How to Bypass Do Not Disturb

Do Not Disturb is great until the one call that matters doesn't come through: your kid, your partner on a night shift, a parent who lives alone. The good news is that both iPhone and Android let you make exceptions. The catch is that "Do Not Disturb" and "silent mode" are two different things, and many guides mix them up. Below you'll find exactly which setting does what, step by step for iPhone, Android and Samsung, and what you can do when it's someone else's phone.

Do Not Disturb vs. silent mode: why your exception still doesn't ring

There are two separate switches on every phone:

• Do Not Disturb (or a Focus) decides who is allowed to reach you. Everyone else is held back.
• Silent mode (the Ring/Silent switch or Action button on iPhone, the volume or ringer setting on Android) decides whether the phone makes a sound at all.

So if you allow your partner through Do Not Disturb but the phone is also on silent, their call comes through, but it only lights up the screen; it doesn't ring. To make a phone actually ring, the call has to get past both. That's why the settings below are split into "gets through Do Not Disturb" and "rings on silent".

How to bypass Do Not Disturb on iPhone

1. Emergency Bypass (rings even on silent)

This is the strongest option on iPhone and the only built-in one that beats silent mode. It works per contact:

1. Open Contacts (or the Phone app → Contacts) and tap the person.
2. Tap Edit, then Ringtone.
3. Turn on Emergency Bypass and tap Done.
4. Optional: do the same under Text Tone so their messages make a sound too.

From now on, calls from this person ring and vibrate even when Do Not Disturb, a Focus or silent mode is on. Use it for a small circle: kids, partner, parents, a carer.

2. Allow people in Do Not Disturb or a Focus

1. Go to Settings → Focus → Do Not Disturb (or Sleep, Work, or any Focus you use).
2. Under Allow Notifications, tap People.
3. Add the people you want to reach you, or set Allow Calls From to Favorites or All Contacts.

Remember: this only gets them through the Focus. If the phone is on silent, their call won't make a sound.

3. Allow repeated calls

In the same People screen, turn on Allow Repeated Calls. A second call from the same number within three minutes then gets through the Focus. It's a good safety net for real emergencies, because people who need you urgently tend to call again.

4. Share Focus status, so people can tap "Notify Anyway"

In Settings → Focus → Focus Status, turn on Share Focus Status. People messaging you in the Messages app then see that you have notifications silenced, and can tap Notify Anyway for something urgent. It delivers the message, but it doesn't force a sound on silent.

How to bypass Do Not Disturb on Android

Menu names vary by phone and Android version (newer versions call it Modes). On a Google Pixel and most Android phones:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Do Not Disturb (or Settings → Modes → Do Not Disturb).
2. Tap People, then Calls.
3. Choose Starred contacts, Contacts or Anyone.
4. Turn on Allow repeat callers, so a second call from the same person within 15 minutes gets through.
5. Do the same under Messages if you want texts from them too.

To star someone, open them in the Contacts app and tap the star. Like on iPhone, this beats Do Not Disturb, but if the ringer itself is set to vibrate or silent, the call won't ring out loud. Android has no built-in "Emergency Bypass" for one contact.

How to bypass Do Not Disturb on Samsung Galaxy

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Do not disturb (on newer One UI: Settings → Modes and Routines).
2. Tap Calls, messages, and conversations.
3. Under Calls, choose Favorite contacts only, Contacts only or All, and add favorites if needed.
4. Turn on Repeat callers.

Samsung also lets you allow alarms, media and selected apps through Do Not Disturb on the same screen. The same rule applies: if the phone's sound mode is Mute or Vibrate, the call won't ring.

Cheat sheet: what actually rings

How to make someone's phone ring when it's on silent

If you're the one calling, you can't change another person's settings, and that's a good thing for privacy. What you can do:

• Call twice in a row. If they allow repeated calls, the second call gets through Do Not Disturb. It still won't make a sound if their phone is on silent.
• Use "Notify Anyway". If you both use iPhone and they share their Focus status, tap it in Messages for urgent news.
• Ask them to add you to Emergency Bypass (iPhone) before the next time it matters. Send them the steps above.
• Send an alarm instead of a call. With PingPal, you set an alarm on their phone from yours, between iPhone and Android. It rings at the time you choose, even on silent, with your voice, a photo or a song. Both of you need the app and to have added each other, so it only works with people who agree to it.

This is handy for waking up a heavy sleeper, a teen before school or a partner in another time zone. We cover those cases in how to wake someone up and how to send an alarm to someone's phone.

Calls go to silent? Send an alarm that rings anyway. PingPal is free on iPhone and Android.

Bypass not working? Check these

• Silent mode is on. Allowed people and repeated calls get through Do Not Disturb, not silent mode. On iPhone, use Emergency Bypass; on Android, check the ringer volume.
• A different Focus is on. On iPhone, Sleep, Work and Driving each have their own allowed people. Add the contact to the Focus that's actually active.
• The number is saved twice or without the country code. Emergency Bypass and favorites only work for the exact number on the contact card.
• The call comes through an app (WhatsApp, FaceTime audio from an email address). Check the app's own notification settings and that it's allowed in the Focus.
• Silence Unknown Callers or call screening is on, and the person isn't in your contacts.

FAQ

Can someone bypass my Do Not Disturb?

Only if you let them: by adding them as an allowed person, making them a favorite or starred contact, allowing repeated calls, or turning on Emergency Bypass for them on iPhone. Nobody can change these settings from their own phone.

How do I make a contact ring on silent on iPhone?

Open the contact, tap Edit → Ringtone and turn on Emergency Bypass. Their calls then ring even with silent mode and any Focus on.

Is there Emergency Bypass on Android?

Not as a per-contact switch. You can let starred contacts or repeat callers through Do Not Disturb, but if the ringer is on vibrate or silent, the call won't ring out loud.

Do alarms go off on Do Not Disturb?

Yes. The phone's own alarm clock rings on Do Not Disturb and on silent on both iPhone and Android. That's why sending someone an alarm, for example with PingPal, works when a call doesn't.

How can I make someone's phone ring when it's on silent?

You can't override someone else's silent mode with a normal call. Ask them to add you to Emergency Bypass (iPhone), or use an alarm app you both have, like PingPal, whose alarms ring even on silent.

Related: send an alarm to another phone with PingPal · how to wake someone up: 12 ways · all blog posts