How to Pretend You Are Talking on the Phone

Faking a phone call (or "phaking") is a growing social phenomenon. Studies indicate at least 13% of cellphone users have faked a conversation at some point.^{[1]
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Research source} Knowing how to properly fake a phone call may come in handy in certain situations. If you want to look busy or get out of an unpleasant social situation, faking a phone conversation may give you the excuse you're looking for.

Faking a Phone Call

Pretend to dial a number and bring the phone to your ear. Wait a few seconds to let the phone “ring,” then begin your fake phone conversation. If planning a fake call ahead of time, use an app like Magic Call Pro—your phone will actually ring and be more convincing to others.

Section 1 of 3:

Pretending to Make or Receive a Call

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1
Use an app to “call” your phone at a certain time. Open the app store on your smartphone and search for “fake phone call app.” Choose an app that’s compatible with your phone and download the application. Follow your chosen app’s instructions to fake a call and make your phone ring automatically.^{[2]
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- Try fake calling apps like Magic Call Pro and Fake Call-Prank Caller.
2
Set an alarm to make your phone "ring" at a given time. Setting an alarm on your phone will make it ring at a given time. If you're able to plan in advance or know you're heading into a situation you'll want to be excused from, set an alarm to go off. When your phone rings, you'll have a reason to "answer" and begin your phone conversation from there.
- If you're already in an uncomfortable setting, you can pretend to send a text message while you're preparing an alarm.
- If you need your phone to ring immediately, set your alarm to go off a minute from now.
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Pretend that your phone is ringing if you don't have time to plan ahead. Quickly pick up your phone and lift it to your face. Say “hello” and begin talking as if someone had just called you. If you can, take a moment to put your phone on silent so that a real person can't call you while you're faking the conversation.^{[3]
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- This option works well if you’re in a hurry and have no time to plan your fake call ahead of time.
- Receiving a fake call is also a preferable option when you’re in a louder area. If the area is too quiet, people around you will wonder why they didn’t hear your phone ring or vibrate.
4
Act like you’re making a phone call as an alternative. Pick up your phone and pretend to dial a phone number on the number pad. Bring the phone up to your ear, and wait a few seconds while the person on the other end supposedly picks it up. After that, you may begin your phone conversation.
- It's a good idea to press real buttons if someone may be able to hear the tone dial (or lack thereof).
- Consider calling a real person in your life—even if they don’t pick up, you can make yourself look busy by leaving a long voicemail.
- Alternatively, you can actually call a random phone number. After dialing, immediately hang up the call but keep acting as if you were about to talk to someone on the other end.
- If you don’t hang up quickly enough, the person with the number you called may try to call you back.

Section 2 of 3:

Pretending to Have a Phone Conversation

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1
Keep a healthy distance from other people. Although the other person talking would be very quiet to other people whose ears aren't up near the receiver, you can still often hear indistinct chatter if someone's on the phone nearby. Keep enough distance from other people that they wouldn't be able to hear the chatter if it was there.
- You can avoid this issue if you’re wearing earbuds or are in a loud area.
Almost all phone calls begin with a simple greeting. Say something like "Hello" or "Hey, what's up?" before you start talking on the phone to make your fake conversation seem more authentic.
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Give your call a purpose. Come up with an invented reason for the call, especially if you're the one supposedly initiating the conversation.Even if you spend a lot of the conversation "listening," your responses will be more believable if you offer more than generic, one-word responses.
- A fake phone call conversation could be about making dinner plans for later that week, sharing your recent workplace gossip, or checking up on how someone's doing.
- Think about real phone conversations you've had in the past. If you can base your performance around real conversations, you'll stand a better chance at being believable.
Spend at least half your call pretending to listen to someone on the other end. After giving your responses, wait a while and try to imagine what the other person would be saying. Imagining a response will occupy your mind while you're supposed to be listening and give you a better idea of how to keep the fake chat going.
Physically react as you would typically when conversing with another person. Change your facial expressions as if you were listening to someone talk, but don’t change your face too often. Otherwise, it may seem like you’re trying to put on a show.
Stopping yourself in mid-sentence makes it sound like there's a real person on the other end talking to you. Authentic-sounding conversations will have a degree of unpredictability to them. Some phone calls will have both people talking at once or accidentally interrupting each other.
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End the phone conversation. Let the “conversation” wind down to a natural end, then say "goodbye" or "talk to you later." Press the phone's "end call" button and turn it off.^{[4]
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- If and when you choose to end the call, make sure you don't have a reason anymore to fake the call. Picking up the phone again will look suspicious.

Section 3 of 3:

Other Ways to Get Out of a Social Situation

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If you're trying to get out of a conversation, for example, tell the person you're talking to that you have somewhere you need to be.^{[5]
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Research source} If you want to look like you're "on the go," keep your phone at hand to make it look like you're already doing something or expecting someone to call.
If you're trying to look busy or occupied, start cleaning or initiate a real-life conversation with someone. If it looks like you're busy, you'll be able to excuse yourself from the situation without giving a reason to whoever's around.
3
Text instead of call. Generally speaking, texting is a lot easier to fake than a full-fledged phone call. Fake texting (or merely browsing on your phone) is a more common way of looking busy, and it can alleviate awkwardness. Just make sure no one can see your phone screen. If they do, they'll be able to tell you're faking it.
- Texting is less effective for getting out of situations, as it's often quick and non-committal. If you need to get out of a situation fast, opt for a fake phone call.

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What are some examples of conversations you could have during the fake call?

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If the reason you're talking is because this person is an unwanted flirt, pretend to talk to/about your girl/boyfriend or act as if you have a crush on the person on the other end. You could do most of the talking and tell a long story, or vice versa.

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How do I do this realistically so that the conversation doesn't sound fake?

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After you say something, imagine the other person's reaction. Don’t pause for too long or not long enough. While you imagine what that person would be saying, react how you would if it was a real call.

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Can I use a texting app with fake numbers?

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Yes. Fake texting apps like My Fake Texting App are designed to provide a safe and anonymous space for users to communicate without the fear of being tracked or monitored, which can be particularly useful if you're looking for an alternative to traditional phone or online chat services.

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If you're trying to fake a call because you feel unsafe, consider another option, like calling your local authorities or quickly getting yourself to an area where other people are around.

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Warnings

Faking a phone call is usually done to get out of a social obligation.^{[6]
X
Research source} Although it can be a useful tool, there's a risk of being found out and having your efforts backfire, resulting in a much worse situation than what you were trying to avoid.

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