FOR YEARS, MY dad has regularly pocket dialed me and my siblings. I thought this annoyance would die after smartphones took over, but the man’s pocket is talented, and still manages to leave me wordless voicemails every few weeks. If your friends and family are hounding you about regular butt calls, a few tweaks to your settings may help solve the problem.
Lock. Your. Phone.
First things first—and I shouldn’t have to say this, but apparently I do—lock your phone before you put it back in your pocket. I’ve seen people just slide their phone into their pocket without turning the screen off, which is a perfect recipe for pocket dialing. Just press the button on the side of your phone—it only takes a second, and it’ll save your friends some headache.
Furthermore, it’s important to use a passcode (and/or fingerprint, and/or face unlock) on your phone—not just to prevent pocket dials but to prevent thieves from gaining access to all your personal information. You can add these security measures from Settings > Touch ID & Passcode on an iPhone, and Settings > Security > Screen Lock on Android-based phones. (This may vary from phone to phone—Samsung devices call this section Biometrics and Security, for example.)
