This one is for my Aunty V, who had been finding that her iPhone was not ringing for long enough before switching through to voicemail. She was sick of running for the phone, only to find that she did not make it in time.

We fixed Aunty V's problem by extending the number of seconds that the phone rings, using a series of numbers and symbols on the phone's keypad.

Here are the instructions for each of the main Telcos:

• Telstra: **61*101** (number of seconds: 15, 20, 25 or 30) #.  Then press the call/send button.
• Optus: **61*321** (number of seconds: 15, 20, 25 or 30) #.  Then press the call/send button.
• Vodafone:  **61*61414121000** (number of seconds: 15, 20, 25 or 30) #.  Then press the call/send button.

Examples:  
   To extend Telstra rings to 30 seconds, enter         **61*101**30#  then the call/send button
   To extend Optus rings to 30 seconds,enter           **61*321**30#  then the call/send button
   To extend Vodafone rings to 30 seconds,  enter   **61*61414121000**30#  then the call/send button

If you have different mobile phone service provider to those listed, just try entering a Google search phrase like "extend the ring time for your mobile vodafone” (replacing 'vodafone' with the name of your mobile service provider) and find an answer to this question in the listed Google results.

iOS 9 has brought some great new features to the iPad and iPhone.

One that I have been finding particularly useful allows me to really easily search people's contact details and call or text them (for those occasions where I don't want to ask Siri to do this for me).

This feature is one of the new Spotlight Search capabilities.

Find out more about this feature in this iPhone Handy Hint, for iTandCoffee Club members.  Make sure you have signed in - use the link in the right-hand sidebar if you haven't yet.)
​

• Using Spotlight Search for calling and messaging your Contacts

​Not yet a member of The iTandCoffee Club?  Why not join today.

You'll get access to iTandCoffee's ever-growing library of Handy Hints, special members-only information sessions and other special offers advertised from time to time.

If you ever need to check your voicemail from another phone - for example when you are travelling, and perhaps are not using your usual SIM in your phone - you can easily retrieve your voicemails remotely from any phone.

Just dial your own phone number and, when your voicemail message starts, press the # key to access your voicemail.

You may need to do some initial setup to make this feature work - for example, to set a 'pin' that you then enter to gain access to your messages after selecting the '#'.

I used this handy feature when travelling overseas recently, when I did not have my regular Telstra SIM in my phone.   I also used it more recently when my husband and I went away overnight on a weeknight, and I forgot to take my iPhone (!).  

I was able to check my voicemail regularly from his phone, to make sure I responded to any client calls that needed attention.

(Thanks Katie K for this handy hint suggestion.)

Distressingly, another iTandCoffee client was yesterday caught out by a scam call from someone purporting to be from Telstra.

The caller told her that Telstra had detected that her computer had a virus, one that puts the Telstra network at risk and that she must therefore have fixed.  She had been having trouble with passwords that morning, so the timing of the call seemed to fit in with her thinking that something was not quite right.

Credit Card details stolen

But before the caller would fix the 'virus' issue, my client was asked to pay a fee -  by providing her credit card details.  

The 'technician' then asked her to download a product called TeamViewer, which is a tool that allows someone to remotely access and manage your computer - a great product, when it is used for good not evil!

Computer remotely accessed & private information potentially stolen

With her permission (by providing a passcode shown on her TeamViewer screen), the 'technician' remotely accessed her Mac.  He showed her 'proof' of the 'problem' by bringing up some scary looking red error messages.  (These messages are normal messages that in no way prove the existence of a virus.)

With full access to her computer for a period of time, who knows what other information - identity information, account information, passwords, etc - he managed to access.

The Aftermath

Having realised too late that she had been scammed, the client disconnected her Mac from the Internet and contacted the bank and other financial institutions to put a hold on accounts.  She then called iTandCoffee late yesterday for assistance.

Her computer must now be cleaned of any 'nasties' that might have been planted by the scammers and all passwords (a long list) will need to be changed today.  A few really important ones were changed last night, just to be safe.

Only once she provides proof (from iTandCoffee) that her computer has been cleaned of problems and her passwords changed, will the bank re-activate her accounts and provide her with a new credit card account.

The Lesson to be Learned

HANG UP on callers telling you that you have a problem with your internet, computer or some other service - no matter how insistent and threatening they are.

NEVER giving your credit card or identity details or passwords to someone who calls you, unless it is something that you have initiated and are ABSOLUTELY sure the caller is legitimate.

NEVER give anyone remote access to your computer unless you are absolutely sure you know who they are.

ALWAYS be suspicious! 

These callers will often give you a phone number to call to confirm that they are legitimate.  Never use that number to confirm their legitimacy, as it will take you straight back to them.  

If you a concerned that the call might be legitimate, hang up and call the company using a phone number that you get from the REAL business website or from the top of one of your bills, and ask if there is any issue in relation to your account.  Guaranteed, there will be NO issue.

Need more information?

For more information about this scam, check out this article on the government's Scamwatch website.

If in doubt or in need of further advice about this or other scam calls or emails, call iTandCoffee on 1300 885 420 or email enquiry@itandcoffee.com.au.

One of the things that can happen when you travel overseas is that phone calls and messages that you receive while travelling don't seem to be able to show the Contact name associated with the number - even though the person contacting you is actually in your Contacts App.

The reason this happens is that the number that has contacted you has an international code in front of it, but the corresponding Contact's card in your Contacts app does not include this international code in front of that person's phone number.  Because of this, the Messages and Phone apps cannot match the received number to a number in your Contacts, so no name is shown.

The easy way to solve this problem is the just add the international dialling prefix to each of your Contact's phone numbers in the Contacts app - eg for Mebourne phone numbers, you would add +613.  For mobile numbers, you add +61, but drop the leading zero of the mobile number.

But, what do you do if you have hundreds (or even thousands) of contacts?

Well, there's an app for everything - and I found an app that sorted this out for me really easily.

It is called Plus One.  I downloaded it to my iPhone from the App Store, for a cost of $1.29. 

I got this app to select all my contacts that were missing 'international codes', and then I 'unselected' any that did not need to have extra digits added (for example, 13 or 18 numbers).  
Then, I told it to add the Australian international code to each of the still-selected contacts.  Just like magic, it sorted all of them out - even adding the 3 for Melbourne numbers.

You can check out this app in the app store here >>

Are you finding that your mobile does not ring for long enough?  That it stops before you get a chance to find it in your handbag or somewhere in the house?

By default, your phone only rings for 15 seconds before diverting to your voicemail or unanswered call service.  

However you can change this using increments of five seconds, up to a maximum of 30 seconds. You just need to enter a sequence of numbers and symbols on your mobile phone.  

There are slight differences in the numbers you enter, depending on your Mobile phone service provider.  See the list below:

• Telstra: **61*101** (number of seconds: 15, 20, 25 or 30) #.  Then press the call/send button.
• Optus: **61*321** (number of seconds: 15, 20, 25 or 30) #.  Then press the call/send button.
• Vodafone:  **61*61414121000** (number of seconds: 15, 20, 25 or 30) #.  Then press the call/send button.

Examples:  
   To extend Telstra rings to 30 seconds, enter         **61*101**30
   To extend Optus rings to 30 seconds,enter           **61*321**30
   To extend Vodafone rings to 30 seconds,  enter   **61*61414121000**30

If you have different mobile phone service provider to those listed, just try entering a Google search phrase like "extend the ring time for your mobile vodafone” (replacing 'vodafone' with the name of your mobile service provider) and find an answer to this question in the listed Google results.

For more information about changing the number of rings, click on one of the links below:

• Telstra
• Optus
  
• Vodafone