How to Practice Cell Phone Etiquette

Steps

1. Keep a 10-foot (3 meter) distance between you and anyone else whenever you talk on your phone. No exceptions.
2. Don't talk too loudly. Generally you don't have to shout in the microphone to be heard on the other end.
3. Don't multi-task. Don't make calls while driving, shopping, banking, waiting in line, or doing pretty much anything that involves interacting with other human beings.
4. Don't talk on the phone in any enclosed spaces, even if you're more than 10 feet away from anyone. They can still hear you (because it's an enclosed space) and usually, they're forced to just sit there and listen.
   • Bathrooms
   • Elevators
   • Waiting rooms
   • Auditoriums
   • Buses
   • Trains
5. Don't even let your phone ring in any of the following settings:
   • Meetings
   • Libraries
   • Museums
   • Places of worship
   • School
   • Lectures
   • During live performances
   • Funerals
   • Weddings
   • Movie theaters
   • Work Place
6. Don't use your phone when having a meal with someone. Ideally, you should turn it off entirely. If you're anticipating an important call, let the person you're with know beforehand that you're expecting a call that you'll need to take. No matter what, don't hold a conversation at the table; step away, follow Step 1, and don't stay away any longer than you would for a bathroom break. Never, ever text at the table, even if the conversation died down.
7. Turn off your phone at the movie theater. Even if your phone is on vibrate, people can hear it during quiet parts of the movie. And even if they can't, the light from your phone's screen is very distracting. Don't check the time, don't check your text messages; just turn it off until the movie is over.
8. Learn to text. When you're in an enclosed space, or you can't put yourself 10 feet out of everyone's way, it's inappropriate to talk but it's acceptable to receive and send text messages. In such cases, keep the following rules of texting etiquette in mind:
   • Use the vibrate feature instead of an audible text alert.
   • Only text when you're standing still or sitting and out of anyone's way. Don't text while you walk or drive.
   • Don't text while doing anything that requires you to be attentive. A good example would be while waiting at an intersection for the pedestrian signal.
   • Again, don't text during a meal. If you must, step away as if taking a call.

Tips

• Many mobile phones have a side button that, when pressed, will immediately silence the ringtone when a call is received. If you leave your phone on, try to silence the phone as soon as possible. Keep your phone close about your person, so others do not have to listen to "I Dream of Jeannie" while you search all of your pockets, your purse, and your pockets again, only to find it in your purse.
• Control your volume. Not only is this annoying to people around you, but many mobile phones have very sensitive microphones.
• Do not talk about personal details in public. Personal is just that: personal. Tell callers you will call them back later, move someplace where you can have a little privacy, or switch to text messaging.
• Turn your phone off at someone else’s house. If someone calls you while someone is at your house, follow the same procedure as if you were answering a landline phone: tell the person you have guests over and you'll call them back.
• Make sure that there is no sound associated with striking the keys. Although texting is non-invasive, incessant sounds made while pressing each key can be unnerving for others.
• Remember that this is a guideline. Everyone has different expectations about proper etiquette. Handle your situation accordingly.

Warnings

• If in a medical office, hospital, or airplane, your phone could negatively affect the equipment.
• Don't take pictures of others without asking them first. While it is true that in many jurisdictions if a subject does not have a "reasonable expectation of privacy", such as being in a public place in which one could expect a camera to be, it is still considered to be rather rude to take pictures without permission. (Of course, legal prohibitions against certain types of photography, such as child pornography, are still valid.)

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Practice Cell Phone Etiquette. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.