The iPhone is all about software, baby, and that’s nowhere more apparent
than in its facility for handling multiple calls at once. The simplicity and reliability
of this feature puts other cellphones to shame. Never again, in attempting
to answer a second call, will you have to tell the first person, “If I lose you,
I’ll call you back.”
Suppose you’re on a call. Now then, here’s how you can:
Make an outgoing call. Tap Add Call. The iPhone puts the first person
on hold—neither of you can hear each other—and returns you to the
Phone program and its various phone-number lists. You can now make a
second call just the way you made the first. The top of the screen makes
clear that the first person is still on hold as you talk to the second.
Receive an incoming call. If a second call comes in while you’re on the
first, you see the name or number (and photo, if any) of the new caller.
You can tap either Ignore (meaning, “Send to voicemail; I’m busy now”),
Hold Call + Answer (the first call is put on hold while you take the second),
or End Call + Answer (ditch the first call).
Whenever you’re on two calls at once, the top of the screen identifies both
other parties. Two new buttons appear, too:
Swap lets you flip back and forth between the two calls. At the top of the
screen, you see the names or numbers of your callers. One says HOLD
(the one who’s on hold, of course) and the other bears a white telephone
icon, which lets you know who you’re actually speaking to.
Think how many TV and movie comedies have relied on the old “Woops, I
hit the wrong Call Waiting button and now I’m bad-mouthing somebody
directly to his face instead of behind his back” gag! That can’t happen on
the iPhone.
You can swap calls by tapping Swap or by tapping the HOLD person’s
name or number.
Merge combines the two calls so all three of you can converse at once.
Now the top of the screen announces, “Bill O’Reilly & Al Franken” (or whatever
the names of your callers are), and then changes to say “Conference”.
If you tap the O button, you see the names or numbers of everyone in
your conference call. You can drop one of the calls by tapping its N button
(and then End Call to confi rm), or choose Private to have a person-to-person private chat with one participant. (Tap Merge Calls to return to
the conference call.)
if a call comes in while you’re already talking to someone, tap the “Hold Call +
answer” button. Then tap Merge Calls if you want to add the newcomer to the
party.
This business of combining calls into one doesn’t have to stop at two. At any
time, you can tap Add Call, dial a third number, and then tap Merge to combine
it with your first two. And then a fourth call, and a fifth. With you, that
makes six people on the call.
Then your problem isn’t technological, it’s social, as you try to conduct a
meaningful conversation without interrupting each other.
Just remember that if you’re on the phone with five people at once, you’re using
up your monthly aT&T minutes five times as fast. Better save those conference calls
for weekends!
Hold
When you tap this button, you put the call on hold. Neither you nor the other
guy can hear anything. Tap again to resume the conversation.
Contacts
This button opens the address book program, so that you can look up a number
or place another call.
