# iPhone question from BlackBerry user **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 24, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477 "2015-11-24T21:19:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/1 "2015-11-24T21:19:34Z")
One of the most popular features of the BlackBerry is the flashing red light that indicates that you’ve got a voicemail, email, text, or that you’ve missed a call. In addition, on the screen of the phone (when the screen is activated for any reason) there’s a little red star/asterisk next to the email icon or phone icon to let you know there’s something unopened/un-looked-at. Does the iPhone (as a default setting) provide any such notification to the user? For example, I have a friend who leaves the sound on her iPhone off, so she doesn’t hear my phone call rings or my text message notifiers. If she happens to look at the phone as it lies on her desk **(WITH THE SCREEN OFF/DARK)**, will she see any indication that there’s a missed call or a text? If she picks up the phone to call someone and thus activates the screen, will she THEN see any indication that there was a missed call/text/voicemail? What sort of notification tells the iPhone user that s/he has missed a call or text or that there’s a voicemail? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/2 "2015-11-24T21:26:00Z")
Yes and no. You can set the phone to put up a message on the otherwise black screen, but it will go back to sleep again after a moment. There is no indicator light anywhere on the iPhone, but you can set the camera flash to be used as an alert. All app icons have badges that indicate unread messages. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/3 "2015-11-24T22:05:42Z")
This friend is not likely to ever go in and change any default settings. Please clarify this: if I send a text or leave a voicemail, and then at some time in the next few hours she picks up her phone to make a call or do anything such that _she wakes up the screen and looks at it_, will she then see an indication that there is a text message or voicemail? I guess I’m asking, if you don’t hear the ringer or the text/voicemail notifier, do you have to go _looking_ for missed calls/messages, or is there some default indicator on the (activated) screen? ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/4 "2015-11-24T22:52:48Z")
My iPhone shows me “Missed call: 1-800-555…” etc. on the screen, plus any text messages, as soon as I push the little home button, but before I swipe to wake (or if security code is enabled, before I thumbprint or swipe to enter code) When the call or text arrives, it will vibrate unless it’s on Do-Not-Disturb. Once the screen is open, if you missed something, there’s a little red dot on the top right of the phone icon, or messages icon, or etc. (Calendar, Email, and other reminder-capable aps) Inside the red dot is a number with the count of missed calls or messages since you looked at that app. Open, say, “Phone” and the “Recent” screen will list your activity, most recent at top and missed calls in red, not missed calls in black. I don’t have voicemail, but I assume same applies - red dot on icon with number of voicemails. Open Messages, same thing - list of recent messaging phone number/contact names, with blue circle (iMessage) or green circle (std. text) indicating number of items missed. So really, the only thing missing is the flashing light “you need to look” notifier on the sleeping phone. Google Images for “iphone voicemail icon red dot” Once you’ve opened the icon and looked at the voicemail, text, or “Recent - missed calls” screen, i.e. seen the details, the red dot warning disappears from the icon. Just seeing the details on the login screen does not make the notice disappear. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/5 "2015-11-24T22:54:05Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > This friend is not likely to ever go in and change any default settings. > > Please clarify this: if I send a text or leave a voicemail, and then at some time in the next few hours she picks up her phone to make a call or do anything such that _she wakes up the screen and looks at it_, will she then see an indication that there is a text message or voicemail? > > I guess I’m asking, if you don’t hear the ringer or the text/voicemail notifier, do you have to go _looking_ for missed calls/messages, or is there some default indicator on the (activated) screen? 99% yes, 1% no… The default settings for “Messages” and “Mail” (Apple’s SMS and email clients) badge the icon with the number of unread messages, and both are on the home screen. But, it is possible to change both these settings. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/6 "2015-11-24T22:54:13Z")
Yes, there’s a popup. It’ll first say “Missed call from 555-678-1234 at 3:23 P.M.” (or whatever the caller’s number is), then if they leave a message, another popup will say “New voice message received from 555-678-1234 at 3:25 P.M.” ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/7 "2015-11-24T23:19:31Z")
This is very helpful–thanks. So basically, if she has looked at her phone at all with the screen awake, she can see that I’ve called and/or left a VM/sent a text. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2015, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/8 "2015-11-24T23:22:54Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > This is very helpful–thanks. So basically, if she has looked at her phone at all with the screen awake, she can see that I’ve called and/or left a VM/sent a text. She can see that someone sent a text or left a voice mail but not necessarily that you did at the very least. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/9 "2015-11-25T01:24:11Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > She can see that someone sent a text or left a voice mail but not necessarily that you did at the very least. But… > [@cochrane](#): > > Yes, there’s a popup. It’ll first say “Missed call from 555-678-1234 at 3:23 P.M.” (or whatever the caller’s number is), then if they leave a message, another popup will say “New voice message received from 555-678-1234 at 3:25 P.M.” Cochrane said that the phone number shows. And presumably, if the person is in the phone’s contact list, the name would show, too, right? Or is that one level down, as it were, from seeing that you have a missed call, etc.? On my BlackBerry, on the screen (and because of the red light on the corner of the phone that flashes even when the screen is dark), I see that I have missed something, then I tap on that icon and see who called/left a VM/text. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/10 "2015-11-25T01:36:12Z")
It depends on the version of software that they have and how they turn on their phone. They could quickly pop through the initial screen to get to the main menu. I can’t think of a way to describe it well but it is possible for them not to know it was you. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/11 "2015-11-25T01:36:22Z")
It depends on how many missed calls she has. The lock screen will only show a few of them, but the Phone icon will always be badged with the number of missed calls/voicemails, and then she can go into that app to see the missed call list. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/12 "2015-11-25T01:41:14Z")
Check out the second photo on this page: [WWDC: Apple unveils iOS 5 | Macworld](http://www.macworld.com/article/1160322/ios5.html) Shows you what the screen looks like when you wake up the phone and have missed some things. ---
**Author:** ![bomberswarm2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@bomberswarm2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bomberswarm2)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/13 "2015-11-26T13:38:53Z")
Samsung has a flashing multicolored led and vibration if you touch your phone following a missed call. Apple dosent have a flashing light but id imagine it would have (at least as an app) vibrate on touch noticifications. Both have notifications on the lock screen. ---
**Author:** ![upend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b3f665/32.png) [@upend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upend)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/14 "2015-11-26T13:52:41Z")
[QUOTE I have a friend who leaves the sound on her iPhone off, so she doesn’t hear my phone call rings or my text message notifiers. [/QUOTE] think you’ve answered your own question there 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/15 "2015-11-26T15:28:49Z")
> [@upend](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > I have a friend who leaves the sound on her iPhone off, so she doesn’t hear my phone call rings or my text message notifiers. > > think you’ve answered your own question there 🙂 Let me clarify: I’m not taking about not hearing a call at the moment it happens. The BlackBerry has a much-loved and appreciated feature whereby a red light flashes on the corner of the phone, not just while the call is coming in, but **it keeps flashing until you check the phone or look at the message and mark it read**. So, say your phone is lying out somewhere and you have the ringer off. You will see the flashing red light long after the missed call or message. Even when the screen is dark. I turn my ringer off during the night, but if I happen to wake up, I will see the flashing light that tells me I have missed a call. So I always check to see if the call was from my 91-year old mother. It’s my understanding from this discussion that with the iPhone, you have to pick up the phone, wake up the (lock) screen, and look at it to see if you’ve missed a call or message. Not so with the BB. The flashing red light tells you that you’ve missed a notification. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/16 "2015-11-26T16:49:50Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It’s my understanding from this discussion that with the iPhone, you have to pick up the phone, wake up the (lock) screen, and look at it to see if you’ve missed a call or message. Not so with the BB. The flashing red light tells you that you’ve missed a notification. And as you’ve been told in this thread, if the user wishes to do so they can configure the phone to use the flash for this. > **[Use LED Flash Alerts on Your iPhone So You Never Miss Another Notification Again](https://ios.gadgethacks.com/how-to/use-led-flash-alerts-your-iphone-so-you-never-miss-another-notification-again-0155121/)** > > Ringtones and text tones can be annoying, so my iPhone is almost always set to vibrate on silent mode. Unfortunately, that causes me to miss phone calls and text messages when the device isn't in my hands or pockets. While I hate missing alerts, I'm... Personally I used to have a work Android phone that had a notification light and it irritated the shit out of me. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/17 "2015-11-26T18:19:46Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > And as you’ve been told in this thread, if the user wishes to do so they can configure the phone to use the flash for this. And as _I_ said, this person is not likely to change any settings from their default state. > [@](#): > > Personally I used to have a work Android phone that had a notification light and it irritated the shit out of me. Personally, I’m glad to know that about you. ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/18 "2015-11-26T19:13:18Z")
The iPhone does not have the feature. I have a Sony xperia that has an LED light that will subtly blink in different colors or patterns depending on the type of missed call/text/notification – I think it’s great because I don’t have to constantly check my phone (and the LED light is not annoying – compared to the LED flash that some people use as a notification light on the iPhone). I would say that the lack of the notification light is one of the reasons I’ve been reluctant to switch to the iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/19 "2015-11-27T00:00:41Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > And as _I_ said, this person is not likely to change any settings from their default state. And yet you continue to state in absolutes: > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It’s my understanding from this discussion that with the iPhone, you have to pick up the phone, wake up the (lock) screen, and look at it to see if you’ve missed a call or message. Not so with the BB. The flashing red light tells you that you’ve missed a notification. That is not the same as “my friend probably won’t turn on the feature that is available on pretty much all iPhones”. Do you see the difference? > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Personally, I’m glad to know that about you. About as glad as I am to know about your love of the flashing light on Blackberries: > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > One of the most popular features of the BlackBerry > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The BlackBerry has a much-loved and appreciated feature To be honest, if that’s one of the most popular features then it is pretty clear why RIM went down the toilet and the resulting company is on life support. And just so I can make it perfectly clear, as apparently you’re struggling with the nuances here, the point I was making is “maybe even if they did have it they’d have turned it off, as a flashing light on your phone possibly isn’t as beloved as you seem to think it is”. Now do you understand? 1. iPhones have the feature if the user wants it. 2. The feature possibly isn’t as popular as you think it is. ---
**Author:** ![bomberswarm2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@bomberswarm2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bomberswarm2)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477/20 "2015-11-27T04:07:07Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The BlackBerry has a much-loved and appreciated feature whereby a red light flashes on the corner of the phone, not just while the call is coming in, but **it keeps flashing until you check the phone or look at the message and mark it read**. Which was ripped off from Samsung, its not a feature that blackberry has. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It’s my understanding from this discussion that with the iPhone, you have to pick up the phone No > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > wake up the (lock) screen, and look at it to see if you’ve missed a call or message. Not so with the BB. Yes, on the two alive brands, you don’t have to unlock the phone to see the message. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > The flashing red light\* \*ripped off from Samsung > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > tells you that you’ve missed a notification. If someone is calling you in the middle of the night, either leave your phone volume on, or its not important so you don’t need to check it at all. And as I already suggested, IF THE RIP OFF LIGHT IS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU THEN BUY A SAMSUNG PHONE. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-question-from-blackberry-user/738477.md?page=2)