WhatsApp Says Call Not Answered: Meaning? - Tech With Tech
WhatsApp Says Call Not Answered: Meaning? (Blocked?)

WhatsApp Says Call Not Answered: Meaning?

By Theresa McDonough

Here’s what it means when WhatsApp says call not answered:

When you get a message telling you “call not answered,” it is specifically telling you that the call recipient took no action to answer or decline the call. 

There was no response at all, and eventually, you quit trying to call, or the operation timed out.

There are countless reasons why this situation might occur.

So if you want to learn all about WhatsApp saying call not answered, then this article is for you.

Let’s jump right in!

WhatsApp Says Call Not Answered: Meaning? (Blocked?)

What Does It Mean When WhatsApp Says “Call Not Answered”?

Shocked woman holding and looking sadly at mobile phone.

The message is telling you something very specific.

When you get a call on WhatsApp, an interactive menu pops up to inform you of the call. 

In essence, you have two options to interact with the call.

You can answer it, or you can decline it.

If you answer it, you’ll be connected to the other person, and you can talk in real time.

If you decline the call, then the connection is stopped right there (more on this in a bit).

Those are the only two interactive options.

But, there is a third real option.

You can do nothing.

Whether by choice or because you are unaware of the call, if you do nothing, the call will never connect. 

Eventually, the caller will hang up, or the call will time out.

When that is the case, the caller gets a message informing them that the call was not answered.

Understanding this can make it easier to discern meaning from receiving a “not answered” message.

What Is the Difference Between “Not Answered” and “Declined” on WhatsApp?

Sad lady using cellphone, looking at screen

It’s important to understand that WhatsApp’s “call not answered” and “call declined” are very different messages on purpose.

One is telling you that no action was taken.

The other is informing you that the user on the other end hit the “decline” button in order to terminate the call without answering.

Keep in mind that declining a call on WhatsApp is not necessarily a malicious action.

There are plenty of instances where you might decline a call because you simply aren’t free or willing to take it at the moment.

It’s a common action when people are already using their phone for something and don’t want to interrupt the current action.

Regardless, distinguishing between these messages can help you understand why a call didn’t go through.

Why Wouldn’t Someone Answer Your WhatsApp Call?

Sad woman looking the phone at home

If you really want to understand the “call not answered” message, you have to think about why a call isn’t answered.

There are tons of reasons why you or another person might not answer a call that comes through. 

As we go through some of the most prominent, it can help you think about the specific situation and understand why there might be a communication gap.

The most common reason for someone to not answer a call is because they aren’t available.

If they aren’t near the phone to receive the call, they physically can’t answer, and it happens a lot.

Similar forms of unavailability could stem from being asleep, in the shower, or otherwise physically incapable of answering.

When a person is already using a phone, they might not want to interrupt their current activity for a WhatsApp call.

Have you ever ignored a call and gone on with what you were doing?

There’s also a chance that they didn’t receive a call notification.

This happens when notifications are silenced.

It can also be the result of connection issues through WhatsApp. 

If the phone is currently unable to connect to the internet, then they definitely can’t receive the call. 

Depending on the circumstances, you might receive a “not answered” message when this happens.

It’s also possible that the person just didn’t want to answer.

That happens a lot, and when a person is determined not to answer perpetually, it can lead to blocking another party on WhatsApp.

What About Blocked Numbers on WhatsApp?

puzzled young female tourist walking using phone on the street

Blocked numbers add an element of uncertainty to this whole thing.

If someone blocks you on WhatsApp, it works like this.

They can navigate to a conversation with you and use the “more options” list to block you as a contact (you can use the same steps to block anyone as you see fit).

The challenge with this is that WhatsApp does not notify users when they have been blocked. 

According to WhatsApp, this is a matter of user privacy, so there is no formal way to see that you’ve been blocked.

Meanwhile, when you try to call someone who has blocked you, they will not receive a call notification.

The phone will ring on your end but not their end.

The same happens with messages. 

You will successfully send the message, but they will never receive it.

So, communication completely breaks down, and you have no indication as to why.

Will You Get “Call Not Answered” When You Are Blocked on WhatsApp?

Young woman worried while checking out her phone.

If you call someone and they never answer, then you’re going to get a “call not answered” notification.

At least, this can be the case.

With blocked calls, it doesn’t always happen. 

The defaults are still in place that you will get this notification if you let the phone ring long enough, but because the call is never actually established, there are times when you won’t get a notification at all.

It’s a little complicated.

The important thing to understand is that when you are blocked, the other person never gets a notification of the call.

More specifically, it means that they can never reject the call. 

So, a “call not answered” message might leave you in limbo, but a “call rejected” message lets you know with certainty that you are not blocked.

This is one of the few inferences you can make to better understand the situation.

How Do You Know If You Are Blocked on WhatsApp?

Anxious woman in bed using smartphone at night

This leads to the final question.

If you are blocked, how do you know?

Through WhatsApp, there is no method of certainty.

When you are blocked, your calls will never be answered. 

The same goes for your messages.

Your calls also will never be declined.

If you are ignored for long enough, you can reasonably assume that you have been blocked, but it’s still really a guess.

The only way to be truly certain is through secondary communication.

If you can talk to the other person through another medium, you might be able to find out.

Similarly, you could inquire through shared contacts, but all of this comes with potentially awkward side effects.

The bottom line is that WhatsApp doesn’t want people to know when they have been blocked, and so it’s quite difficult to be certain.