrupting your music listening experience:

• Enable Do Not Disturb mode – This will silence incoming calls and notifications so they don’t cause an audible interruption (Source).
• Switch to Airplane Mode – Turning on Airplane mode will disable all wireless connections, preventing any incoming calls (Source).
• Use a separate device – Listen to music on a different device like a tablet or MP3 player that isn’t receiving phone calls.
• Get Bluetooth headphones – Route your music through Bluetooth so it continues uninterrupted even when a call comes in.
• Leave phone behind – Simply separating from your phone prevents disruptions.
• Set up call forwarding – Forward calls so they don’t actually ring through to your phone.
• Block contacts – Prevent calls and notifications from specific disruptive contacts.
• Use a call blocking app – Download an app to automatically block calls and notifications.

The key is finding a solution that works for your particular needs and allows you to listen without constant disruption from incoming calls.