Voices coming from phone when not in use

[a107]

I know this is going to sound like a strange question. I was hesitant to post it here, but after doing a google search on the subject matter, it would seem that it's an actual problem.

It's actually my Dad's phone, which is an AT&T Flip IV, which is a flip phone. My Dad (who I don't live with) tells me that on a couple occasions, he's had his phone next to him while in bed, and awoke to hear a female voice coming from the phone. The phone was closed at the time. When he opened the phone afterward, there was no indication of any incoming calls, but he said the volume level was lower than where he had set it. Also, the phone never rang first.

When I looked this up on google, I found instances where people had this happen with a smartphone with certain apps open such as Talkback. But my Dad's phone is a flip phone and he doesn't have any apps like that. He just uses it to make a receive phone calls.

Any ideas on what this could be?

[zapjb]

It could be any of the 3letters accidentally turning on the wrong switches.

[WheelieBoot]

The only time I've heard a phone talk when it wasn't being touched was a person had their phone set to use verbal commands.

We were talking about something and suddenly the phone started to speak as if they wanted to do a Google search.



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[a107]

The only time I've heard a phone talk when it wasn't being touched was a person had their phone set to use verbal commands.

We were talking about something and suddenly the phone started to speak as if they wanted to do a Google search.



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Sure, and I could see that being the case with a smartphone with that feature when people are having conversations, but not with a closed flip phone next to the bed of a sleeping person.

[WheelieBoot]

Sure, and I could see that being the case with a smartphone with that feature when people are having conversations, but not with a closed flip phone next to the bed of a sleeping person.It's creepy. But I have occasionally heard of phones that have a fluke where it makes phone calls on its own. I've read about those in reviews on the TracFone website.

I realize the phone you're talking about probably wasn't making a fluke phone call.

But, I wonder if it tried to make a call to the voicemail desk or help desk and it's the robovoice he heard talking just before it hung itself up.

The only other option I can think is that some internal menu that allows the phone to speak turned on and said something.

Naturally it would mean the phone has something wrong with it. Like I said it's creepy.

I would check the phone call list to see if there were any weird phone calls coming in or see if the phone tried to make a phone call on its own going out. But I doubt that's really what it was.


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[zapjb]

I'd bet I'm right in this instance. I posit a dumb phone looks different from a smart phone to the 3letters & that is where the screw up comes from. It's a mistake on their part they certainly don't want to announce their presence.

[a107]

It's creepy. But I have occasionally heard of phones that have a fluke where it makes phone calls on its own.

I've read about those in reviews on the TracFone website.

I realize the phone you're talking about probably wasn't making a fluke phone call.

But, I wonder if it tried to make a call to the voicemail desk or help desk and it's the robovoice he heard talking just before it hung itself up.

The only other option I can think is that some internal menu that allows the phone to speak turned on and said something.

Naturally it would mean the phone has something wrong with it. Like I said it's creepy.

I would check the phone call list to see if there were any weird phone calls coming in or see if the phone tried to make a phone call on its own going out. But I doubt that's really what it was.


Sent from my LGL64VL using HoFo mobile app[/QUOTE]

The next time he tells me it happens (it's been twice so far), I'll ask him exactly what day and time it was so I can look up the call list online and see if it shows up as a call. He said he checked the call log on the phone itself and it didn't show anything.

[WheelieBoot]

(Quote)
The phone was closed at the time. When he opened the phone afterward, there was no indication of any incoming calls, but he said the volume level was lower than where he had set it. Also, the phone never rang first.
(End quote)

Is it possible that he accidentally lowered the volume when he was settling down to go to bed? Some flip phones allow you to mute the volume with the vol down buttons on the side of the phone. But shouldn't it mute the voice too if there's an incoming call?

Does he have the phone set to automatically answer calls?

If he does have it set to automatically answer, and he accidentally lowered the volume, is it possible that a call came through and the phone automatically answered but he didn't hear it ring because the volume was too low.

If it was someone he knew they probably would have mentioned that they tried to call so if a call like that came through it was probably just a spam call.

It should be recorded in the call log as an incoming call if the phone was turned on when it happened.

Naturally if the phone was turned off, any attempted incoming calls wouldn't be in the call log but he should not have heard anybody talking on the phone either.



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[WheelieBoot]

I looked up the AT&T flip IV and found a link to the tutorial menus and manual. It might be of a little help for understanding how the phone works. I don't know if it'll help for that particular issue because it's fairly unusual.

https://www.att.com/device-support/i...T/EmblemU102AA

Edit: the link sometimes redirects me to the wrong page, to AT&T fiber net. Sometimes it takes me to the right page that shows the phone information. I don't know why it redirects. If it doesn't take you there then just look up the user manual for that phone if you want to research it a little. Chances are you probably already have.

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[a107]

(Quote)
The phone was closed at the time. When he opened the phone afterward, there was no indication of any incoming calls, but he said the volume level was lower than where he had set it. Also, the phone never rang first.
(End quote)

Is it possible that he accidentally lowered the volume when he was settling down to go to bed? Some flip phones allow you to mute the volume with the vol down buttons on the side of the phone. But shouldn't it mute the voice too if there's an incoming call?

Does he have the phone set to automatically answer calls?

If he does have it set to automatically answer, and he accidentally lowered the volume, is it possible that a call came through and the phone automatically answered but he didn't hear it ring because the volume was too low.

If it was someone he knew they probably would have mentioned that they tried to call so if a call like that came through it was probably just a spam call.

It should be recorded in the call log as an incoming call if the phone was turned on when it happened.

Naturally if the phone was turned off, any attempted incoming calls wouldn't be in the call log but he should not have heard anybody talking on the phone either.



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You may be right about him accidently lowering the volume. The buttons on that phone are way too easy to push, and he sometimes pushes them.
The phone wasn't turned off though. It was just flipped in the closed position, which puts it in an "idle" state.

[a107]

I looked up the AT&T flip IV and found a link to the tutorial menus and manual. It might be of a little help for understanding how the phone works. I don't know if it'll help for that particular issue because it's fairly unusual.

https://www.att.com/device-support/i...T/EmblemU102AA

Edit: the link sometimes redirects me to the wrong page, to AT&T fiber net. Sometimes it takes me to the right page that shows the phone information. I don't know why it redirects. If it doesn't take you there then just look up the user manual for that phone if you want to research it a little. Chances are you probably already have.

Sent from my moto g power (XT2041DL) using HoFo mobile app

The link sent me to "device help" for that phone. I do already have the manual for the phone, but thank you. One thing I could do next time I see my Dad is turn off Google voice assistant if it's turned on. He said he tried using it before but it didn't work, which isn't surprising because he'd have to either have data turned on, which he doesn't because it's a pre-paid phone service, or Wi-fi turned on, which it's not since he doesn't have internet service.

[WheelieBoot]

There's also another slight possibility. The keys on the keypad may be able to be set to speed dial with one press, sort of like the key that is preset for voicemail. I never had any of my phones set to do that because I was afraid it might start doing the equivalent of butt dialing.

I don't know about your father's phone, but I have heard of flip phones occasionally butt dialing if the lid gets squeezed.

If he keeps the telephone near his pillow or underneath of it possibly if he shifts his head on the pillow it could squeeze the phone.

I have AT&T flips that are like that phone and it's really easy for me to accidentally manipulate the volume buttons. I don't have them activated on the service right now or I could have played with the phone to see what it would do.

In fact it was so easy for me to accidentally adjust the volume, I had to occasionally check it before making a call or after using it for something. However I think it would mute and switch to vibrate if the key was pressed so hard that it went all the way to the lowest setting.

The best thing for you to do is to just check the phone over to see what settings he has it on and play with it a little to see if you can get it to duplicate what it does. If he lives far away obviously you can't do that.

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[a107]

There's also another slight possibility. The keys on the keypad may be able to be set to speed dial with one press, sort of like the key that is preset for voicemail. I never had any of my phones set to do that because I was afraid it might start doing the equivalent of butt dialing.

I don't know about your father's phone, but I have heard of flip phones occasionally butt dialing if the lid gets squeezed.

If he keeps the telephone near his pillow or underneath of it possibly if he shifts his head on the pillow it could squeeze the phone.

I have AT&T flips that are like that phone and it's really easy for me to accidentally manipulate the volume buttons. I don't have them activated on the service right now or I could have played with the phone to see what it would do.

In fact it was so easy for me to accidentally adjust the volume, I had to occasionally check it before making a call or after using it for something. However I think it would mute and switch to vibrate if the key was pressed so hard that it went all the way to the lowest setting.

The best thing for you to do is to just check the phone over to see what settings he has it on and play with it a little to see if you can get it to duplicate what it does. If he lives far away obviously you can't do that.

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No chance of his phone "butt dialing". When I said he had it next to him while he was in bed, I meant that it was on the nightstand.

[WheelieBoot]

No chance of his phone "butt dialing". When I said he had it next to him while he was in bed, I meant that it was on the nightstand.

That is very strange. I guess the only choice is to check out his phone the next time you visit. Unfortunately if it doesn't do it very often it probably won't do it while you're there.

If you can't figure it out then maybe there's a possibility of getting another phone like it and swapping his SIM into it. Maybe the new phone won't do it and it's just a fluke associated with the old phone.

If he's on at&t service, then SIM swapping should be possible. I can SIM swap between AT&T branded phones with H2O which runs on AT&T. The phone just has to be AT&T Whitelisted.

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[a107]

That is very strange. I guess the only choice is to check out his phone the next time you visit. Unfortunately if it doesn't do it very often it probably won't do it while you're there.

If you can't figure it out then maybe there's a possibility of getting another phone like it and swapping his SIM into it. Maybe the new phone won't do it and it's just a fluke associated with the old phone.

If he's on at&t service, then SIM swapping should be possible. I can SIM swap between AT&T branded phones with H2O which runs on AT&T. The phone just has to be AT&T Whitelisted.

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Yeah, the only time he's heard it happen was when he was in bed with the phone on the nightstand next to him. I suppose it could happen when it's in his pocket or when he's not around it and he isn't as likely to hear it as when it's right next to him in bed.
I did a Google search again and found an instance where someone's Apple phone suddenly had voices coming from it. They even recorded it and posted a link so you can hear it: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251411752