Time-saving tips for using your phone as a… phone

With everything a smartphone can do these days, it’s often easy to overlook one of the device’s most basic functions: voice calling. Communicating over the phone has become more complicated in a world of robocalls and automated voice trees, but your phone may already have the tools to make talking to people (or not) easier. Here are a few suggestions.

Contact companies quickly

Do you want to call a company that is not in your contact list? Just search for the company online at Apple Sirithe Google Assistant (or it is new Twin helper) or Samsung’s Bixby. When you see the establishment in the search results, simply tap the phone icon or phone number to call – or instruct the virtual assistant to do so.

(If sharing information with your assistant or using artificial intelligence programs raises concerns, read the software’s privacy policy to see how the company uses your data.)

Screen unwanted callers

Don’t waste valuable time on calls you didn’t want to answer. On an iPhone, open the Settings app, select Phone and scroll down to enable the app Silence unknown callers function. Calls from numbers not in your contact list are now muted and sent straight to voicemail.

Apples Live voicemail The feature in iOS 17 offers real-time transcription of messages that are recorded – and you have the ability to connect with callers as they leave a message, just like it used to work with answering machines. You can also send an incoming call directly to Live Voicemail by tapping the voicemail icon on the calling screen. Live Voicemail can be enabled or disabled in the Phone app settings.

Android-based phones have their own call management tools, but these vary depending on the model and software version. To see what’s available to you, open the Phone app, tap the Menu icon (the three vertical dots) in the top right corner and select Settings.

Call screening features can be turned on and off, for example when you are expecting a call from someone who is not in your contact list. And at Google Contacts appyou can even route calls from selected numbers straight away to voicemail.

Pass the waiting queue

Apps and websites have taken over various customer service tasks, such as rebooking flights, but sometimes you need to talk to a human. Many companies now use an automated callback service so you don’t have to wait on hold, but in other cases you do. The Google Assistant may be able to wait on your behalf.

Hold on for mewhich became available on Google’s Pixel phones in 2020, is one method. You’ll first need to enable ‘Hold for me’ in the Google Phone app settings, but if you call later and are put on hold, tap the ‘Hold for me’ option on the screen from the phone. The Google Assistant waits and alerts you when an employee is on the line.

If you don’t have a Pixel phone, there’s Google’s similar “Talk to a Live Representative” experiment Search Labs. It is available in the Google app for iOS And Android; tap the lab bottle icon in the top left corner to go to Search Labs. “Talk to a Live Representative” – which will be live until the end of 2024 – lists the 1-800 numbers for various airlines and other companies, and gives you the option to receive a call and call you back when the representative is there. However, it is still experimental and may not work consistently.

Don’t miss calls

If you want to turn off your ringer but don’t want to miss an important call, you can use a visual or vibration notification to alert you.

In iOS 17, in the main Settings app, go to Accessibility, then Audio & Visual LED flash for warnings. In Android 14, tap Settings, go to Notifications and select Flash notifications to access the camera and screen flash alert options. You will see a hint of light or color when you receive a call.

Flash-sensitive people should use the vibration alternative instead. In the Sound and haptics settings on an iPhone, you can assign custom vibrations to callers. Android phones, including the Pixel And universe models, have their own adjustable vibration options.

Once you start poking around, you’ll likely find even more useful tools in your phone’s settings. And you can enjoy the irony of using 21st century software to help with a communication method that has been around for a long time 148 years as of this month.