Sometimes people tell me about problems that don’t occur to me. This is normally because I don’t have the problem, ala the long fingernails issue I wrote about a while back.
This issue comes to me from two people which suggests it is a rather common problem. As it happens, the problem is large enough that someone is seeking to develop an auto-hang up program.
Those of us who grew up with normal phones have an instinct to just hit a button and end the call. The iPhone especially has a nice round button at the bottom that seems like it should end the call, but of course, doesn’t. The person showing me the problem explained how it works for him.
- He makes a call.
- Voicemail picks up
- He leaves a message
- He hits the iPhone home button instead of the end call button.
This leaves the call open and recording. This can be amusing for the person who gets the message as the caller keeps talking away, but more seriously it can be embarrassing, for example, when the person leaving the message says, “where’s that stupid SOB,” or an ethical problem, such as when you are sitting with other lawyers or a client and start discussing the case and are leaving a nice recording of your plans for opposing counsel.
I am not really sure I see a solution to this problem, except making a point of slowing down and hanging up. Is there some app out there that will remind you a call is open? I couldn’t find one.
Any thoughts?
By the way, it seems lots of people forget to hang up phone calls. Including robbers.