Forthe last 3 months, because of the vagaries of Vodaphone and Openreach we have had no telecomms at home so I have had to be dependent on my mobile phone.
The problem is I do nto always have it onme or close to me. When i go out I put it in my handbag, and when i return Iput the bag under the stairs, and if the phone rings I do not hear it. Alternatively it is on my desk - and if I am not near my desk, and I often aren't , it rigs and I do not hear it. Ditto whenit is in the car.
I tried putting it in a little bag slung round my neck, but the phone kept resetting itself and one of the things it reset was whether it would ring or not, so it kept turning off sound.
Carrying around in my hand all the time gives me cramp and anyway, I need both hands to do things.
There is nowhere in the house to put my phone where I can hear it all the time, and so many clothes lack pockets.
In our last home we had a VOIP (pretend landline) and that had a loud ring and we had three handsets, all of which rang in different parts of the house.
We have decided not to have fibre to the house, I do not quite understand what we have but it is some wireless gizmo that provides an excellent internet service, but no phone.
So I am utterly perplexed as to what to do to make sure I pick up all my calls.
I take it you're not a teenager, M0nica*?!
Just found mine behind a cushion on the sofa when I came into the sitting room with a coffee. Sometimes I have to phone it from DH's phone or the house phone (yes, we still have a landline, we're very old-fashioned) in order to locate it.
Mostly it's left on the kitchen table where the chargers are.
M0nica, would it be worthwhile looking into some of the smartphones which are designed to be easier to use by older people or those who find them a bit more difficult to use? I know Doro make phones like that - just a suggestion.
I think the real problem is that mobile phones with their tiny touch screens and tiny electronic touch keyboards require me to do things I have great difficulty doing, numb fingertips and most of all my dyspraxia, which means I am truly cackhanded, do not fit well with mobile phones.
M0nica have you tried using a foam-tipped stylus to tap the keys with?
I don't have your physical problems, but I often find I miss the appropriate key with my finger tips.
I'm devoted to my phone and it's pretty much with me all the time, either in a pocket or in a little cross body shoulder bag .
It always goes out into the garden with me,, in it's bag.
Someone above suggested a bum bag and I think that is a good suggestion.
I still have a landline, so if anyone really needs me urgently they know to ring on that. In any case, the ringer on my mobile is by default on silent and I rarely remember to put it back on! If it rings I rarely manage to answer it in time, but I can see who called and ring them back if necessary - or ignore it.
I do like to have it on me if I go upstairs in case I need to call for help, but I often forget. Useful reminder to think about some of the ideas here for carrying it more effectively. Thanks.
Jaxjacky
One of the things I think about in having my mobile on me is the ability to call for assistance in any area of the house, garden, car etc. should I need it.
When I fell in the garden I was cutting the grass and had no phone. It was lucky I was eventually able to get up as no one would ever have heard me or noticed I was missing.Cracked rib and the start of my bad hip!
Since getting rid of our landline I too keep missing calls, so I’m interested in the suggestions. When away from home I use a little cross body phone bag which leaves my hands free and also hold my keys. At home thephone is placed on or next to the charging stand where I can sometimes hear it. My watch vibrates if there is a call ( and I’m not far from the phone) which is useful. I mostly do not hear the phone itself ringing.
Why do you need to carry your phone with you all the time?
Just leave in a central place, volume turned up.
If you don’t answer the call, then the caller will leave a message
petra
dotpocka
dont have one . not that special
check the messages once in a while
dont need a umbilicalcordIt’s a badge of honour on GN not to use 21st century tech devices 🤦🏼♀️
Of course I have to have a mobile phone. I have access to no other type of phone. I rarely instigate a phone call when I am out, and would not dream of having it on view when with friends, but I need it for delivery details, sitting in comfort in the evening, chatting with friends, making appointments and all the htings we used to use land lines for.
Finding my phone isn't the problem. Its keeping it with me so that I hear it that is the problem and it is no help to find that I have left it at DDs, which I will probably know, if I need it now and DD lives 3 miles away.
I think the real problem is that mobile phones with their tiny touch screens and tiny electronic touch keyboards require me to do things I have great difficulty doing, numb fingertips and most of all my dyspraxia, which means I am truly cackhanded, do not fit well with mobile phones. my fingers only approximately hit keys and my back problem mean that sometimes my fingers spasm and do several repeats of the same number/letter. I also have problems with transposing letters, numbers.
All these problems are manageable on a laptop or desk computer with a full sized keyboard, but I physically struggle to use the keyboard on a mobile phone and I am very loathe to do anything complicated on a tiny keyboard where half my interactions will be mis-strokes. I have the same problems with a tablet.
It is not that i do not want to use my mobile phone. I was an early adaptor and bought my first smartphone shortly after they were first introduced, but then came up against my own physical limitations.
So at the moment I am trying to simply remember to keep it near me.
OldEnough2knowbetter thank you, the last time I wore a dress for an evening was March, before then it was two years, but I’ll heed your advice.
I have the same problem, tried many solutions. My latest is to have mine on a cord around my neck. It's a flip phone, so I can flip it over the cord, which is long enough to then put the phone in my pocket to keep it out of the way. I find anything attached to my body an encumbrance when doing chores.
Last time I used FMP it just showed me a map and that my devices were in the house. It wasn’t more specific than that. I must try it again if it’s been upgraded.
If you lose your phone there's a tracking app called find my phone. I can go on my laptop and as my devices are linked, it will show me the precise location of my mobile.
I was directed to the bathroom and found it in the laundry basket, despite it being switched off!
I don't buy clothes without pockets! In the past I used to make little fabric bags and sew them inside the waistband of sports gear.
dotpocka
dont have one . not that special
check the messages once in a while
dont need a umbilicalcord
It’s a badge of honour on GN not to use 21st century tech devices 🤦🏼♀️
Doodledog
ViceVersa
I just take mine with me from one room to another. Simple.
It's not simple if you have ADD, or have any other reason why you are likely to forget where you put it. If it were as easy as that, the OP wouldn't have posted.
I have ADHD. Yes, I sometimes misplace my phone. But mostly, I remember to be mindful - I put the phone down in the same place every time and stare at it a few moments, repeating a 'mantra' e.g. 'phone's on the coffee table'.
Jaxjacky
"I wear jeans or shorts all the time, it’s in my back pocket, on the rare dress days it’s in the front of my bra."
Please don't put it in your bra. I developed a lump which I'm certain was caused by this. I now have only one breast.
I still have a landline. I use it to call my mobile to locate it.
Mine is in a phonecase to protect it if it gets dropped and also you can't push the buttons by mistake. I then shove it in my trousers pocket. If I don't hear it ring I feel it vibrate. I have a large garden and like to have the phone on my person in case I have an accident whilst working in it.
You can armbands for carrying a phone about. This is just an example, there are loads of others out there. www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kiprun-unisex-smartphone-and-big-phone-running-armband-blue/_/R-p-340526?mc=8759901&c=smoked%20black
I bought a wrist strap for my mobile to take on holiday in case I dropped it while taking photos etc. I don't use it at home but it might be a solution for you M0nica
Exactly Jax.
Living on my own now, I think it’s essential to be able to contact help. Yes, I know, in extreme circumstances one could have an aneurysm or stroke and not be capable of using the phone at all, but I imagine that’s quite rare. I’d carried mine everywhere for many years since DD1 got her first phone and car, then when DD2 returned to school after her stroke. When my Dad’s health began to fail, I bought him a simple mobile to keep in contact several times a day. So when DH was first diagnosed with his cancer, it was already a habit that just continued and does to this day.
One of the things I think about in having my mobile on me is the ability to call for assistance in any area of the house, garden, car etc. should I need it.
dotpocka
dont have one . not that special
check the messages once in a while
dont need a umbilicalcord
How can you check messages on a phone you claim not to have? And not all of us are attached to our phones like an umbilical cord...
Umbilical cord? What a strange thing to say.
How do you check the messages on a phone you haven't got?
dont have one . not that special
check the messages once in a while
dont need a umbilicalcord
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