automated text

I called a friend last night on their cell phone and apparently they
were talking to someone else when I called. There was no busy signal
or the distinct ringing sound you hear when someone is talking on their
cell phone to someone else. What I did get was an automated text from
my friend's phone saying, "Can't talk now. I'll call you right back."
This was after 2-3 rings.

My friend is 82 years old and has no idea how this happened, he doesn't
even know how to send text messages. I'm assuming this is a built in
feature of his phone or cell service.

I have VZW and an iPhone 4S. Is this something I can set up with my
phone also? I can't find any related setting.

At 02 Jul 2012 15:01:16 +0000 badgolferman wrote:
> I called a friend last night on their cell phone and apparently they
> were talking to someone else when I called. There was no busy signal
> or the distinct ringing sound you hear when someone is talking on their
> cell phone to someone else. What I did get was an automated text from
> my friend's phone saying, "Can't talk now. I'll call you right back."
> This was after 2-3 rings.
>
> My friend is 82 years old and has no idea how this happened, he doesn't
> even know how to send text messages. I'm assuming this is a built in
> feature of his phone or cell service.
>
> I have VZW and an iPhone 4S. Is this something I can set up with my
> phone also? I can't find any related setting.

It's a phone feature. My Windows Phones have it. I don't know if the
iPhone does or not. You might try the misc.phones.mobile.iphone group.

On Mon, 2 Jul 2012 11:01:16 -0400, badgolferman wrote
(in article <xn0i03y925mlv5000@reader.albasani.net>):

> I called a friend last night on their cell phone and apparently they
> were talking to someone else when I called. There was no busy signal
> or the distinct ringing sound you hear when someone is talking on their
> cell phone to someone else. What I did get was an automated text from
> my friend's phone saying, "Can't talk now. I'll call you right back."
> This was after 2-3 rings.
>
> My friend is 82 years old and has no idea how this happened, he doesn't
> even know how to send text messages. I'm assuming this is a built in
> feature of his phone or cell service.
>
> I have VZW and an iPhone 4S. Is this something I can set up with my
> phone also? I can't find any related setting.

Android here, Droid 4 on VZW; some phones have an option to ignore a call
with a text message such as the one you got. For me the messages are
customizable and optional. When the phone rings I can let it go directly to
voice mail or select a predefined customized message.

Your friend might have activated such an option without realizing it. Even
82-year-olds can be "guilty" of exploring their phones' menus. I hope I still
am when I'm that age.

--
Joey from New York
Among those whom I like or admire, I can find*no common denominator,
but among those*whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh.
* *-- WH Auden

"Joe from NY" <giu@invalid.invalid> wrote in message
news:0001HW.CC17399401295C3FB030A9DF@news.eternal-september.org...
> On Mon, 2 Jul 2012 11:01:16 -0400, badgolferman wrote
> (in article <xn0i03y925mlv5000@reader.albasani.net>):
>
>> I called a friend last night on their cell phone and apparently they
>> were talking to someone else when I called. There was no busy signal
>> or the distinct ringing sound you hear when someone is talking on their
>> cell phone to someone else. What I did get was an automated text from
>> my friend's phone saying, "Can't talk now. I'll call you right back."
>> This was after 2-3 rings.
>>
>> My friend is 82 years old and has no idea how this happened, he doesn't
>> even know how to send text messages. I'm assuming this is a built in
>> feature of his phone or cell service.
>>
>> I have VZW and an iPhone 4S. Is this something I can set up with my
>> phone also? I can't find any related setting.
>
> Android here, Droid 4 on VZW; some phones have an option to ignore a call
> with a text message such as the one you got. For me the messages are
> customizable and optional. When the phone rings I can let it go directly
> to
> voice mail or select a predefined customized message.
>
> Your friend might have activated such an option without realizing it. Even
> 82-year-olds can be "guilty" of exploring their phones' menus. I hope I
> still
> am when I'm that age.
>

Alternatively, the sales clerk at the phone store might have turned it on,
saying to the old guy, "I can make the phone tell your friends that you are
busy and will call them back in a minute." Then the old guy's phone sends a
text/email out to the caller, and posts another one to the old guy's phone
that says, "your friend was calling while you were already on the phone."
OR, the old guy's phone simply records a Missed Call Alert when it sends out
the text/email message to the other person.