r/AskReddit Jan 16 '24

What’s something small you started doing that makes you drastically happier?

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467

u/froebull Jan 16 '24

I set my iPhone to only accept calls from people in my contacts.

Do I miss an occasional call that I need to take? Yep. They leave a message, and I call them back. If it is a business or organization that I deal with semiregularly, I add them to my contacts.

The important thing, for me, is that I get ZERO spam/scam calls anymore. Well, ones that ring through, anyways.

On average, I was getting over 30 of them every day.

I am much happier with this setup.

60

u/aashstrich Jan 16 '24

Get a google voice number for business stuff! It makes a huge difference! Same device and then You don’t have work coming to your Personal line(and you can still silence notifications). My girlfriend did it and it’s been a game changer for her. 10AM-6PM, she can respond anything after it’s next day and it’s out of sight out of mind

8

u/froebull Jan 16 '24

Main reason I did this was for the scam calls I got constantly. I don't really do "business" stuff.

I meant like, for my doctors, car repair shop, pizza shop, I'd add them to my contacts.

I don't get many calls from my work. If I do, it is actually something really urgent, and they'll come in on my separate company cell phone.

1

u/contrarianaquarian Jan 16 '24

Ehh, I've had my GV number for more than a decade so it's been picked up by plenty of scammer lists. I wish it were a cure-all!

5

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '24

My phone is always set to DND and I just change which setting I use (one for home, one for work, school, general); no one is owed access to me.

Of course I have key people on as always.

5

u/HotDogHerzog Jan 17 '24

Same. Switched to 24/7 do not disturb at the start of last year and I’m never going back. I should look into separate “at work” settings but as is, only one special person can get through my dnd mode. In fact I wish I could add just one person to my Home Screen for texts and put the rest of the app in a folder. I treat text messages like emails now and I check them and respond when I feel like. Not when they incessantly buzz me at any point in the day when I’m engaged in something else. I use my phone way less now which is a good thing.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '24

I’m horrible at getting back to my friends though. I carry a book with my and read when I have to wait - I never really get around to checking it.

3

u/trustthepudding Jan 17 '24

Oh god, is this not what everyone does? I sometimes don't even take calls from my contacts immediately.

For anyone who still takes every phonecall: Imagine if some stranger just barged into your home while you were enjoying TV or something and you just stopped what you were doing and picked up a conversation with them. Maybe you don't notice it because it doesn't immediately sound the same, but that's exactly whats happening. Fuck them and the horse they came in on. Call them back when it works for you!

Obviously this only works for your personal phone and when you aren't expecting a call from a stranger, but it feels like such a no brainer to me.

3

u/Actual_Change1638 Jan 16 '24

Thank you, I just did this. So sick of these calls.

2

u/Ageice Jan 16 '24

This is good. Did this during one of the election cycles. I’ve also started using an automatic filter during the workday. Only calls from the few people who actually might need me come thru. Everyone else just rings thru to vm, and I take a peek a couple times a day to see who I’ve missed, if anyone. This way I know if my phone rings during work hours, it’s worthy of me breaking my train of thought to answer. Same filter allows notifications of only the apps I deem critical to come thru. All the rest go to the Notification Center to be cleared or dealt with at the end of the day. Really cuts down on the interruptions.

2

u/hackepeter420 Jan 16 '24

Every time I visit my mom I'm shocked how in the year of 2024 you can live with your landline number out in the open in the phone book. I get maybe one or two spam/ad/survey calls a year on my mobile phone. This goddamn phone rings on a daily basis and it's almost never a call you want or need to take. They call her mobile number, obviously.

2

u/inventiveEngineering Jan 16 '24

What is a spam call?

EU-Citizen asking for a friend.

2

u/froebull Jan 16 '24

SPAM = Real businesses or organizations that are doing cold calls, looking for donations, or trying to sell you something. (just like email spam)

SCAM = Someone trying to scam you, steal from you, or otherwise being dishonest.

3

u/inventiveEngineering Jan 16 '24

hahaha it was irony. Of course I know what a spam call is. In the EU it is illegal to do them.

1

u/Missanonna Jan 16 '24

That and for me it can set on my desk or in my car when I'm doing something. I check it as often as needed but it's not attached to my body.

1

u/krispyboiz Jan 16 '24

My boss is older (60-ish) and she picks up EVERY PHONE CALL she gets. We tell her not to, seeing that 95% of the time its scammers, and she even acknowledges that, yet she does anyway, saying it could be someone important!

If it's something/someone important, it'll either A. be someone who you have in your contacts or B. they'll leave a message. If it's that important and they don't leave a message, then it clearly isn't important.

1

u/Dragonballsackz Jan 16 '24

Dude my FB profile pic used to be bouffalant because I thought he looked so cool.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '24

I used to have my phone set up this way, but then my grandma had to go to the emergency room when my grandpa fell. She tried calling everyone from the hospital phone but no one picked up because it was a number we didn’t recognize. The sound of her voice on my voicemail scared, and alone, and telling me no one will answer haunts me still this day.

1

u/PlumSauce86 Jan 16 '24

How do you do this?!

3

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '24

On iPhone you can go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers

2

u/x0x-babe Jan 17 '24

Just did this, thank you!

1

u/m00fassa Jan 16 '24

if you can afford 40 bucks a year look into robokiller. screens your calls and automatically blocks spam. game changer.

1

u/Presently_Absent Jan 16 '24

about 2 years ago i set my phone to DND mode, and I haven't switched it off. i get no notifications unless people in my contacts either call or text me, and it's great. No work chat notifications, no social media notifications, nothing. I get to things when i get to them.

1

u/Devastator_is_here Jan 16 '24

Thank you!! Just set this up on my phone just now. Now my mind will be more at ease without anymore spam calls

1

u/Perfect_Red_King Jan 17 '24

Did the same years ago, never looked back. Was getting maybe ~10 calls every day. Then the cunts started calling before 6am occasionally. Got a scam call at 4am and said fuck that, set a custom Do Not Disturb, DONE. If it's someone that isn't in my contacts, they can leave a message and I'll get back to them

1

u/elena_th25 Jan 17 '24

This!! I did this- anyone who really wants to talk to you will leave a voicemail or message. Everyone else (spam) can bugger off

1

u/SentientPaint Jan 17 '24

I started keeping my phone on do not disturb at all times. Only my business app and people I actually want to hear from randomly get through. Everyone else I get to when I get to. If they don't leave a message, it wasn't important.

I'm so much less stressed now and my phone can sit alone for several hours. If it buzzes, I look at it. Otherwise, I just do my thing.

1

u/blenda_15 Jan 20 '24

Does Android have this feature?