How to Pretend You Are Talking on the Phone

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 6, 2021 References

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]
X
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 conversation may give you the excuse you're looking for.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Receiving Fake Calls

1
Download a fake call app.^{[2]
X
Research source} Although you might choose to fake the call completely, a "fake call app" can be used to call and make your phone ring automatically. If you have a smartphone, look into downloading one of these apps. It can give you the initiative you need to get your fake call started.
- Fake Call, Fake Call 2, and Fake-A-Call-Free are all examples of apps you can download for this reason.
2
Set an alarm beforehand. Setting an alarm on your phone will result in it ringing 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.
Advertisement
3
Pretend like you got a call. You can always lift a phone to your face without a ring or dial tone. If the area you're in is loud enough, other people around you will simply assume they couldn't hear your phone vibrate in your pocket. This is a good option if you need to fake a call in a hurry ad have no time to prepare in advance.
- If you're faking a call, it's a good idea to put your phone on silent. This will cancel out the chance of a real person attempting to call you while you're faking a conversation.
4
Make a fake call yourself. If you're in a situation where it's acceptable to make phone calls, you won't need to wait for the phone to ring to pick it up and make it happen. Pick up your phone, and pretend to press in some numbers. 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.) It may be helpful to actually dial up and call a number. When you do, immediately "hang up" the call but keep going as if you were about to talk to someone on the other end. With most phones, there is usually the space of a couple of seconds after calling before it goes through to the other line. Make a point of hanging up before this happens. If you do, there's a chance the number you called will attempt to call you back.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Faking a Conversation

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 an indistinct chatter if someone's on the phone nearby. Because you obviously won't have this if you're faking a phone call, it's important to keep enough distance from other people that they wouldn't be able to hear the chatter if it was there. With enough space between you and others, they won't be able to suspect there's no sound coming through.
- This issue is averted if you're wearing earbuds with your phone, or are in a loud setting.
2
Exchange a fake greeting. Almost all phone calls begin with a simple greeting. Saying something like "Hello" or "Hey, what's up?" before you start talking on the phone lends a greater sense of authenticity to your phone conversation.
3
Give your call a purpose. Although it's not unheard of that people will call each other just to catch up, a faked phone call is easier to accomplish if you know what the conversation's supposed to be about. Give yourself a good idea about the reason for calling, 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 generic idea for a phone call could be making dinner plans for later on that week. A more general call to check up on how someone's doing is also believable.
- Proper planning allows for better improvising.
4
Set aside time to listen. A phone conversation tends to be two-sided. That means you should spend at least half of your session trying to look like you're listening to someone on the other end. After giving your responses, wait a while and try to imagine what the other person would be saying. This will occupy your mind while you're supposed to be listening, and give you a better idea how to keep the fake chat going.
5
Change your facial expression periodically. When we're talking on the phone with someone, you may be physically reacting to the person on the other line. A fake phone call can appear more believable if your face changes as if you were hearing someone talk. This makes it important to have some idea what your fake conversation is about, as it will give you some indication what your reactions should look like.
- Don't change your face too often. There should be one facial reaction per "response" on average. It's also important not to overdo your expressions. Don't make it seem like you're putting on a show for whomever's nearby.
6
Interrupt yourself. 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. Stopping yourself in mid-sentence makes it sound like there's a real person on the other end talking to you.
7
End the phone conversation.^{[3]
X
Research source} Ending a phone conversation should be done as you would with a regular conversation. Much like the case with greetings, there are expected, routine ways you are expected to end a chat with someone. Saying "Goodbye" or "Talk to you later" will signify to both parties (and whomever's watching you make the call) that the call is over. If and when you choose to end the call, make sure you don't have a reason anymore to fake the call. Chances are you won't be able to use it as a tactic again once you've hung up. Picking up the phone again will look suspicious.
- If you run out of a reason for faking your phone conversation, you won't need to end the call in any particular way
- Remember to make it look like you're ending the call on the phone itself. Press the phone's "end call" button and turn it off.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Considering Other Approaches

1
Consider the potential risks of fake calling.^{[4]
X
Research source} Faking a phone call is usually done for the sake of getting out of a social obligation. Although it can be a useful tool, there's a risk of being found out and having your efforts backfire. With that in mind, it may be a good idea to consider other options first.
2
Say you need to be elsewhere. If you're trying to get out of a conversation, for example, you might say tell the person you're talking to that you have somewhere you need to be. This may be done with or without the help of a phone. If you want to look like you're "on the go," keep your phone at hand. This will make it look like you're already doing something or expecting someone to call.
3
Make yourself busy with something nearby. If you're trying to look busy or occupied, there are probably lots of things around you that you could focus yourself around. Cleaning or starting a real-life conversation with someone are good ways to get busy quickly. If it looks like you're doing something, you'll be able to excuse yourself from the situation without giving a reason to whomever's around.
4
Text instead of call.^{[5]
X
Research source} 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 isn't as effective at getting you out of situations, as it's often quick and non-committal. If you need to get out of a situation fast, you should go straight to a call.

Community Q&A

Question

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

Community Answer

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.
Question

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

Community Answer

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.

Warnings

If you're trying to fake a call because you feel unsafe or awkward, don't hesitate to take the appropriate steps to solve the problem itself.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 10 Not Helpful 1
You may be found out for your faking if you try this. This can result in a much worse situation than the one you were trying to avoid. Take the risk for confrontation into account.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 9 Not Helpful 1