Butt dials are still a thing, but you can silence them
Accidental hellos often are sweet, but they can put a strain on 911 systems
Siri might be helpful when you need to know a sports score, but she might also be acting as a bad secretary thanks to the magic of voice dialing.
I cannot figure out why my parents both pocket dial me so much. It happens a few times every week.
And while their butt dials are mostly sweet — I get to eavesdrop on a tiny snippet of their day — I can’t help but wonder why this still happens as often as it does.
In all fairness, I butt dial an awful lot of people, too. And it’s not just me. It turns out some 30% of calls to 911 are accidental, according to a study by Google researchers of San Francisco emergency calls, which was echoed in other locations. Accidental emergency calls not only strain the 911 system, they’ve even popped up in some high-profile court cases in recent years.
In the age of smartphones, butt dials — or “pocket dials” if you prefer — happen for three main reasons.
LOCK IT UP!
The first, most obvious reason is that we constantly forget to lock our phones before tossing them in pockets.
Pressing the power button to lock your phone screen is the first line of defense, but even that might not be enough if your lock settings aren’t up to snuff. On iPhone, head into Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Require Passcode and select “Immediately” to ensure your booty doesn’t go on a dialing spree.
Also, set your phone to automatically lock itself in the shortest amount of time. Settings > Display & Brightness > 1 Minute (you choose).
On Android, you’ll need to head to Settings > Security & Location and set a screen lock, which can be anything from a pattern swipe to fingerprint or facial recognition. Then, tap the settings icon next to Screen Lock and set it to lock immediately when the screen times out or you press the lock button.
SIRI, WHY DO BUTT DIALS STILL HAPPEN?
Siri might be helpful when you need to know a sports score, but she might also be acting as a bad secretary thanks to the magic of voice dialing. Just last night, I said, “Hey Sweetie,” to my daughter, and it triggered Siri. Anything close to “Siri” might wake up the helper, and depending on what you say next, trigger an unintentional call.
On iPhones with iOS11, dive into Settings, then select “Touch ID & Passcode” and toggle “Voice Dialing ” off, since it’s on by default.
While there’s not as much that rhymes with Google, (frugal, bugle …) here’s how to lock down your Android phone. Voice dialing via “OK Google” requires the phone to be unlocked by default, so a screen lock will help here, but if you’ve enabled “Trusted Voice” (which lets OK, Google unlock your phone all on its own), it could still be a problem. Head into your Google app, tap the Settings icon, then the “Voice” tab. Make sure “Trusted Voice” is off.
IT’S THE PHONE’S FAULT
The only true case of your phone calling on its own happens if there’s a problem with the device itself. Everything from software bugs to damaged or faulty touchscreens can lead to what is called “ghost touching.” That means a trip to the Apple store (if you have an iPhone of course) or your carrier, and you might end up walking out with a new phone.