Prank called my boyfriend with an app and a woman answered… nearly 10pm. Feeling confused.

[PeaceOverChaos]

Okay, I feel a bit silly even writing this but I need to get it off my chest.

Earlier tonight, I used one of those prank call apps to call my boyfriend — just messing around, nothing serious. We’ve done dumb stuff like this before, but this time when the call went through… a woman answered. It was nearly 10pm.

He lives at home with his dad and little sister (who’s quite young), and I don’t live with him. So there shouldn’t be any other women around that I know of, especially not answering his phone late at night.

I didn’t say anything — I just hung up, completely thrown. And honestly, part of the reason I haven’t brought it up is because it’s kind of embarrassing to admit I prank called him in the first place 🙈 But now I’m stuck wondering what the hell that was about.

Could there be a normal explanation? Or is this a red flag I shouldn’t ignore? I really don’t want to jump to conclusions but it’s eating away at me a bit.

Anyone had something like this happen?

My dad has this. Under bt

To @PeaceOverChaos prob dads gf

You say OP one of the reasons you haven't brought it up is because you are embarrassed. Does that mean he has been in contact with you since the 10 pm prank call? If so then how did he seem? Was all normal?

Tbh if doing things like prank calls is normal in your relationship I don't see why you would be embarrassed about doing it. So I think you should just tell him what you did and ask him who this woman was.

@moto748e - I have a google pixel 7 and it's called 'Screen Calls'. If you see an unknown number, you have the option to answer it or press 'screen call'. It types out the dialogue, so if the caller replies, you can see the convo and decide if you want to answer. You can even type out questions and google will tell the caller. Very clever.
You might have to look up if it's available on other phones.

Before mobiles? you’re saying if you were visiting someone you’d answer their landline?

You might say ‘do you want me to get that and take a message’ but it would have been quite unusual to just randomly answer someone else’s landline.

I’ve only ever seen partners answer someone else’s mobile. Certainly a dad’s
girlfriend or whatever else is being suggested wouldn't usually do so.

How does the app work - would it have been obvious to the woman that something odd was happening or is it just it hides your number?

Is it possible it called a random number or is a prank on the caller (you) in that it plays a message of a different voice to what you were expecting?

I'd be tempted after a short while to just say to your boyfriend: "I called you the other day and a woman picked up - who was that?". Depending on how exactly the app works you don't necessarily need to say you used one, and I don't imagine he'll trawl through his call logs - he'll probably be distracted by the question.

That's such a bizarre thing to do, I'd be pissed off if someone answered my phone for me. What if it's someone they don't want to speak to, now they're basically cornered as it's been answered and they have to speak to the person.

No it's not. Nobody I know does that unless for a partner. So strange to answer someone else's phone.

Ask him about it. Otherwise you will always be doubting him. You can gauge his reaction but it is best to keep it light and direct: 'Hey Barry, I tried to prank call you the other day but a woman answered so I hung up'.

Don’t be ridiculous! If it’s my personal property, like my bag, phone, purse then don’t touch it.

If I leave my purse “lying” around, aka I put it down to do something, don’t touch it, I didn’t invite you too.

It’s not like a house phone, where the caller has rung to speak to one of a number of possible callers, it’s my personal phone and the caller has ring to speak to me.

If I’m not available, they won’t want you instead.

Yup so rude and entitled to answer someone's phone.

What if its a person who has been hassling me? You're just going to put me in contact with them on my own phone?
Its such a female thing to do, like we're taught to be so overly involved and "helpful". I cant imagine a man answering his friends phone for him like a secretary 😅

This.

If prank calling each other is normal in your relationship then I’m not sure why you’re embarrassed to tell him you did it. Just say “I prank called you last night, who was the woman who answered?”

Or, don’t even mention the prank, just say “I called you last night, who was the woman who answered?”

This "prank" shit Jesus wept, also don't answer someone elses phone

Oh can we just stop wasting time with this debate and accept that this is something that varies family to family and friendship group to friendship group?

Within my circle of friends it would be absolutely bizarre and a bit annoying to ignore someone's phone ringing beside you! You can holler all you want but the other person might not reach the phone in time unless you answer.

My family would also be bemused if I didn't answer their ringing phone and instead just started yelling at them - they'd think it was so rude and lazy of me.

But at the same time I'm not ignorant enough to think that what is normal in MY social circle is normal in everyone's. Surely we can all just accept that this is something that differs and stop missing the point of the post by bickering about it.

Not normal in anyone's life. I would find it weird and annoying if someone else answered my phone. And 'the world of mumsnet' is not a homogenous mass.

This was my first thought

For goodness sake - the OP has done one and disappeared!!

So irritating as so many people have asked questions that I now want answers to 😩

How many threads like this?? It's doing my head in

if it was a prank call are you sure it’s not part of the prank, the voice on the prank call usually answers first (especially when it’s a number the receiver doesn’t recognise). I’ve had a few of these and I never speak now, the prank call does (and I recognise the tone) then I hang up.

It was Rachel Reeves.

I answer people’s phones all the time, it’s usually if they’re driving or otherwise indisposed.

All the time? Now that is weird, how are you constantly in situations where unattended phones are ringing?

How are you getting so many prank calls? Who is making them? I’d never heard of this till this thread.

A whole new level of mumsnet weirdness!

When we only had landlines, we would pick up others' calls and hand the phone over when we knew who they wanted, or take a message if they were unavailable. Why are mobile phones suddenly so sacred?

You sound like you think touching someone else's phone is like touching their private parts.

Because it is a huge invasion of privacy?

Seriously, why would you…