How to Prioritize Your Callers?

You have probably noticed that the profile personalization screen has an option called "Alert for." That is a very useful option, despite its cryptic name. You can use it to decide whose calls to take when a particular profile is activated. For instance, you can set up a special Meeting profile that rings only when your boss (or your spouse) calls and ignores all other incoming calls.

The Nokia Contacts list allows you to group your contacts into several different caller groups. You can click each group name to view and edit its membership or change its name. Caller groups are supported on Series 40 devices as well.

For each profile, you can specify one or several caller groups in the "Alert for" option. The phone will alert you only when a member of one of these groups calls (or messages you), using the tones and volumes defined in the profile. It only lets through calls from my family and from people in Austin, Texas.

Profiles give you a lot of control over various forms of feedback, accepting calls from people you know and ignoring (ringing silently) calls from those you don't know, and they can prove to be a valuable way to manage your time effectively. One of the most irritating aspects of an always-on society is that people know you're always on. Using profiles to set some limits frees you from making that decision on a per-call basis.