Have you ever received a phone call, answered it, and then been greeted by the garbled, muffled sound of the inside of someone’s pocket as they go about their day (or worse, overheard a detailed, clear conversation that you wish you hadn’t)?
Or, have you felt the embarrassment of realizing you left a 3-minute long voicemail on your boss’s phone, and you have no idea how or why?
Pocket dialing.
To say that we’ve all done it is a misnomer, but it’s true! Especially now with so many apps and devices designed to respond to the sound of our voice alone, preventing the dreaded pocket dialing (or butt dialing, depending on your vernacular!) is more valuable than ever. Our devices are more complicated than ever as well, so keeping up with updates and upgrades is more challenging than ever.
So how do you go about putting a stop to pocket dialing, for reals?
Here are some tips to keep your devices and apps from talking to strangers when you aren’t aware.
Lock it!
The easiest, most surefire way to prevent your phone from going rogue and making phone calls is by locking it. Simply hitting that little button on the side of your phone, as opposed to just sliding it into your pocket (or purse) is a nearly effortless way to prevent pocket dialing, so get into the habit A.S.A.P.
Enable your passcode/password/thumbprint feature.
This not only will prevent thieves from gaining access to literally EVERYTHING in your life (banking apps, personal apps, contacts etc) but will make it nearly impossible for your device to make a phone call from your chinos.
Disable your “Tap to Wake” feature.
This is a handy feature if you are going to be using your phone repeatedly over a period of time, but “Tap to Wake” can be activated by items in your pockets or even your own fingers as you slide it in, overcoming all your other attempts to keep it from making calls. Deactivate “Tap to Wake” and reduce the likelihood of an accidental phone call.
Enable your phone to auto-lock more quickly.
You can toggle the seconds that a phone will remain unlocked after your last use. The seconds can vary between devices, but the less time you give it before it locks, the better!
Disable your phone’s “Smart-Lock” feature.
On many devices, your phone will not lock if it’s attached to an identified Wi-Fi or Bluetooth device, because it assumes you are at home or a safe place and therefore you don’t need it to lock. But if you are finding that pocket (or between the couch-cushion) calls are happening frequently in these situations, disable the “Smart-Lock” feature.
Take extreme measures.
Other tricks you can try to prevent pocket dialing include moving your contacts or call icon off your home screen, turning off your assistant, or disabling your voice-activated or “squeeze” features for more control.
Whether it’s one of these tactics or a combination of several that gets the job done, we hope that you are able to rein in your phone’s ambitions to make unsolicited phone calls, and peace and order return to your pocket!
Looking for help choosing devices or features that fit your team? Mobility Help Desk, partnering with AT&T’s 5G LTE Network has you covered!
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