iPhone help - keeping contact hidden

[CBPaul]

Seeking some help from the tech savvy members as I freely admit that my iPhone is a damn site smarter than me 

Now I'm a strong advocate of running a second punting phone, mine is a crappy, basic old Nokia on PAYG and I keep all of my punting activities away from my main iPhone. 

But, when arranging a couple of punts with the same prossie in the last 6 weeks or so, she has sent me a few texts from her iPhone with emoticons that I would have liked to have seen, rather than the blank rectangle that appears on the crappy Nokia. The Punting phone is also a bit of a nuisance at times, something I've always tolerated but, perhaps foolishly, I am wondering about making a few contacts via my main phone.

This would only be with prossies who, so far, have never sent unsolicited texts but to be safe I want to know if it is possible to set a single contact so that the phone won't display texts or ring if that contact sends a text or calls. I would then have to check for texts and missed calls manually.

I know I'm probably on dodgy ground and should keep things on the punting phone only but I'm road testing regulars - another new thing for me - and might just be tempted to bend the rules.

Any knowledge on this would be very welcome.

CBP 

[Tjkooker]

Don't do it. Go on gumtree and search for a second hand smartphone. Any cheap one will be better than your Nokia. Don't log into any of your normal email accounts or websites etc... Keep it for purely punting related purposes.

[Marmalade]

I think worrying about emoticons is slightly OTT but who am I to judge. Keeping it secret is important. You can set it not to display texts and get a selective call-blocker/silencer if your iphone doesn't have one already. But I still think it's best to keep them separate if you have the slightest privacy concerns.

It's different for everyone. Assess the risks ...
    What do you want to protect?
    Who do you want to protect it from?
    How likely is it that you will need to protect it?
    How bad are the consequences if you fail?
    How much trouble are you willing to go through in order to try to prevent those?

You can download an app that will keep a separate list of private contacts that you need a password to open. You can use a browser that keeps no trace. You can install an app that cleans the junk and cached data off your phone. Bear in mind that merely having 'privacy apps' on your phone could raise suspicions among the suspicious-minded who will think you have something to hide and try harder to find out what it is. Some apps can hide themselves or pose as something innocuous until you long press a particular place.

Phones that aren't 'smartphones' are easier to secure but as you point out, miss a lot of advantages. You might want to check her webpage 'likes' on the way there. Or confront her with her published rates if she tries to overcharge you. Or use the GPS to find your way in or out of her weird location.

Everyone has their own preferences but I hope that checklist (which I cut-and-pasted from somewhere else) will maybe help you.

[SirFrank]

Don't do it. Go on gumtree and search for a second hand smartphone. Any cheap one will be better than your Nokia. Don't log into any of your normal email accounts or websites etc... Keep it for purely punting related purposes.

What he said. My punting phone is the size and weight of a small child. It txts it phones and the battery lasts 6 months in between charges but it's never let me down and there's no chance of my getting my fingers burnt with unsolicited shit or mixing up contact details with whatsapp blah blah

[Taggart]

There's plenty of cheap 8Gb iPhone 3G models in shops like CEX for around £50 - shouldn't need to pay more. Not much more that a bog standard Nokia, but with the smartphone benefits - maps, browsers, use of wifi, etc.

I have a 4S on Asda PAYG (piggybacks EE network and gives 3G access), and use it for calls or texts to WGs which are deleted after every session, regardless of how nice their messages may by. All call records are deleted too.

As a safeguard use a key pad lock code. You may need to download the latest op system to get the emoticons tho.

Plus you can keep it totally silent for calls and texts, or vibrate only. I've not even set up the Find My Iphone option, for obvious reasons.

That way if Mrs T finds it, there's no incriminating evidence.

[rafatheira]

Second Smartphone mate. This may sound a bit unconventional, but I have two Iphone 5's. Same color. One's my normal phone, the other my punting phone. Same wallpaper, same everything really. If someone were to run into it (unlikely, as I keep it discreetly placed), there'd never be any suspicion.

Oh, and don't even think about putting contacts into your normal phone. Nothing wrong's ever happened so you're tempted, I know. I was nearly burned 1.5 years or so back when a regular who I'd stopped seeing as I had entered into a relationship texted me, wondering why I hadn't been around. My gf at the time saw this....I was able to manouvre my way out of it unscathed, but if that text had anything remotely dodgy on it, I was toast, as my gf was known to most of my mates and some family.


I'm not attached at the moment, but I find with this hobby, and the stigma surrounding it among most people, its much better safe than sorry  .

[CBPaul]

Thanks for the replies and the slap back to a more sensible reality - I really should just follow my usual opinion on using a punting phone and not get complacent and lazy.

Upgrading the old Nokia to a smart punting phone seems the best bet. As for the emoticons, it's pure curiosity - I know they'll be a load of nonsense but I don't like not knowing. Still we know what curiosity did to the cat.

[CoolTiger]

Forward the text from your punting phone to your private phone. Hopefully, this will enable you to see the emoticons that you are keen on seeing.

As for using your private phone to contact her...... enough said above, and in previous threads.

[_Bender_]

I'm I the only one who I doesn't see the problem in using your private smart phone for punting as long as YOU know what your doing and how the features work.

As I punt on the spur of the moment or sometimes the same day I find it easier to browse and call/text instead of digging the punting phone from the car! and it bothers me more being caught/seen with another phone as colleges/friends might think what im up too.

Also using a 5s no one can enter the phone except me!

[cunnyhunt]

I'm I the only one who I doesn't see the problem in using your private smart phone for punting as long as YOU know what your doing and how the features work.

As I punt on the spur of the moment or sometimes the same day I find it easier to browse and call/text instead of digging the punting phone from the car! and it bothers me more being caught/seen with another phone as colleges/friends might think what im up too.

Also using a 5s no one can enter the phone except me!

That is fine for you but most people do not understand (or want to) how they work, they just find that the iphone keeps too much data on you for punting discreetly. many did not it was tracking them with a list of recently visited destinations.

Using your own phone is fine until a pro$$ie becomes pissed off for whatever reason (I have had 2 in the past - mistaken identity) and they bombard you with calls and texts. Yes you can block them but difficult to explain when they start doing at early hours of the morning, and you are hit with call after call and multiple texts. How would you explain that to a partner? and when they check and your phone is locked they Will become suspicious 

[Farmboy]

I was having a conversation with a mate, who thought his phone was safe as it was locked with his thumbprint...but while he was asleep his girlfriend unlocked using his thumb. It turned out OK for him, as he had wiped any trace of anything controversial, but it served as a warning to me that my phone isn't secure

[cylon]

I'm I the only one who I doesn't see the problem in using your private smart phone for punting as long as YOU know what your doing and how the features work.

As I punt on the spur of the moment or sometimes the same day I find it easier to browse and call/text instead of digging the punting phone from the car! and it bothers me more being caught/seen with another phone as colleges/friends might think what im up too.

Also using a 5s no one can enter the phone except me!

No you're not. I too use my own personal phone but as you mention you must understand the features. I always delete any calls, texts and web sites as soon as I'm done with a particular punt and never link your number with social media sites. I always have a phone lock on and I change that regularly. I would prefer a separate punting phone but the trouble of hiding it and the risk of it being discovered made the idea of having just the one phone and being careful more attractive.

[cunnyhunt]

.but while he was asleep his girlfriend unlocked using his thumb. It turned out OK for him,

I would get rid of that untrustworthy bitch 

[CBPaul]

Forward the text from your punting phone to your private phone. Hopefully, this will enable you to see the emoticons that you are keen on seeing.

As for using your private phone to contact her...... enough said above, and in previous threads.

Tried that CT, didn't work, just ignored they even existed.