Maximizing Your Phone’s Potential for Making Calls
In a world where smartphones handle a multitude of tasks, making voice calls can sometimes take a back seat. However, your device likely offers features that can simplify and enhance your calling experience amidst robocalls and automated systems. Here are some handy suggestions:
Effortlessly Reach Businesses
When you need to contact a business not in your contacts, leverage your virtual assistant like Siri, Google Assistant, or Samsung’s Bixby. Simply search for the company online and tap the phone icon next to the listing to initiate the call or command your assistant to do it for you.
Screen Unwanted Calls
Avoid wasting time on unwanted calls by activating features like Apple’s “Silence Unknown Callers” on iPhones, which mutes calls from unknown numbers and sends them straight to voicemail. iOS 17’s Live Voicemail provides real-time transcriptions and allows you to connect with callers as they leave messages.
Android users can explore call management tools in their Phone app settings, including Google’s Pixel-specific features like Call Screen and Caller ID & Spam.
Handle Hold Times Efficiently
Instead of waiting on hold, opt for automated callback services or employ Google’s Hold for Me feature on Pixel phones. This tool notifies you when a representative is available, saving you from enduring long hold times.
For non-Pixel users, Google’s “Talk to a Live Representative” experiment in the Google app offers similar functionality, allowing you to request a call and receive a callback when a representative is ready.
Ensure You Never Miss Important Calls
Keep important calls on your radar even with your ringer silenced by utilizing visual or vibration notifications. iOS users can enable LED Flash for Alerts in Accessibility settings, while Android users can turn on Flash Notifications in their device settings.
Customize vibrations for specific callers in your iPhone’s Sound & Haptics settings or explore vibration options on Android devices like Pixel and Galaxy models.
Explore Further
Delve into your phone’s settings to uncover additional features that can enhance your calling experience. With 21st-century software supporting a communication method that has stood the test of time for over a century, you’ll find plenty of tools to streamline your interactions.
