WTF Google?!
July 29, 2011 4:03 AM   Subscribe

How is google intercepting my phone calls?!

I was talking to a client over google talk (just IMing) and it popped up a message saying "boyfriend calling" - with his phone number and an 'answer' button, just after that my mobile started ringing. The message went away when I answered the phone.

I don't recall ever giving google my phone number - I don't even know it so it would have been a special effort to do so. I do however have a google maps app on my phone - as does my boyfriend.
I've never signed up for google voice or anything like that. I certainly never gave it permission for this!

While I have no problem with google knowing where I am, I'm not comfortable with them being able to intercept my calls. What can I do about it?
posted by missmagenta to Computers & Internet (7 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Do you use Facebook on your phone? If so, is your phone number included in your profile details?
posted by cp311 at 4:09 AM on July 29, 2011


I've never used google voice or anything, but I have fed my (and others') phone numbers into gmail for texting and phone calls (including calling myself when I'd misplace the damn thing), back when phone calls through gchat were free. Since I've never experienced this kind of interception, I don't think it's got anything to do with that. (But facebook hasn't had my phone number since 2004, if that's relevant.)
posted by phunniemee at 4:15 AM on July 29, 2011


Response by poster: Mobile phone number not on facebook and he called from his mobile phone. Don't think he even has gchat.
posted by missmagenta at 5:15 AM on July 29, 2011


Did it say "boyfriend" or his name when he called? Did it match what you have him listed as in your Google contacts?
posted by quiet coyote at 6:06 AM on July 29, 2011


Is your phone an Android phone?
posted by dgeiser13 at 6:13 AM on July 29, 2011


Response by poster: Panic over - I got him to call me again a few times - turns out it was my phone software. It popped up over my google talk, looking exactly like a google talk popup notification - same style and colours etc, even though the skin for the phone software looks nothing like that - its black and modern with shiny glass/gel effects on all the buttons.
posted by missmagenta at 6:23 AM on July 29, 2011


That popup is called a toast, if your phone is an Android phone. It's a shared feature of the phone's GUI used by all kinds of apps. If you pay close attention you'll see it used elsewhere.
posted by axiom at 12:26 PM on July 29, 2011


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