We all know what happens when somebody tries to call us when our phones are either switched off or unreachable due to poor network.
Our callers are usually greeted by a recorded message: “sorry … samahani mteja hapatikani …” and we on the other hand remain unaware of this missed call until they do call us again.
To resolve these missed connections, Safaricom introduced the Missed Call Alert service a few years ago. Similar services are also now available on both Telkom and Airtel Kenya.
What is a Missed Call Alert?
As the name suggests, this service sends an SMS alerting them of a caller that had tried calling them when they were unreachable. However, one can also set to block all calls and get missed call alerts to see who’s trying to call them while being reachable.
The SMS also includes the time and date when that call was made. The message is usually as follows: “I tried to call at you at [time] on [date]. Please call back.”.
How to Activate the Missed Call Alert Service
1. Go to your phone and dial the following activation code: **62*0722199199#
2. You should get a response with the message Succeeded.
How to Deactivate the Missed Call Alert Service
1. Go to your phone and dial the following code: ##62#
2. You should then get a response with the message Succeeded.
How the Missed Call Alert Works?
The missed call alert service is actually part of Safaricom’s voicemail service. Consequently, activating it does also activate voicemail for your number. Your callers will therefore be getting the option to leave you a voicemail in the event you’re unreachable.
The recorded message they get also changes. Instead of the usual: “sorry … samahani mteja hapatikani …” they will now get one that informs them that the unreachable person will be notified of their attempt to call them followed by the option to leave the voicemail.
That new message is: “The person you have called is not available. We have notified them that you tried to call. If you wish to leave a voice message, then please do so after the tone.”
As you might have figured out already, how they get notified is through this missed call alert SMS.
Activate or Deactivate via Call Forwarding/Divert
Technically this is actually a call divert (call forwarding) to the number inside the activation code [**62*0722199199#]. As such, you can alternatively activate the missed call alert by forwarding your calls to the number 0722199199 when unreachable.
The call divert/forwarding settings are available in almost all types of phones and can be found by checking the Call Settings of your network operator.
Should you choose this way to activate the alert, make sure to put the number in the Unreachable option. In some phones however it may be worded differently.
For instance, as shown in the screenshot above taken from a Windows Phone the option we want is When I can’t be reached. On some Android phones it’s listed as When Unreachable.
Caller Notify Service
The missed call alert is not the only service of this kind. Callers may also get a similar SMS alert informing them of the availability of the previously unreachable person assuming that person has activated the Caller Notify service that sends the message: “You attempted to call me but I was not available. Please call me. Thank you.”.
