What is Call Barring and How to Turn It On/Off?

We’ve all experienced the frustration of receiving endless spam calls, getting hit with unexpected roaming charges, or wishing we could simply take a break from all incoming calls.

With the revolutionizing technology of Call barring, you can now solve the problem by helping users of a telephone to restrict calls.

But what is call barring, and how to turn it on/off? This guide gives you comprehensive details to get you started.

What is Call Barring?

Call barring is a telecommunication feature that permits the user of a telephone to restrict incoming calls or outgoing calls of a specified type. You can easily manage your phone usage by activating call barring.

It is a helpful solution to manage call activity, avoid unnecessary charges, or keep a low profile.

For example, you can prevent any international calls, disable incoming calls whilst roaming, or mute outbound calls to premium numbers.

Call barring is done in settings on your phone or using carrier-provided codes, often requiring a PIN to turn the feature on or off.

It’s especially useful for parents who want to restrict their children’s app call use or for travelers looking to avoid extra roaming charges. This function helps in managing the ineffectiveness of phone communications, which makes it a good option for use on a personal and work level.

Types of Call Barring

Call barring is a feature offered by telecom service providers that block certain categories of incoming and outgoing calls according to predefined configurations.

The feature is especially relevant for those on a call budget privacy-conscious, and comes in handy when one does not want to be disturbed. We will detail the types of call barring below, along with their uses.

1. Outgoing Call Barring

The outgoing call-barring feature restricts the user from making specific calls. This is particularly useful for parents who wish to limit their children’s phone usage or businesses that want to stop calls on company phones. Outgoing call barring has several subcategories:

• International Call Barring: This feature allows the user not to make international calls, which generally cost more than local or domestic calls.
• Outgoing calls to certain numbers: Users can use this option to block calls to certain numbers, like premium-rate services or specific people.
• Block Outbound SMS/MMS: This will restrict the sending of text or multimedia messages

2. Incoming Call Barring

Incoming call barring blocks certain types of calls from reaching the user’s device. This is an excellent means of blocking spam, telemarketing, or harassing calls. Such barring is used at a broad level for privacy and security. Subcategories include:

• International Incoming Call Barring: This will block incoming calls coming from overseas numbers.
• Anonymous Call Blocking: Denies calls from withheld or unknown numbers.
• Specific Number Blocking: Users can choose specific numbers to block calls from, like exes or those that already report spam.

3. Roaming Call Barring

Roaming call barring is a feature specifically intended for people roaming internationally. This helps avoid any surprise costs related to international roaming charges. Roaming barring can be activated for both outgoing and incoming calls:

• Barring Incoming Roaming Calls: Disallows incoming calls while roaming internationally.
• Preventing Outgoing International Calls: Blocks outgoing calls that occur when a user travels abroad and might incur high expenses.

4. Premium Service Barring

For chargeable services, the premium block service prevents calls to high-cost services, such as premium-rate numbers used for contests, voting, or adult services. The latter is usually the case to prevent accidental billing or fraud. Such blocking is especially helpful for users who might accidentally call premium numbers.

5. All Calls Barring

This kind of barring blocks all types of calls — incoming calls and outgoing calls as well. This is a big restriction that can be leveraged in the meantime, e.g., When you’re on vacation, or your phone is only being used for internet services. It is applied to those wishing absolute phone silence for an hour or so.

6. Custom Call Barring

Telecom providers offer customized call-barring settings. It can be set to block certain time ranges, certain types of number classes, or certain regions.

How to Enable Call Barring on Different Devices?

Are you trying to enable call barring on your respective device and are not able to because you are not sure of the specifics?

Then this guide is here to help you as you explore what steps you can take to make sure that call barring is enabled on your device:

For Android Devices

Follow these steps to activate on an Android and enjoy hassle-free call management.

1. Open the Phone App: Launch the default Phone or Dialer app on your Android device.
2. Access the Settings Menu: Tap the three-dot menu (usually in the top-right corner).
3. Go to Call Settings: Select Settings from the dropdown menu, then look for options like Call Settings or Supplementary Services (the exact names may vary depending on your device).
4. Find Call Barring: Navigate to the Call Barring option within the settings.
5. Choose Call Barring Type: Select the type of call barring you wish to enable:
   • All outgoing calls
   • All incoming calls
   • International calls only
   • Incoming calls while roaming
6. Enter the Password: Input the default password for call barring (commonly 0000 or 1234). If you’ve set a custom password, use that instead.
7. Save and Activate: Once you’ve selected the desired options, confirm your settings, and call barring will be enabled.

For iPhone Devices

It’s simple to activate on an iPhone using its built-in settings to block unwanted calls. Here are the steps to activate call barring on iPhone:

1. Open the Settings App: Launch the Settings app from your iPhone’s home screen.
2. Go to Phone Settings: Scroll down and tap on the Phone option.
3. Navigate to Call Blocking & Identification: Within the Phone menu, select Call Blocking & Identification.
4. Enable Call Barring Features: Use the toggles to enable or disable features like:
   • Blocking unknown callers
   • Identifying and blocking spam calls (if you have apps like Truecaller installed)
5. Additional Settings for Incoming/Outgoing Barring:
   • To block specific numbers, tap Blocked Contacts, then add the numbers you want to block.
6. Confirm Settings: After enabling the desired options, your call-barring settings will be applied.

How to Disable Call Barring?

You’ve enabled call barring, but for some reason, you’re tired of it now and want to disable it. It is the same rigorous process as to enable it which may leave you confused.

Although there are numerous benefits of call barring, it’s essential to understand its limitations. Be aware of the limitations of call barring, such as its inability to block specific numbers directly. But don’t worry, here’s a step-by-step guide to disable call barring:

For Android Devices:

1. Open the Phone App: Launch your default Phone or Dialer app.
2. Access the Settings Menu: Tap the three-dot menu (usually in the top-right corner) and choose Settings or Call Settings.
3. Find Call Barring: Look for Call Barring under options like Supplementary Services or similar (varies by device).
4. Select the Type of Call Barring: Choose the barring type you want to disable:
   • All outgoing calls
   • All incoming calls
   • International calls only
5. Enter the Password: Input the call barring password. The default is usually 0000 or 1234 unless it has been changed.
6. Disable Barring: Toggle off the barring option or select Disable. Once confirmed, call barring will be turned off.

For iPhone Devices:

1. Open the Settings App: Navigate to the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Go to Phone Settings: Scroll down and select Phone from the menu.
3. Navigate to Call Blocking & Identification: Tap on Call Blocking & Identification.
4. Unblock Features:
   • Toggle off Silence Unknown Callers or similar features.
   • To unblock specific numbers, go to Blocked Contacts, swipe left on a contact/number, and tap Unblock.
5. Confirm Changes: Once you’ve adjusted the settings, call barring will be disabled.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

A call barring is a useful part of your mobile connects that helps you block some types of outgoing and incoming calls. If you’re unable to receive calls, ensure that call barring isn’t inadvertently enabled. As with any other phone feature, though, it can have its issues from time to time. So here’s a quick guide to help troubleshoot common call-barring problems:

1. Incorrect Call Barring Code

Most currently existing call-barring services need a code. The default code is usually 0000 or 1234. If you’ve updated this code and don’t remember it, you may have trouble turning call barring on/off. You should call your carrier to reset the code to fix this issue.

2. Carrier Restrictions

Some carriers do not support certain call-barring features, or they might require activation. If call barring is not working, check that your plan supports the feature. But check with your service provider.

3. Software Glitches

Sometimes, bugs in the software or an older version of firmware can interrupt call barring. Make sure your phone’s operating system is up to date. You can also try restarting your device or doing a network settings reset.

4. Conflicting Settings

Some configurations like call forwarding or “Do Not Disturb” might be incompatible with call barring. If you run into issues, double-check that these features aren’t active. Check for conflicts between call barring and call forwarding if your incoming calls are restricted.

5. SIM Card Issues

Call barring works according to your SIM. Without a properly inserted and working SIM, the feature may not work. So, take out your SIM card and place it back in or check it with another device in a bid to ensure that it is not a SIM-related issue.

If these troubleshooting steps don’t solve your problem, you can contact your carrier or consult your device’s user manual for additional help. Call barring is generally easy to troubleshoot , so you can return to controlling your calls quickly.

Additional Tips and Tricks for Call Barring

Call barring, which is a number-blocking method, is very useful for preventing unwanted calls from reaching you or limiting incoming or outgoing calls.

If you want more flexibility, combine barring and call-blocking features with third-party apps. To optimize this feature, here are some more tips and tricks:

1. Customize Call Barring Settings:

You can also usually customize the call barring settings to block ISD (incoming) or outgoing calls, for example, when roaming or on your phone. Access your phone’s call settings and customize the barring options according to your requirements.

2. Use Carrier-Specific Shortcodes

Most service providers will have shortcodes for turning call barring on and off. So, 33PIN# enables it while #33*PIN# disables it. For codes and instructions specific to your network, check with your carrier.

3. Temporary Barring for Roaming

If you are traveling and want to avoid high roaming charges, you can enable call barring specifically for all incoming calls while roaming. That will keep you connected for emergency purposes but without paying a small fortune.

4. Leverage Parental Controls

Parents can also use call barring to block outgoing calls on their kids’ devices. This can stop unauthorized calls to premium numbers or international destinations.” Combine with other parental control tools for better monitoring.

5. Protect Your Barring Code

The PIN secures your call barring settings. Always use a strong, unique PIN and don’t share it with anyone else to stop unwanted changes.

6. Monitor Barring Through Apps

As an added bonus, some of the third-party apps come with additional features such as barring certain numbers or blocking spam calls. These apps offer greater flexibility if you want extra options beyond your phone’s built-in settings.

7. Test Settings Regularly

From time to time, verify that your call-barring settings are still enabled and working as planned. Your preferences can be reset due to network changes or device updates.

These hacks will help you use call barring more efficiently so that you can block incoming and outgoing calls, plus further enhance your control over your privacy and security.

Conclusion

In summary, call barring is an effective way to control phone usage, maintain privacy, and prevent unwanted charges, so take full advantage of this feature.

Call-barring solutions allow you to block calls from a specific number or geographic region by relying on our trunking services. It’s a simple process on Android and iPhone devices to enable or disable call-barring features.

Just do not forget to keep your PIN hidden and check back your settings frequently. Call barring can be a powerful tool for managing your phone communications when set up correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

What is the default password for call barring?

Typically the call barring default password is 0000 or 1234. But this varies by carrier; users are also allowed to set their custom password. If you run into trouble, contact your carrier.

Does call barring block SMS as well?

Yes, some call-barring options may also block outgoing or incoming SMS and MMS depending on the configuration of your device and the rules your carrier applies.

Can I block specific numbers with call barring?

Call barring normally relates to types of calls (for example, all overseas calls coming in). To block individual phone numbers, use your device’s native blocking function or see if any third-party applications can help.

Will call barring stop spam calls?

Yes, through features such as anonymous call blocking or by using apps with spam detection, call barring can reduce unwanted calls to a significant extent.

Can I enable call barring temporarily?

Yes, you can turn on call , barring temporarily, like when you are traveling so that you can avoid roaming charges. Just turn it off when it’s not being used.

Is there a cost for using call barring?

Call barring is provided free of charge by most carriers, but certain features may incur additional fees. You’ll want to confirm this with your service provider.

How do I reset my call-barring password?

Contact your carrier’s customer service to reset your call-barring password if you’ve forgotten it. They might request confirmation before helping you.