Modern phone etiquette: Can Apple save the voicemail? Do we even want them to?

Modern phone etiquette

To call or not to call? When to text? Our new smartphone obsessed lives have led to an entirely new bunch of rules for proper phone etiquette. FOX 5 NY's Kendall Green takes a look.

NEW YORK - There are only a few times today when most of us aren't glued to our phones.

"Two times of the day," explained one New Yorker. "When I take my shower and when I'm sleeping."

Our means to communicate today are endless. We've got phone calls, text messages, Zooms, Teams, Facetime; you name it.

Connecting with others is easier than ever, but which option you use, depending on the person, could determine whether that response is sweet or sour.

Apple unveils the iPhone 15

The tech giant showed off the new generation of iPhones and watches. Good Day's Dan Bowens reports.

"We're seeing, of course, a lot more texting, a lot more emailing, and a lot less phone calling," said Thomas Farley, known as Mr. Manners.

Farley knows what's acceptable and what's not.

Years ago, our answering machines screened our calls, and our voicemails were the sole backup to that breakthrough.

Newer iPhones have revamped the voicemail making them broader: The traditional way, the transcript or a voicemail video.

"We now have the ability to do that which is going to be interesting because I think for most Americans, we've largely fallen out of the habit of leaving voicemail and, for many of us, listening to voicemails," Farley told FOX 5.

The new iPhone 15 is out: What does it have?

The new iPhone 15 is out, and Mark Spoonauer, global editor in chief of Tom's Guide, joined Good Day New York to show what it has.

The majority of people, regardless of the options, would rather bypass calling altogether without warning, of course.

"The ability to text people and say 'Hey, would love to chat, when's a good time?' I think this is one of the most mannerly things we can do," Farley offered.

Days of cold calling are a thing of the past. In fact, some saying they find it kind of rude.

"It's an annoyance. I find it annoying because I'm so busy," shared another New Yorker.

We've gathered a rule of thumb: The same people who would reach out to you in case of an emergency are the same people you could possibly reach out to without that announcement via text, but the safest thing to do is to just text first.