Cell Phone Static

For as helpful as cell phones have become, they sure do cause a lot of bother when all those unwanted calls come in. I assume you added your number to the “Do Not Call” registry a long time ago, and that helps a bit but there are things you can do in managing your phone.

A good first hint is to put everyone who might call you in your contact list. Give them a name and answer the call only if that name comes up on the screen. If someone else calls and really wants you, they can leave a message. You can also assign a ringtone to the folks in your contact list, then ignore other ring tones as they come in.

After spending some time with a beverage (hey – you might as well enjoy the process) and getting your contact list set up, ask your phone to block all other calls. You’ll find that option in “Settings”, and may also be able to set up the “Do not disturb” option to help block unwanted calls.

And some avoidance… when you do online shopping, try to opt out of phone calls. If a store clerk asks you for a phone number, find out if it is really necessary that they have it. Or just politely refuse to give it, gambling on whether they will give up on a sale or not.

There are services to block calls – too much to write in this space. But look at clark.com/technology/phones-mobile-devices/how-to-stop-robocalls/ and consumer.ftc.gov/taxonomy/term/919

As always, if you do answer a robocall, do not engage in either a chat or tirade. Don’t hit a key to “stop these calls”. For real, do not say the word “yes”. Just Hang Up!

Stay safe,

Jean O’Neil, TRIAD committee member

413-268-2228, jeanoneilmass@gmail.com

Posted: to All Towns News on Fri, Dec 20, 2019
Updated: Fri, Dec 20, 2019