# Does you set your cellphone to ring or vibrate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169 "2008-12-01T11:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/21 "2008-12-01T16:48:45Z")
I’ve never carried my phone in my pocket - generally it’s either in my purse or on my desk. If I’m at work, I turn the ringer off and leave it out on my desk where I will see it light up if it rings. If I’m not at work, I leave the ringer on so I will hear it. If I’m at the movies, or a doctor’s appt. or such I leave the ringer off. I don’t really see the point in vibrate. If you don’t want your ringer to distract you, then turn it off. You can check your messages later. If you are in a situation where you need to take a call, the ringer will not be nearly as distracting as your conversation, so leave it on. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/22 "2008-12-01T16:50:46Z")
I do not like any of my ringtones so I mostly keep it on vibrate. It’s tough, though, because I really like my text message sound, but I must lose both to lose one. If I’m at home and don’t want to carry my cell phone around with me, I’ll just put the ringer on and set it down on a counter or something. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/23 "2008-12-01T16:58:24Z")
To cover all bases, I have mine on vibe AND ring. Like many women, even if I’m out and about, it’s in my purse rather than on my person, so if it didn’t ring, I frequently wouldn’t notice it. But it’s also my only phone, so if I put it down on my desk when I came home, I want to hear it if I’m in the kitchen. On the other hand, sometimes if I’m outside in a noisy area, holding tightly onto my purse in the crowd, I’m more likely to feel the phone than to hear it. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/24 "2008-12-01T17:48:12Z")
> [@Contrary](#): > > I change it back and forth between ring and vibrate, depending on where I am and what I’m doing. Postin’ “me too,” like some brain-dead AOLer. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/25 "2008-12-01T18:54:21Z")
I vary between “vibrate” and “off” and it spends 98% of its life plugged into the charger. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/26 "2008-12-01T19:02:43Z")
Vibrate pretty much all the time. I keep it in my shirt pocket, where I can feel it fine. Not that I get (or want) lots of calls. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/27 "2008-12-01T19:07:11Z")
I lets it ring, 'cause I doesn’ts get that many calls. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/28 "2008-12-01T19:09:18Z")
I usually set mine to vibrate, even when it’s not in my pocket. In general it’s sitting on the desk next to me, so I’ll hear it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/29 "2008-12-01T19:30:22Z")
Vibrate about 98% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/30 "2008-12-01T19:35:07Z")
Too many places have restrictions on cell phones starting with my job, so its kept on vibrate. Its been so long that i cant remember what my ringtones sound like. Declan ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/31 "2008-12-01T19:55:16Z")
I alternate as well. Another reason for setting it to vibrate is for the alarm. I set my phone alarm for 4:45AM most days—it wakes me up because it’s right next to me, but doesn’t disturb my husband, which the ringtone or a regular alarm clock would. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/32 "2008-12-01T20:02:07Z")
Unfortunately, I never notice my phone when it vibrates, so mine’s on vibrate only when I’m in meetings. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/33 "2008-12-01T20:16:55Z")
I have mine to ring. I carefully picked a very soothing ringtone. It’s not a modern one at all, it’s called “spring” and it’s really quite sweet. I hate obnoxious ringtones. I keep it in my purse, which is a canvas kidney-shaped bag from L.L. Bean. I’d never know it was ringing if it was on vibrate. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/34 "2008-12-01T20:29:34Z")
On those rare occasions that I turn any of my cell phones on (yes, I must carry two, and I hate them both), they’re set to vibrate. So is my pager, which is how most folks reach me. (Cell phones are strictly forbidden where I work. Bring one in and you could end up losing your job. Yet my status as a State bureaucrat mandates that I have a State cell phone (to be used ONLY for state business) and use it to make state calls when away from the office.) Someday I’ll have both cell phones and my pager start to vibrate all at once, and get a nice massage out of the experience. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/35 "2008-12-01T20:58:03Z")
I have mine on vibrate all the time in my pocket, and then set it to Bluetooth in the car so that I can tell the difference between an incoming call and my radio being turned all the way up. I used to keep in on ring all the time and loved making my own custom ringtones because I’m a huge dork, but I’ve since learned that any sound a phone makes more than once or twice isn’t clever, it’s obnoxious. Except the “police radio chatter” one, that one actually wigged a co-worker out ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/36 "2008-12-01T21:02:48Z")
It’s nearly always on vibrate. I lost my favorite ringtone when my last phone died, it was Bach’s polonaise in G minor. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/37 "2008-12-01T21:12:40Z")
I does sets mine on vibrate full-time. I work in construction and it is frequently too loud on sites to hear it ringing. Plus, when I put it down my pants, it just feels sooooooo good. 😃 But perhaps I’ve said too much… ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/38 "2008-12-01T21:16:18Z")
> [@Contrary](#): > > I change it back and forth between ring and vibrate, depending on where I am and what I’m doing. This. If I remember, I set it to ring _and_ vibrate when I’m not in a meeting. I can usually answer it before the ring starts. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/39 "2008-12-02T09:04:45Z")
I does set it to vibrate what with having nonfunctional ears. No sound since I’m paranoid about getting dirty looks from people. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169/40 "2008-12-02T17:56:56Z")
It’s generally set on ring and vibrate. It’s usually in my purse, or a jacket pocket, or lying on the counter somewhere, so if it doesn’t ring, I won’t know I’ve got a call. I’ll usually just turn it off altogether if I’m at a movie or something–I’m not going to answer it during the show anyhow, so there’s no point in letting it buzz around. At work, it’s on the shelf in the laundry room where we keep our purses, along with my keys. The feel of it in my pants pocket annoys me, and the shirt pockets are prone to it falling out when I bend over, or it getting sprayed with biological soil. If the sound of the ringer annoys someone, I frankly do not care. If my cell phone goes off during work hours, something bad has happened, and people who are petty enough to get in a snit about my ringtone during a crisis can suck the very fattest part of my ass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-you-set-your-cellphone-to-ring-or-vibrate/475169.md?page=3)