Getting pocket dialed can confuse you, especially someone you weren’t expecting a call from—say, an ex-boyfriend, ex-fiancee, or someone you are crushing on.
Depending on how you relate to them, it gets even more complicated when you can’t call them to find out why they were calling.
If he is an ex, for example, and you broke up with him on bad terms, leaving no room for reconciliation or friendship, the last thing you would expect is a call from him, pocket-dialed or not.
Unless the relationship ended amicably and you remained friends, then it would be easier to call him back so he could clarify if the call was intentional or a pocket dial.
What if you are not in a position to ask them?
How do you know if your ex, a ghost, or a crush pocket-dialed you?
To avoid jumping to conclusions regarding the pocket dial, you may consider the following to help you figure out if the call was a calculated move or accidental:
1. Was There Background Noise?
You may have your answer regarding whether his call was pocket-dialed by answering it and listening to the background noise.
Let’s say you received it; what did you hear in the background?
If it was a pocket dial, he wasn’t aware of it and must have carried on with what he was doing. If he was conversing with someone, for instance, you could hear it, along with other sounds from his surroundings.
Once you determine it was a pocket dial based on the background noise and conversations, you need to hang up because eavesdropping is unethical, even though you aren’t the one who called.
2. Call Duration
How long did the call last after picking it up?
Did it end almost immediately, or did it take some time?
There may be several possibilities depending on how long the call lasted.
If the call was longer followed by a silent background, there is a likelihood that the call was intentional and he was waiting to hear you speak.
If the call was more extended and there was background noise or conversations, it was probably a pocket dial.
Also, some pocket dials are short, which may have been the case if there wasn’t enough time to establish background conversations or sounds.
3. How Frequent Were the Pocket Dials?
The frequency of pocket dials can help you establish his intention.
Intentional or purposeful calls are mostly a one-time event, meaning he would have talked once you received the call.
Pocket dials, however, are random and can happen frequently without the phone owner’s knowledge.
In your case, he was likely intentional with the call if it happened once, and you could hardly hear background sounds or conversations to determine it was accidental.
If the calls were frequent, chances are they were pocket dials.
4. Absence of Voicemail
Unpicked intentional calls mostly end up with a voicemail from the caller explaining their reason for reaching out.
Pocket dials hardly have voicemails because the owners of the phones aren’t aware of the calls.
However, some stalking exes who have not moved on, or someone with a crush on you, can intentionally call you and not leave a voicemail, making it seem like a pocket dial. So, you shouldn’t rule out that possibility.
Also, an ex or crush who really wanted to talk to you will leave a voicemail telling you why they called.
Additionally, an ex or crush who pocket-dialed you and realized it later after looking at their outgoing call logs may text or contact you to inform you the call was accidental.
5. At What Time Did He Call?
If you know the routine of your ex or crush and how busy their schedules are, it will be easier to determine if they pocket-dialed you.
For instance, if your ex or crush is a full-time employee and the call took place during his working hours, chances are it was a pocket dial.
The same applies if your ex or crush is studying and the call occurs during lecture hours.
If the call took place during his free time, there is a probability it wasn’t accidental, especially if you can see them online.
Why do Exes or Crushes Pocket Dial?
Pocket dialing intentionally is mostly unheard of, but a stuck ex or someone who is crushing on you can do it knowingly for the following reasons:
- To Determine if You Have Moved on: An ex who hasn’t moved on after a breakup may want to know if you will pick up their calls. To them, picking up their call would mean you haven’t shut them off completely. If you receive the call, they will not talk so you think it was a pocket dial.
- Attention Seeking/Flirting: Someone who is smitten by you but isn’t courageous enough to initiate a conversation may hide behind a pocket dial to prompt you to call or text them. It could be their way of flirting, too.
- He Misses Your Voice: An ex may feel nostalgic and start reminiscing about your happy days, which may tempt him to call so that they can hear your voice even if he doesn’t intend to talk back.
Bottom Line
The above indicators are not conclusive and may not accurately help you understand if he really pocket-dialed.
The only sure way to find out if it was a pocket dial is by following it up with him or ignoring and forgetting about it.
If there is no bad blood between you and the ex, you can call them or casually text him like, “Hey, you called me earlier/you called me the other day. What’s up?”.
If you have severed your ties with your ex and find it hard to call them for an explanation, you can ignore them altogether.
If they intend to talk to you, they can speak when you pick, and if you don’t, they can leave a voicemail or text you.
