Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
so it is possible for me to go months without ever
calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
in the 661 area code.

Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
digits and press the button to initiate call, they
prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
"Phone" app, not Samsung's.)

If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
numerous apps of minor utility.

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA
https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown
<the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:

>Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
>so it is possible for me to go months without ever
>calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
>in the 661 area code.
>
>Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
>that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
>digits and press the button to initiate call, they
>prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
>I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
>Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
>"Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
>If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>numerous apps of minor utility.

I was working as a telephone tech in New York City when area codes
were added. To this day I still enter area codes even if not needed.

KenW

On 10/6/2023 7:05 AM, Stan Brown wrote:
> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
> in the 661 area code.
>
> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

No. Also, the app from the Play Store that looked like it added this
feature (among many others) is gone
<https://web.archive.org/web/20190312172859/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tftbelow.prefixer>.

I have the same area code bypass feature on my Obi device that is used
with Google Voice for my "landline."

--
“If you are not an expert on a subject, then your opinions about it
really do matter less than the opinions of experts. It's not
indoctrination nor elitism. It's just that you don't know as much as
they do about the subject.”—Tin Foil Awards

On 10/6/23 08:10, sms wrote:
> No. Also, the app from the Play Store that looked like it added this
> feature (among many others) is gone
> <https://web.archive.org/web/20190312172859/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tftbelow.prefixer>.

Do you know why it was removed?
--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Stan Brown wrote:

> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
> in my contacts list

> and not in the 661 area code.

Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
this from Verizon:

"Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
dial again, including the area code."

Am 06.10.23 um 15:04 schrieb KenW:
> On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown
> <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
>> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
>> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
>> in the 661 area code.
>>
>> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
>> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
>> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
>> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
>> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
>> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
>> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>>
>> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>> numerous apps of minor utility.
>
> I was working as a telephone tech in New York City when area codes
> were added. To this day I still enter area codes even if not needed.

I do not enter anything.
The numbers in my contacts all have country code+area code+local# to be
able to call them from any point on this planet without any additional
effort.

--
De gustibus non est disputandum

On 10/6/23 6:04 AM, KenW wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown
> <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>
>>Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
>>so it is possible for me to go months without ever
>>calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
>>in the 661 area code.
>>
>>Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
>>that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
>>digits and press the button to initiate call, they
>>prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
>>I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
>>Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
>>"Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>>
>>If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>>probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>>numerous apps of minor utility.
>
> I was working as a telephone tech in New York City when area codes
> were added. To this day I still enter area codes even if not needed.

Ooma prepends the appropriate numbers.

I still resent it. LA County has at least half a dozen, and I've had
four (including none) with the same phone number since 1960 and now
we're supposed to do 10-digit calls (plus 1, of course) in OUR OWN
FUCKING AREA CODE because people who might want to be talked out of
suicide are too stupid to call 911 and need their own suicide-hotline
number.

I can't remember the suicide number, so I guess if I wanted to kill
myself and then decided I wanted somebody to talk me out of it I'd have
to call 911 to ask what the number is.

Somebody is not firing on all cylinders.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Americans are looking for more government in their life,
not less." -- Colin Powell, former Good Guy

On 10/6/23 7:50 AM, AJL wrote:
> Stan Brown wrote:
>
>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
>> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
>> in my contacts list
>
>> and not in the 661 area code.
>
> Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
> this from Verizon:
>
> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
> dial again, including the area code."

That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
talked out of it. Yet another solution in search of a problem.

--
Cheers, Bev
"Americans are looking for more government in their life,
not less." -- Colin Powell, former Good Guy

The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote

> I still resent it. LA County has at least half a dozen, and I've had
> four (including none) with the same phone number since 1960 and now
> we're supposed to do 10-digit calls (plus 1, of course) in OUR OWN
> FUCKING AREA CODE

[OT] Remember "Murry Hill 8" phone numbers way back when?

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote

> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing.

I don't know much about Android (not like you do Windows), but I hate to
see a question asked that doesn't have a solution to that question yet.

I know you from the Windows group and you've helped me so I'd like to try
in a small way to help pay you back - although I can't help all that much.

I do not know the answer - and I saw every answer to date, where you should
likely take the response from Steve Scharf as the most reliable - which was
that an app for that perhaps existed - but no more.
<https://www.google.com/search?&q=com.tftbelow.prefixer>
<https://xdaforums.com/t/app-to-add-prefix-at-the-moment-of-calling.4360441/>
"Dev has stopped <https://www.253below.com/prefixer>
It's no longer on playstore but you can find it on apkpure at
<https://m.apkpure.com/prefixer/com.tftbelow.prefixer>"

Steve's suggestion shows that it can be done, so I ran this search
<https://www.google.com/search?q=android+prefix+dialer>
Which popped up a few potential workarounds, none of which I have tested.
For example, this says there are "two alternatives" to prefix dialer.
<https://alternativeto.net/software/prefix-dialer/>

They say the best alternative is free and open source but these may
only be for international calls for all I know (maybe, maybe not).
IntlPrefix automatically adds dialing prefix to outgoing phone calls.
<https://alternativeto.net/software/intlprefix/about/>
"What is IntlPrefix?
IntlPrefix automatically adds dialing prefix to outgoing phone calls.
This allows you to store all your phone numbers in international
"+country-area-number" form, and IntlPrefix will automatically
replace "+country" by the user-defined prefixes for domestic
and international calls when calling."

Clicking the links, it brings us to the source code, where I can't
compile it for you since I don't know how to do that (do you?).
<https://github.com/gdassieu/intlprefix>

NOTE: I have a thread on XDA asking how to compile source that is
intended to be compiled (built) by users - but nobody knows how.
<https://xdaforums.com/t/is-there-a-walk-thru-step-by-step-tutorial-yet-for-compiling-existing-real-android-foss-src-found-on-github-that-is-on-this-xda-developers-forum.4571127/>

If it existed, then maybe a copy exists? I do not know, but, what I do know
that "might" help is if we have a good keyword that is unique enough to the
need, we can use the Skyica App Finder to find that keyword in the
description.
Gory (and I mean gory!) details on how absolutely fantastically intensively
the Skyica App Finder looks for keywords will be found in this thread.
<https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/app-6-0-app-finder-the-most-advanced-search-engine-for-android-apps.4578809/>

But if you wish to skip all that technical gore, you can simply accept that
it's the best google play store repo search engine alive on this planet.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scadica.aq>

My advice is for you to choose as unique a keyword as you can think of,
and run a search for that keyword using regular expressions (which I'm sure
you're familiar with) such that you can narrow down the search better.

In addition, if (and only if) that doesn't work - you can almost certainly
do precisely what you want to do by perhaps two other methods which come to
my mind.

The first is you can build a shortcut to almost anything on Android, and
you can edit the shortcut intent (which passes the action to the phone app)
such that you can likely make a shortcut to each contact you call often -
yes - I know - it's not a general purpose solution.

Here's an example of intercepting & editing an intent - but it's for a
different purpose - in this case I was changing the open-with app...
<https://i.postimg.cc/FFfGnmkS/afp15.jpg>

If you want to know how to build shortcuts - I wrote a tutorial over here.
<https://xdaforums.com/t/tutorial-illustrated-mostly-privacy-based-one-tap-shortcuts-so-that-you-can-access-in-a-single-tap-any-buried-android-setting-or-app-activity.4625951/>

There are also apps designed to handle intents, but they're cryptic.
Instant Intent, by TrianguloY (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 4.7)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trianguloy.instantintent>

Intent Launcher, by Ville Valta (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 4.3)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.villevalta.intentlauncher>

Intent, by krow (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 3.9)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=krow.dev.scheme>

IntentTask, by Marco Stornelli (free, ad free, gsf free, rated 4.3)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.balda.intenttask>

Intent Viewer, by maigolab (free, adfree, gsffree, rated 2.1)
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.maigo.lab.intentviewer>

Someday I'll figure out an interesting use of those utilities, where maybe
this adding of a telephone prefix might just be what I'd do - as the way
I'd envision it is this pseudocode.
a. You tap the shortcut for Murry Hill area code 201 (where AT&T was born)
b. It creates an intent which pre-feeds the "1-201" prefix to the intent
c. And then it sends that intent over to your default phone Activity

That way, as I see it, the phone Activity opens up to the prefed number,
and all you need to do is add the missing rest of the phone number.

BTW, I saw the suggestion to use your contacts but I'm sure you dismissed
it where I don't use contacts in my default messenger/phone/contacts apps
as I keep a contacts VCARD database separate from the sqlite database (that
every sleazy app loves to upload to its servers - that's why).

I populate the default sqlite database with contact garbage using this app.
<https://f-droid.org/packages/me.billdietrich.fake_contacts/>

I was actually planning (someday, when I get a round tuit) to create a
folder of one-tap shortcut phone calls to people I call frequently; but I
haven't done it (too many tutorials to write to help people use Android).

In addition to those two ideas (i.e., the app finder search is the best,
and a shortcut can be made to individual contacts), I'm pretty sure that
Android automation can come to the rescue.

Most people use Tasker for that purpose but it's not a free app.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm>

Hence I'd suggest Automate, which is free - but I haven't used it myself.
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.llamalab.automate>
In summary, I do not know Android well enough to answer your question,
but I felt sorry that you didn't have any valid answers so I suggest
that as your last resort (other than a determined Google search), you
consider the various options above - but I do agree with you that a
ready-made app would be far better than the jury rigging I offered you.

If you have the skills to build the app from the github src, then
you can help me help others by writing the how to so that others
can follow in your footsteps.

Apologies for this being long as the ideas just pop into my head as I try
to solve problems (which is the way my Aspy mind has always worked).
--
I don't use the "OK Google" or "Hey Google" stuff, but maybe there's
something there also in terms of making phone calls (doubt it though).

On 10/6/23 10:49 AM, Wally J wrote:
> The Real Bev <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote
>
>> I still resent it. LA County has at least half a dozen, and I've had
>> four (including none) with the same phone number since 1960 and now
>> we're supposed to do 10-digit calls (plus 1, of course) in OUR OWN
>> FUCKING AREA CODE
>
> [OT] Remember "Murry Hill 8" phone numbers way back when?

ANgeles when I was 5
CApitol when I was 6
HIllcrest when I was 10
ATlantic when I was 19
SYcamore when I was 20

From then on there were three area codes.

--
Cheers, Bev
You need only three tools: WD-40, duct tape and a hammer.
If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.
If it moves and shouldn't, use duct tape.
If you can't fix it with a hammer you've got an electrical problem.

In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 6 Oct 2023 10:44:13 -0700, The Real Bev
<bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 10/6/23 6:04 AM, KenW wrote:
>> On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown
>> <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote:
>>
>>>Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
>>>so it is possible for me to go months without ever
>>>calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
>>>in the 661 area code.
>>>
>>>Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
>>>that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
>>>digits and press the button to initiate call, they
>>>prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
>>>I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
>>>Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
>>>"Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>>>
>>>If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>>>probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>>>numerous apps of minor utility.
>>
>> I was working as a telephone tech in New York City when area codes
>> were added. To this day I still enter area codes even if not needed.
>
>Ooma prepends the appropriate numbers.
>
>I still resent it. LA County has at least half a dozen, and I've had
>four (including none) with the same phone number since 1960 and now
>we're supposed to do 10-digit calls (plus 1, of course) in OUR OWN
>FUCKING AREA CODE because people who might want to be talked out of
>suicide are too stupid to call 911 and need their own suicide-hotline
>number.
>
>I can't remember the suicide number, so I guess if I wanted to kill
>myself and then decided I wanted somebody to talk me out of it I'd have
>to call 911 to ask what the number is.

Usenet is deep.

>Somebody is not firing on all cylinders.

In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 6 Oct 2023 10:46:23 -0700, The Real Bev
<bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:

>On 10/6/23 7:50 AM, AJL wrote:
>> Stan Brown wrote:
>>
>>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
>>> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
>>> in my contacts list
>>
>>> and not in the 661 area code.
>>
>> Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>> this from Verizon:
>>
>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>> dial again, including the area code."
>
>That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
>talked out of it.

How does this change help them?

> Yet another solution in search of a problem.

On 10/6/23 12:39 PM, micky wrote:
> In comp.mobile.android, on Fri, 6 Oct 2023 10:46:23 -0700, The Real Bev
> <bashley101@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On 10/6/23 7:50 AM, AJL wrote:
>>> Stan Brown wrote:
>>>
>>>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
>>>> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
>>>> in my contacts list
>>>
>>>> and not in the 661 area code.
>>>
>>> Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>>> this from Verizon:
>>>
>>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>>> dial again, including the area code."
>>
>>That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
>>talked out of it.
>
> How does this change help them?

No idea. People who weren't contemplating suicide would have no reason
to remember it. Nor would people who actually WERE thinking about it.
The only people who would need it would be people who want to be talked
out of it, which actually makes little sense. I can see "Please talk me
out of eating the second piece of chocolate cake", but that seems very
different. I think it's simply wanting to be seen as doing good in some
way, no matter how stupid.
>> Yet another solution in search of a problem.

Not even a solution, just a nuisance.

--
Cheers, Bev
Q: How many lawyers does it take to grease a combine?
A: One, if you feed him in real slow.

On 2023-10-06 14:05, Stan Brown wrote:
> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
> in the 661 area code.
>
> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

The mobile phone system is designed assuming all numbers are entered
complete, including the international country code, for the reason that
a mobile phone is mobile, ie, it moves around, there is no guarantee it
has a certain area code.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 07:50:22 -0700, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

>Stan Brown wrote:
>
>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
>> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
>> in my contacts list
>
>> and not in the 661 area code.
>
>Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>this from Verizon:
>
>"Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>dial again, including the area code."

It's already required for me here. I know nothing about the technology
that's involved, but it's very hard for me to imagine that there's a
good reason for this. It would seem to be very easy to automatically
prepend the calling number's area code if no area code was provided.

It was done that way for many years. Why the change?

On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:
>
> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
> in the 661 area code.
>
> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>
> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

Thanks to those who replied (except those who felt the need to hate
on people who feel so low that they're contemplating suicide).

The consensus seems to be that there's no way to do it in native
Android. Whether there's an app to do it is a moot point, for my
purposes, because I wouldn't install an app just for that.

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

Ken Blake wrote:
> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

>> local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>> this from Verizon:

>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone
>> number on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On
>> and after this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone
>> number, your calls will not complete and a recording will instruct
>> you to hang up and dial again, including the area code."

> It's already required for me here. I know nothing about the
> technology that's involved, but it's very hard for me to imagine that
> there's a good reason for this. It would seem to be very easy to
> automatically prepend the calling number's area code if no area code
> was provided.

> It was done that way for many years. Why the change?

Dunno. A quick search found:

"Why are we switching to 10-digit dialing?
Dialing both the area code and the seven-digit number was necessary to
ensure the call reached the intended recipient. As more area codes begin
to run out of new seven-digit numbers to assign, a second local area
code may be added, requiring that area to transition to 10-digit dialing."

Not sure that's the reason for my switch though.

Fortunately I haven't dialed my phone in weeks (thanks contacts) so it
probably won't be straining my finger too much...

micky wrote:

> The Real Bev wrote:
>
>> AJL wrote:
>>
>>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>>> dial again, including the area code."
>>
>> That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
>> talked out of it.
>
> How does this change help them?

<https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ten-digit-dialing>

Stan Brown <the_stan_brown@fastmail.fm> wrote

> The consensus seems to be that there's no way to do it in native
> Android. Whether there's an app to do it is a moot point, for my
> purposes, because I wouldn't install an app just for that.

Hi Stan,

I do not disagree with your assessment, at least with your hope that
there's something that everyone agrees works right now for what you want.

However... there are ways to get the apps that people said do the trick.
You just have to sideload them (as I recall). What's so bad about that?

Also...

Bear in mind "some" of the suggestions I made "should" work (e.g.,
intercepting the intent and sending it to the phone app) but I do very much
understand that you were hoping for a ready-made solution to the problem.

In summary, I haven't looked at this problem prior to your thread, but I
still would not say yet that "there's no way to do it" as there always is.

It's just that you might need to sideload an app or modify an intent.

On 10/7/23 9:49 AM, Stan Brown wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 05:05:17 -0700, Stan Brown wrote:
>>
>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and
>> so it is possible for me to go months without ever
>> calling a number that's not in my contacts list and not
>> in the 661 area code.
>>
>> Landline phones at our Visitor Center have a feature
>> that lets you skip dialing the 661 -- if you dial 7
>> digits and press the button to initiate call, they
>> prepend the 661. It's a minor convenience, granted, but
>> I wonder if there's any way to set my Android 13 Galaxy
>> Samsung A54 to do the same thing. (I'm using Google's
>> "Phone" app, not Samsung's.)
>>
>> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
>> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
>> numerous apps of minor utility.
>
> Thanks to those who replied (except those who felt the need to hate
> on people who feel so low that they're contemplating suicide).

Not the people themselves, the Powers That Be who see fit to cause
millions of people trouble for NO PRACTICAL GOOD -- just feelgood stuff
for people who don't normally use their brains for anything but keeping
their ears separated.

Suicide is serious. Period.

> The consensus seems to be that there's no way to do it in native
> Android. Whether there's an app to do it is a moot point, for my
> purposes, because I wouldn't install an app just for that.

I may be mistaken about Ooma inserting numbers automatically; I thought
it was already required, but apparently not until next year. Never mind.

--
Cheers, Bev
______________________________________________________
"Parasites plus suckers do not add up to a community."
-- Thomas Sowell

On 10/7/23 11:01 AM, Andy Burns wrote:
> micky wrote:
>
>> The Real Bev wrote:
>>
>>> AJL wrote:
>>>
>>>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>>>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>>>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>>>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>>>> dial again, including the area code."
>>>
>>> That's because potential suicides need their own special number to be
>>> talked out of it.
>>
>> How does this change help them?
>
> <https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/ten-digit-dialing>

Now I know that the suicide prevention number is 988. I wonder if I'll
remember that when/if I have an actual need for it.

Do we have any statistics on the effectiveness of 988 vs the current 911
system? I found data about numbers of calls, but NOTHING about how
effective they are.

Effective = person decided to stay alive. What about repeat calls? Not
a really useful number, is it?

--
Cheers, Bev
______________________________________________________
"Parasites plus suckers do not add up to a community."
-- Thomas Sowell

On 2023-10-07 17:47, Ken Blake wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Oct 2023 07:50:22 -0700, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
>
>> Stan Brown wrote:
>>
>>> Kern County is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and so it is
>>> possible for me to go months without ever calling a number that's not
>>> in my contacts list
>>
>>> and not in the 661 area code.
>>
>> Even local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>> this from Verizon:
>>
>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone number
>> on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On and after
>> this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone number, your
>> calls will not complete and a recording will instruct you to hang up and
>> dial again, including the area code."
>
>
> It's already required for me here. I know nothing about the technology
> that's involved, but it's very hard for me to imagine that there's a
> good reason for this. It would seem to be very easy to automatically
> prepend the calling number's area code if no area code was provided.
>
> It was done that way for many years. Why the change?

No, it is not easy and safely done on mobiles.

--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.

On Sat, 7 Oct 2023 15:22:15 -0400, Wally J wrote:
>
> However... there are ways to get the apps that people said do the trick.
> You just have to sideload them (as I recall). What's so bad about that?

As I said in my original query:
> If the answer is "use app X from the Play Store", I'll
> probably pass, because I'm trying not to accumulate
> numerous apps of minor utility.

--
Stan Brown, Tehachapi, California, USA https://BrownMath.com/
Shikata ga nai...

AJL wrote:
> Ken Blake wrote:
>> AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:

>>> local calls will require the area code for me soon. I recently got
>>> this from Verizon:

>>> "Beginning July 19, 2024, you must dial the area code + telephone
>>> number on all calls, including calls within the same area code. On
>>> and after this date, if you do not dial the area code + telephone
>>> number, your calls will not complete and a recording will instruct
>>> you to hang up and dial again, including the area code."
>
>
>> It's already required for me here. I know nothing about the
>> technology that's involved, but it's very hard for me to imagine that
>> there's a good reason for this. It would seem to be very easy to
>> automatically prepend the calling number's area code if no area code
>> was provided.
>
>> It was done that way for many years. Why the change?
>
> Dunno. A quick search found:
>
> "Why are we switching to 10-digit dialing?
> Dialing both the area code and the seven-digit number was necessary to
> ensure the call reached the intended recipient. As more area codes begin
> to run out of new seven-digit numbers to assign, a second local area
> code may be added, requiring that area to transition to 10-digit dialing."
>
> Not sure that's the reason for my switch though.

I did a little further looking. Turns out that running out of new
numbers is the reason for my Verizon switch. From the Verizon site in
its entirety. I'm 602. Don't feel required to read it all...

<https://www.verizon.com/support/residential/homephone/area-international-info/area-code-lookup>

Arizona 480/602/623 Area Code Overlay Effective September 12, 2023

To ensure a continuing supply of new telephone numbers in the Phoenix
metro area, the Arizona Corporation Commission has approved the
elimination of the area code boundaries between the 480, 602 and 623
area codes, creating a boundary elimination overlay so that all three
area codes serve the same geographic region.

What is a boundary elimination overlay?

The boundary elimination overlay for the Phoenix metro area means there
will no longer be boundary lines among the 480, 602 and 623 area codes,
and the three area codes all will serve the same combined geographic
region. The boundary elimination overlay does not require you to change
your existing area code or phone number, but will require you to include
the area code when dialing all calls, including local calls within the
same area code.

Who will be affected?

Anyone with a 480, 602 or 623 area code telephone number will be
affected. The 480, 602 and 623 area codes currently serve the Phoenix
metro area, which includes but is not limited to the communities of
Chandler, Deer Valley, Fort McDowell, Gilbert, Glendale, Mesa, Phoenix,
Scottsdale, and Tempe. Once the boundary elimination overlay is
implemented, all three area codes will serve the same combined
geographic region.

What will be the new dialing procedure?

The new dialing procedure will require all calls from the 602 and 623
area codes that are currently dialed with seven digits to be dialed
using area code + telephone number. Since all calls from the 480 area
code already require dialing ten digits, anyone with a 480, 602 or 623
area code will now be required to include the area code when dialing
local calls.

When will the change begin?

Effective February 11, 2023, if you have a 602 or 623 area code you
should begin dialing the area code + telephone number whenever you place
a call. If you forget and dial just seven digits, your call will still
be completed.

Beginning August 12, 2023, if you have a 602 or 623 area code you must
dial the area code + telephone number on all calls, including calls
within the same area code. On and after this date, if you do not dial
the area code + telephone number, your calls will not complete and a
recording will instruct you to hang up and dial again, including the
area code.

Beginning September 12, 2023, the boundary lines among the 480, 602 and
623 area codes will be removed, and new telephone lines or services in
any of the former 480, 602 or 623 geographic regions may be assigned
numbers from any of the three area codes.

What will you need to do?

In addition to dialing the area code + telephone number for all local
calls, all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of
equipment that are programmed to dial a seven-digit number will need to
be reprogrammed to include the area code. Some examples are life safety
systems and medical monitoring devices, fire or burglar alarm and
security systems or gates, ankle monitors, PBXs, fax machines, Internet
dial-up numbers, stored numbers in mobile and cordless phone contact
lists, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services and
similar functions, etc. You should update your websites, personal and
business stationery and checks, advertising materials, personal and pet
ID tags and other such items to ensure the area code is included.

What will remain the same?

Your telephone number, including the current area code, will not
change.
The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services
will not change due to the boundary elimination overlay.
What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the
number of digits dialed.
You will continue to dial 1+10 digits for long distance calls.
You can still dial just three digits to reach 911 and 988, as well
as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or and 811.