# New Phone Annoyances **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801 "2018-10-11T13:44:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/1 "2018-10-11T13:44:39Z")
Ended up getting a new phone recently because my old one died unexpectedly. I am liking it but a few things about it annoy me. The main one is on my old phone the volume controls allowed separate volumes for the ring vs. notifications. Apparently at some point Google removed it from the OS (although Samsung phones still have it) and on this phone the ringer volume controls both. That is stupid. I want my ringer loud so I hear it but would like my notifications softer because they are more often and I want to hear them but not annoy people around me or be startled. It seems obvious. Why would they take it away? What annoys you about your phone? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/2 "2018-10-11T14:02:07Z")
I replaced my cheap LG Tribute with an iPhone 6S because the LG was acting wonky. (After a factory reset last night, the LG appears to be cured.) The LG had one volume control for everything. It took me a little while to discover that the iPhone has separate volume controls for rings and notifications. The most annoying thing about the iPhone is that I can’t connect it to my MacBook as a device so that I can download pictures that way. This led to the annoyance of not being able to connect to iCloud, which I’d never had a use for. I’m taking the phone and the computer to the local Apple dealer in a couple of weeks so they can sort it out. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/3 "2018-10-11T15:00:27Z")
I have no desire to have a smart phone, but I wish my cheapie flip phone wasn’t so incredibly dumb. In order to block a number, you have to jot it down, then navigate thru (I think) 3 screens to get to the Reject list. You must enter the number yourself, so be sure it’s correct. Is it really that big a deal to include a Block option more conveniently? On the other hand, it’s really easy to silence an unwanted call by hitting the rocker switch on the side of the phone - I don’t even have to look to do it. And, yes, if a call comes in when I’m at work, it’s unwanted, and I silence it. No I can’t just turn the sound off, because I need the alarm to tell me when it’s time to go home. Believe it or not, I’ve been known to be so involved in what I’m doing that I lose track of time. But the blocked number thing really ticks me off. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/4 "2018-10-11T15:23:42Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I have no desire to have a smart phone, but I wish my cheapie flip phone wasn’t so incredibly dumb. In order to block a number, you have to jot it down, then navigate thru (I think) 3 screens to get to the Reject list. You must enter the number yourself, so be sure it’s correct. I may be misremembering, but I thought on my last dumb phone, I could set ringtones (or just block) certain people in your phone book. I ended up creating a entry called “Junk” which I set to either block or no ring, then each time I got a call that I wanted to block, I’d add it to that profile. Even if you can’t have different ringtones, if it’s easy to add additional numbers to contacts, you can create one that you know not to pick up. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/5 "2018-10-11T15:37:08Z")
The problem are the robo-calls and telemarketers and scammers. People in my contact list will show up as I named them, so everything else is a crap call. When I get multiple calls from any one number, I’ll block it - that slows them down, but doesn’t stop them. Dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/6 "2018-10-11T15:54:56Z")
OP, what phone did you get? My newish galaxy something-or-another does every thing. Stuff I don’t even understand or need. I don’t usually like to talk on the phone (Go figure) text or email me and I am good. Alarms and notification can be set to vibrate which I really like. The phone lights up on alarms and such which is kinda of annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/7 "2018-10-11T17:00:01Z")
My phone sucks like Stormy Daniels, and I don’t know how 3/4 of the stuff works. But the main problem is, you can’t hear shit on it, unless you are locked in a air-tight vault. Near worthless, really. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/8 "2018-10-11T19:15:20Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Ended up getting a new phone recently because my old one died unexpectedly. I am liking it but a few things about it annoy me. The main one is on my old phone the volume controls allowed separate volumes for the ring vs. notifications. Apparently at some point Google removed it from the OS (although Samsung phones still have it) and on this phone the ringer volume controls both. That is stupid. I want my ringer loud so I hear it but would like my notifications softer because they are more often and I want to hear them but not annoy people around me or be startled. It seems obvious. Why would they take it away? > > What annoys you about your phone? What’s annoying me about mine? The battery is getting weak and I need to replace it. I might be able to help you with your volume problem though. When you press a volume button and the slider shows up on the screen there should be a little arrow at one end of it. Press the arrow and the window should open up into several sliders where you can adjust individual volume levels. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2018, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/9 "2018-10-11T19:22:16Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > OP, what phone did you get? My newish galaxy something-or-another does every thing. Stuff I don’t even understand or need. I don’t usually like to talk on the phone (Go figure) text or email me and I am good. Alarms and notification can be set to vibrate which I really like. The phone lights up on alarms and such which is kinda of annoying. I got a Droid z3. I am mostly happy with it. Regret the data I lost though. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/10 "2018-10-12T12:44:46Z")
The “Bixby” button on the side of the Samsung S9 is super-annoying. Bixby is Samsung’s assistant, so, instead of relying exclusively on a voice-activated command such as, “Bixby, wake the ^%$# up so I can have you do something that I am too lazy to find on my own”, you can also press the Bixby button, which brings up the Bixby screen. Every freakin’ time I touch the phone, I somehow hit that button. I don’t use Bixby. I barely wake up the sleeping Google with my voice. I wish there were a way to disable the Bixby button. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/11 "2018-10-12T23:17:16Z")
I just got a new Samsung yesterday. Any suggestions as to how to delete Bixby entirely would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/12 "2018-10-12T23:29:15Z")
Samsung backwards is Gnusmas. Merry Gnusmas! ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/13 "2018-10-12T23:33:35Z")
It looks like you can’t remove Bixby without rooting your phone, but it says you can [completely disable Bixby.](https://www.androidcentral.com/how-completely-disable-bixby) ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/14 "2018-10-12T23:47:29Z")
Heh I found the same page just after posting. I’ll work through the 15 step process next time I’ve got a spare hour! ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/15 "2018-10-12T23:48:20Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Samsung backwards is Gnusmas. > > Merry Gnusmas! Dammit! The holidays start earlier and earlier every damned year! ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/16 "2018-10-12T23:51:51Z")
> [@lisiate](#): > > I just got a new Samsung yesterday. Any suggestions as to how to delete Bixby entirely would be appreciated. I’m not sure if this would work on your phone, but you could load a third-party launcher. I use one called Nova Launcher on my HTC, and it completely suppresses the built-in launcher. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/17 "2018-10-13T01:00:58Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > My phone sucks like Stormy Daniels, and I don’t know how 3/4 of the stuff works. But the main problem is, you can’t hear shit on it, unless you are locked in a air-tight vault. Near worthless, really. Ever heard the old adage “Be quiet and do your job” Sounds like Stormy-phone is just doing her job.😉 ---
**Author:** ![spidercat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@spidercat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spidercat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/18 "2018-10-13T05:18:40Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > The main one is on my old phone the volume controls allowed separate volumes for the ring vs. notifications. Huh, my phone still allows me to do that. Very easily too, just settings\> sound options. I have separate slide controls for media, alarms, ring, and notifications, and they can be further customized. You may want to look into the “do not disturb” options. They should allow you to turn specific things off, if that’s what you’re looking for. For example, I have mine set to never make any noise when someone is calling me, or when I get an email, but it goes off when I get a text. You can even specify if it makes a noise when someone is in your contacts vs and unknown number. Check it out, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/19 "2018-10-13T13:40:48Z")
I have turned off all of my notifications except text. And of course calls. Free from phone hegemony!!! ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801/20 "2018-10-13T20:25:45Z")
I’ve been steadily disabling unwanted notifications as they’re coming in. There are a few that I do want so I’m not going to do a blanket shut them all off. Here’s how for anyone interested. When you get notification(s) that you don’t want, don’t clear them immediately. Pull down the notification list from the top. Find the one you want to turn off and drag it just slightly to the right. It should show a gear and something else. Tap the gear and you should have a control to disable just that notification source. Repeat as needed for other unwanted notices. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-phone-annoyances/822801.md?page=2)